Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticised the BJP as incumbent Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections 2026, saying he wanted the JD(U) chief to retire as the Prime Minister.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Akhilesh Yadav said, "Who understands politics, knew what step the BJP would take. We wanted Nitish Kumar to retire as the Prime Minister, but now he will retire as a Rajya Sabha member."

Nitish Kumar, before rejoining NDA ahead of the 2024 General Elections, was one of the founding members of the INDIA bloc and was seen as the PM candidate by his supporters.

Meanwhile, Bihar Minister Shravan Kumar on Saturday said that the Janata Dal (United) workers were upset with Nitish Kumar's decision to move to the Rajya Sabha, but have resolved to stand by him and support him.

Speaking to ANI, Shravan Kumar said that Nitish Kumar clarified his decision to the party leaders in a meeting on Friday.

"In yesterday's meeting, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar clarified all matters. This is his political (going to the Rajya Sabha) decision. Everyone is upset about this. But when a leader takes a political decision, it is the duty of their supporters or leaders and ministers around them to abide by the decision. All people have decided that we will stay with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and stand by him on every decision of his," the Bihar minister said.

Addressing the Opposition's allegations of the BJP pressuring the JD(U) in making the decision to move to the Centre, Shravan Kumar said, "Where is the pressure? If there was pressure, he would have said so. He had expressed that he wanted to go to the fourth House. He has been to the Vidhan Sabha, Vidhan Parishad, Lok Sabha and only the Rajya Sabha was left, so he filed the nomination."

Shravan Kumar also welcomed the decision to induct Nitish Kumar's son, Nishant Kumar, into the party.

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He said, "We had said that Nishant Kumar should come forward; he is young. Assessing the situation now, he should come forward, and we are talking about this."

The JD(U) confirmed that Nishant Kumar will officially join the party on Sunday.