Nitish Kumar, a veteran and central figure in Bihar politics, holds the record for serving as the state’s Chief Minister eight times, with his first term beginning in 2000. His most recent tenure ended in January 2024 after rejoining the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Despite his long political career and multiple stints as CM, Nitish Kumar has rarely contested or won a Bihar Assembly election directly.

The last time Nitish Kumar won an assembly seat was in 1995, when he contested from the Harnaut Assembly Constituency in Nalanda district. Running on a Samata Party ticket, he defeated Vishwa Mohan Chaudhary of the Janata Party. Earlier, he also won from Harnaut in the 1985 Bihar Assembly elections on a Lok Dal ticket, defeating Virjnandan Prasad Singh of the Congress.

Following his assembly wins, Nitish transitioned to national politics and represented the Barh Lok Sabha constituency for five consecutive terms in 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998, and 1999. After delimitation, the Barh constituency ceased to exist. In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, he contested from Barh and Nalanda constituencies, winning from Nalanda but losing Barh.

Throughout his political journey, Nitish has helmed governments formed both in alliance with the BJP and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). He has largely served as a member of the Bihar Legislative Council during his Chief Ministerial terms, bypassing the need to contest assembly elections directly.

As the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 approach, scheduled in two phases on November 6 and 11, speculation remains whether Nitish Kumar will contest directly from an assembly seat this time. Traditionally, the legislative council route has provided him a safe path to continue as CM. The NDA has not officially declared him as its chief ministerial candidate, leaving uncertainty over his electoral strategy. Given his advancing age and extensive political career, Nitish may once again opt to avoid the electoral risk of a direct assembly contest.

This historical perspective underscores Nitish Kumar’s unique electoral journey—balancing assembly victories, Lok Sabha representation, and the strategic use of the Bihar Legislative Council—while maintaining his position as a pivotal leader in Bihar politics.

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