Nishant Kumar, son of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, began his political journey on Sunday, officially joining the Janata Dal (United) in Patna. His entry into the party comes in the wake of the JD(U) supremo’s decision to move to the Rajya Sabha and thus vacate the chief minister’s chair, which is now set to go to ally BJP.
“I thank everyone. I will try to live up to the trust you all have placed in me. I, the entire Bihar and the entire country are proud of what my father has done in the last 20 years,” Nishant said after formally assuming membership of the party.
Earlier, speculation was rife that Nishant – an engineering graduate like his father and in his 40s – would be the JD(U) candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat from Bihar. However, with Nitish Kumar, 75, set to move to the Senate, Nishant has joined the JD(U), apparently in keeping with the sentiments of party workers who have been clamoring for his entry into politics for several years.
Before his introduction, Nishant held two back-to-back meetings with senior JD(U) leaders and young MLAs on Saturday. Later in the day, he again met the party’s district presidents at the residence of JD(U) national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha. The second meeting was also attended by Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan “Lalan” Singh who is among the senior JD(U) leaders.
Read also | Nitish’s son Nishant meets JD(U) leaders amid some voices defending him as Bihar Dy CM
In the meetings, Nishant is learned to have discussed the JD(U)’s future strategy and the best way forward after party chief Nitish Kumar’s Rajya Sabha move, HT reported.
Those who attended the meeting said that Nishant Kumar will be given greater responsibility in the organisation. “The party will decide in advance what role it will play. It is Nitish ji’s party and carries the legacy of his 20 years of work,” Sanjay Jha said.
“Even if he (Nitish) goes to Rajya Sabha, the Bihar government will continue to work under his guidance till 2030,” he added.
Hari Narayan Singh, JD(U) MLA from Harnoot, who is considered close to Nitish, claimed that a “unanimous” decision has been taken to make Nishant deputy chief minister in the new government to be formed after Nitish Kumar’s resignation, a claim denied by other legislators so far.
Read also | Nitish Kumar’s son Nishant will be deputy chief minister and MLA in Bihar, says JD(U) MLA
Meanwhile, legislator Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha said that no one can have any reservation about any role that will be given to Nishant. “Once the government formation process begins, it will be decided who will join the government and what role Nishant should play in the government as well as in the party. Nitish Kumar is the only person who will take all the calls,” he added.
The buzz around Nishant’s appointment as deputy chief minister continues in Bihar, with reports that the state is gearing up to appoint its first BJP chief minister.
JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said Nishant would be a “different prospect” for the party and Bihar.
“He is the son of Nitish Kumar, whose impeccable record will be a great strength for him, but his simplicity, humility and education set him apart. His decision to recognize the state will show how he views politics and will also help allay people’s concerns about Nitish Kumar leaving for the Rajya Sabha,” he added.
Party insiders reportedly feel that with Nitish’s presence and his son’s healthy acceptance by the JD(U), Nishant may have plenty of time to adjust to the rigors of politics despite concerns over his father’s health.
