Nishant Kumar's demand that the NDA name Nitish Kumar as its chief ministerial nominee is seen as a gambit to consolidate the CM's position in the ruling alliance.
<
Nishant Kumar, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's only child who is not in politics, on February 25, 2025 demanded that the National Democratic Alliance declare his father as the NDA's chief ministerial candidate for the Bihar assembly election scheduled for October-November this year.
"NDA ko ghoshit karna chahiye ke Nitish Kumar hi CM face honge. Hamare JD-U ke neta, party workers sab milkar bhi ghoshit kare ke Nitish Kumar CM hai aur unke netritva mein phir se hamari sarkar bane taaki phir se vikas ka karam jari rakhen," Nishant told the media in Patna on Tuesday.
Nishant's statement strengthens the ongoing speculation in Patna's political circles that he could join the Janata Dal-United either before the polls or after the polls.
A few days ago colourful posters and banners had appeared near the JD-U office in Patna in support of Nishant.
Nishant's demand that the NDA name Nitish Kumar, who is also the JD-U president as its chief ministerial nominee, is seen as a gambit to consolidate the CM's position in the ruling alliance.
"In the assembly elections in 2020, people elected only 43 JD-U MLAs but my father continues to work for development," Nishant, who is 49 and trained as an engineer, told the media.
"I will request youth to support and vote for my father to increase the number of seats in the assembly polls so that my father continues development work," Nishant added.
In January 2025, Nishant appealed for the first time that Biharis vote for his father to bring him back to power.
"Pitaji ne achcha kaam kiya hai, unhe hi vote kare aur phir se laye," Nishant then said.
The JD-U has asserted that there will be no compromise on Nitish Kumar's name as the NDA's chief ministerial candidate for the Bihar assembly elections.
This assertion was made after senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Amit Shah's statement that it had not been decided who would be the NDA's CM face for the Bihar assembly elections when he was asked if Nitish would be the chief ministerial candidate or if the BJP would adopt a strategy similar to Maharashtra where it changed the chief minister after the election outcome.
A senior JD-U leader told this corresondent that many in the party want Nishant to lead the party and emerge as Nitish Kumar's political heir.
"But it is up to Nitishji and Nishant," the JD-U leader added.
Nitish Kumar has been a opponent of 'parivaarvad' (dynasty) in politics and Nishant has stayed away from politics despite his father being in power in Bihar since 2005.
Nitish Kumar takes pride to proclaim that no one from his family is in politics unlike other leaders, notably Laloo Yadav's family where the father, mother, two sons and two daughters are in politics.
If Nishant indeed joins politics, he will follow Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, Chirag Paswan, who heads the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), and Santosh Suman, Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's son.
Tejashwi and Chirag represent the established political families of Lalu Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan in Bihar.
Lalu's sons Tejpratap Yadav and Tejashwi, daughters Dr Misa Bharti and Rohini Acharya, and wife Rabri Devi, a former CM, are in politics.
Chirag's brother-in-law Arun Bharti, who won the Jamui Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 election, and his estranged uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras and cousin Prince Raj are also in politics.
Manjhi's son Santosh Suman is a minister in Bihar, his wife is an MLA and Manjhi's in-law is also a MLA.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
© 2025