The President of India approved the application on Friday, accepting his VRS with immediate effect. This swift bureaucratic action precedes the impending Assembly elections in Bihar, leading to widespread speculation that Kumar is being prepared as a candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The speed of the approval is notable in administrative circles, as it removes the technical hurdle required for a serving bureaucrat to enter the political fray. However, the official order contained a crucial caveat: while the separation is immediate, Kumar will only be eligible for pension benefits upon the completion of the standard three-month notice period. 

This is not the officer's first brush with politics; he was widely expected to be fielded in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a plan that was deferred due to reported last-minute political realignments. The family's political footprint is already established in Bihar, where his wife serves as a sitting BJP MLA, and his father previously held the position of BJP MLC.