IAS Vinay Kumar leads race for Bihar Principal Secretary to CM succession

Senior IAS officer Vinay Kumar (1999 batch, Bihar cadre), Finance Secretary with additional Urban Development charge, has emerged as the front-runner to succeed Deepak Kumar as the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Bihar. The position officially became vacant on September 30, 2026, after the Bihar government transferred Deepak Kumar out of the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) and reassigned as the Vice-Chairman of the Bihar State Disaster Management Authority (BSDMA).