6 min readPatnaApr 14, 2026 03:28 PM IST First published on: Apr 14, 2026 at 03:28 PM ISTShortly after he lost the 1977 Assembly elections from Harnaut in Bihar’s Nalanda district, Nitish Kumar sat with journalists and intellectuals at a coffee house near Patna’s Dak Bungalow Chowk. Thumping the table during an argument, he declared he would one day become the Chief Minister. Nitish had emerged from the 1974 JP Movement, but watched his compatriot Lalu Prasad get elected Chhapra MP at the age of 29, while the lesser-known Mithilesh Kumar Singh had also become MLA.Nitish Kumar, who graduated in electrical engineering from Bihar College of Engineering in 1972, had committed to full-time politics. However, electoral success eluded him until 1985, when he finally won Harnaut. By then, Lalu Prasad had cemented his position as a front-rank, second-generation socialist leader in the vein of Karpoori Thakur. As Lalu dominated state politics from 1990 to 2005, Nitish Kumar’s highest achievement was a brief seven-day stint as CM in 2000. To remain politically relevant during the Lalu era, he spent most of his time at the Centre.AdvertisementWith his resignation on Tuesday, Nitish Kumar concludes his tenure as Bihar’s longest-serving CM of nearly 20 years and moves on to the Rajya Sabha. He now joins the ranks of his illustrious predecessors: Dr Srikrishna Singh, Karpoori Thakur, and Lalu. While Singh is often hailed as the “maker of modern Bihar” for establishing industries and institutes of educational and medical excellence, Thakur became the voice of social justice by empowering OBCs, EBCs, and Dalits. Lalu, meanwhile, carried Thakur’s social justice model forward, albeit through a “backward-forward” divide. Nevertheless, Lalu represented the real transfer of power from upper-caste Congress rule to the OBC politics that continues to dominate the state.The big question now is how history will remember Nitish Kumar’s tenure. These will be the five likely markers of his political legacy:Infrastructure manNitish presided over a turnaround in a state that previously had potholed roads and crumbling school and hospital buildings. His first term (2005–2010) focused on the mass construction of roads and bridges, while his second (2010–2015) saw a massive build-out of schools, hospitals, and government offices. He also commissioned architectural landmarks such as the Bihar Museum, the Samrat Convention Centre, the Sardar Patel Bhavan (the Bihar Police headquarters), and Bapu Tower.AdvertisementHowever, critics argue that Nitish remained stuck in a brick-and-mortar model of development. He built school buildings but struggled to create institutes of excellence, constructed hospitals but failed to staff them with adequate doctors. While he founded institutions such as the Aryabhatta Knowledge University and Chanakya Law University, he failed to replicate the successful Simultala (Jamui) school model district-wide. Patna Medical College and Hospital that once attracted leaders such as Chandrashekhar for a surgery is no longer ranked among the top medical institutions. Nitish and other leading politicians often prefer to travel to Delhi for treatment rather than using Bihar’s government hospitals.Law and orderWhile much of the Congress era was marked by caste and communal tension, and the regime of Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi by caste massacres, Nitish’s tenure saw almost no major caste violence or communal riots. This remains his greatest success in comparison to preceding regimes.High points of his policing included the formation of the Special Auxiliary Police (SAP) and improved conviction rates. Bihar now boasts the largest number of women cops in the country. In 2020, then DGP Gupteshwar Pandey, dressed in plain clothes, jokingly asked two gun-wielding female constables if they knew how to fire; the doughty officers promptly pointed their weapons at him, forcing him to introduce himself. They were later rewarded for their confidence.Social justiceKarpoori Thakur who championed “quota within quota” (26% reservation for EBCs, OBCs, women, and the poor among upper castes) left an unfinished agenda. While Lalu gave the poor a voice, Nitish implemented a host of welfare and education schemes. From free uniforms and bicycles for Class 9 students to tuition waivers and scholarships, the JD(U) leader widened the horizon of social justice. He meticulously built a vast constituency among EBCs and Dalits through these schemes. His deft social engineering expanded his base beyond the “Luv-Kush (Kurmi and Koeri)” OBC groups, making him an indispensable third pole in Bihar politics for decades.Women’s empowermentNitish told The Indian Express in a 2015 interview that if he had to draw a picture of his Bihar, it would be a girl cycling to school.you may likeWhile the Central government has debated women’s quota since 1992, Nitish acted, providing 50% reservation for women in panchayats in 2006, followed by a 35% quota in police and state government jobs. Under his leadership, Bihar became the first state to present a “gender budget”. He also reimagined the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) into “Jeevika”, a devoted force of 18 million women. These workers are now the backbone of the state, implementing “Open Defecation Free” initiatives and running community kitchens called “Didi ki Rasoi”.Coalition masterWith his resignation, a master practitioner of coalition politics passes into history. Aligning with the BJP in 1996, he led the NDA to topple Lalu in 2005. He maintained power through a series of tactical realignments. Nitish serves as a unique case study in Indian history: a leader from a caste group representing only 2.8% of the population who ruled a major state for 20 years. He remained the balancing factor between the BJP and Lalu, keeping both on their toes.Ultimately, when compared to Dr Srikrishna Singh or Karpoori Thakur, Nitish faces a tough challenge. “While Dr Srikrishna Singh scores higher for bringing in industries and academic excellence, Nitish remained stuck with the basics. While Karpoori Thakur pioneered social justice, Nitish merely carried it forward. Had Nitish implemented the D Bandyopadhyay or Muchkund Dubey Committee reports on a Common School System, he would have been a much greater CM. Yet, he will be remembered for combining the best parts of Singh and Thakur,” said socialist writer Premkumar Mani.