India, March 5 -- Nitish Kumar, 75, on Thursday announced his candidature for the Rajya Sabha as a Janata Dal (United) nominee, triggering speculation over who will replace him as the Bihar chief minister months after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) swept back to power in the state.

In a post X, Kumar expressed gratitude to the people of Bihar for trusting him for over 20 years, saying their support enabled him to serve the state with dedication. "The strength of your faith and support has helped Bihar present a new dimension of development and dignity," Kumar said. He added that he had expressed his gratitude to the people on several occasions earlier.

Kumar said that since the beginning of his parliamentary career, he nurtured ...