Nitish Kumar, leader of the Janata Dal (United) party and Bihar's longest-serving chief minister, resigned on April 14, 2026, ending a 21-year tenure at the helm of the eastern Indian state. Before tendering his resignation to the governor, Kumar chaired a final cabinet meeting at which he formally recommended the dissolution of the council of ministers, a constitutional requirement preceding a resignation. The transition marks a historic shift for Bihar (a populous state in eastern India), as the Bharatiya Janata Party is set to lead a state government there for the first time, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to attend the new government's swearing-in ceremony on April 15.