Kamal Ghorui
PATNA: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and BJP national presidient Nitin Nabin on Monday vacated their seats in the state legislative council and assembly, respectively, 14 days after being elected as member of the Rajya Sabha. Both were elected to the Rajya Sabha on March 16.While Nitish sent his resignation letter to the Bihar legislative Council’s chairman, Nitin sent his letter to the Bihar assembly speaker.Nitish Kumar’s resignation letter was brought to the lgislative council by the state’s parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary and JD(U) MLC Sanjay Kumar Singh alias Gandhiji.BJP national president Nitin Nabin’s resignation was submitted by the state BJP president Sanjay Saraogi to the Vidhan Sabha Speaker Prem Kumar. Nitin had handed over his resignation to the Saraogi before leaving for Assam on Sunday.The Vidhan Sabha Speaker Prem Kumar, however, clarified that if Nitish Kumar wishes, he can continue as the chief minister for the next six months.Nitish was elected to the Rajya Sabha on March 16, along with four other NDA leaders namely Nitin Nabin, Union minister Ram Nath Thakur, RLM President Upendra Kushwaha and BJP state general secretary Shivesh Kumar.As per the provisions in the Prohibition of Simultaneous Membership Rules-1950, the members are required to vacate their seats in the Bihar Legislative Council or the state assembly within 14 days of being elected to the Rajya Sabha.Reacting over Nitish’s resignation from the council, the parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said, “The Chief Minister has been elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha. This is a constitutional process. He had to resign today.”
