Nitish Kumar, who was the center of power in Bihar politics for decades, is now going to be seen in a new role. After stepping down from the post of Chief Minister, he has filed his nomination to go to Rajya Sabha. Nitish Kumar, who has been aspiring to go to Rajya Sabha for the last two decades, has made it clear that he will continue to guide the new government.

But amidst this big political change, a technical question is floating in the administrative corridors whether Nitish Kumar will continue to get the salary of a Rajya Sabha MP as well as the pension he received as a former Chief Minister? Let’s find out what the rules say.

Mathematics of double benefit of salary and pension

Nitish Kumar’s nomination as Rajya Sabha member is the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter in Bihar politics. The rules state that when a former Chief Minister becomes an MP, he is entitled to get the double benefit of salary from the Central Government and pension from the State Government. According to the existing parliamentary rules in India and information obtained from RTI, there is no legal bar for former MLAs or former Chief Ministers that prevents them from simultaneously receiving financial benefits from two different bodies (State and Centre).

What does the rule say?

According to administrative rules, the pension received by a former MP or former MLA is given in return for the service he/she has rendered during his/her previous tenure. At the same time, the salary received as a Rajya Sabha MP is for the discharge of his/her current post and responsibilities. Since the pension of the Chief Minister is paid from the state treasury and the salary of the MP is borne by the Central Government (Parliament), these two systems work separately.

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At present there is no integrated database that talks about deductions by linking together the benefits of the state and the centre. Therefore, Nitish Kumar will be able to get both his CM pension and MP salary together.

MP salary and allowances

If we consider the data of March 2025, the salary of a Member of Parliament (MP) has been increased recently. Now an MP gets around Rs 1.24 lakh per month as salary. Apart from this, they are also given constituency allowance, office allowance and daily allowance for attending House meetings.

After completing his tenure as MP, he will also be eligible for a separate pension of Rs 31,000 per month from the Central Government on retirement. This pension will be in addition to his Chief Minister’s pension.

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