Is Bihar Headed for a ‘Remote-Control’ Government from Delhi?

As coalition equations shift and political uncertainty deepens, questions grow over whether Bihar’s next government will be independently run—or remotely steered from New Delhi.

By MANISH ANAND

New Delhi, March 28, 2026 — Power supply in Bihar has turned erratic. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had built a reputation for 24-hour reliable electricity supply. But as he braces up to hang his boots for a political retirement phase, cities in Bihar report frequent power cuts. For weeks, Bihar has been speculating on likely successor of Nitish Kumar. Now the issue borders boredom.

On March 10, 1990, Bihar had arguably wrested control over own government from the influence of New Delhi. Lalu Prasad Yadav had ousted the Congress-led government from power in Patna. Until then, the Congress high command changed Bihar CM at whims of the party’s top brass. Old timers recall that the governance in Bihar always looked askance at New Delhi, as top brass of the Congress pulled strings.

An uninterrupted phase of Bihar’s control on own government is likely to end soon. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar may finally resign in the next few days. That will give a time span of almost 36 years of New Delhi kept at a distance by Patna.

In all likelihoods, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will appoint a CM from own ranks in Patna. That will make the successor of Nitish Kumar looking at New Delhi for decisions per political observers. This has been seen in cases of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Delhi, and other states. In popular political commentary, New Delhi gains control over state capitals when lightweight CMs hold posts.

The Bihar BJP arguably is without a leader who can claim to have a mass appeal or stature to gain an assertive profile. Besides, the BJP top brass may choose someone who is low-profile and obedient. That will fit in the pattern seen in recent years within the BJP.

Without Nitish Kumar, the JD (U) also shows a sever dearth of leadership. His son, Nishant Kumar, is a political novice per a consensus view among political observers in Patna. That makes a case for a remote-controlled government in Patna highly likely.

The 1980s in Bihar was a decade of governance freeze. Bihar had seen seven Chief Ministers in just one decade. The CMs then spent days and months to keep their respective akas in good humours. But that was also a typical Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi legacy. Now the Congress is letting CMs to run full length.

Even when Bihar wrested full control from 1990, the governance guardrails not necessarily were made of steel. The popular tag of Jungle Raj gained prominence for governance anarchy in the 1990s. From 2005, Nitish Kumar had sought to clean the image. But he also struggled post-2015 as his grip on governance turned greasy. Now, the BJP seeks to script the governance story with Delhi’s mentorship.

Nitish Kumar Stokes Feverish Buzz with His Exit Plan

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About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

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