PATNA, March 8 -- Bihar Congress leaders believe chief minister Nitish Kumar's decision to leave the state's chief minister's post for a Rajya Sabha seat has cracked open a rare opportunity in the state's volatile political scene.

The veteran Janata Dal (United) leader, who has occupied the CM's post a record 10 times over more than two decades and switched alliances multiple times, filed his nomination for the Upper House on March 5 in presence of Union home minister Amit Shah. The move, coming just months after the NDA's strong victory in the recently held assembly elections, is widely seen as an end to his long dominance in state politics and the start of a leadership transition. Many expect the BJP to install its own chief minister i...