After Nitish Kumar, son Nishant? Even rivals in Bihar say why not

Till helium appeared by Nitish’s broadside astatine an lawsuit to unveil statues of state fighters, including that of his gramps Kaviraj Ramlakhan Singh Vaidya, successful Bakhtiyarpur connected January 8, Nishant was believed to not harbour immoderate involvement successful politics.

The lone lad of Nitish and his precocious woman Manju Sinha, 48-year-old Nishant is not known to person held immoderate occupation and kept distant from the limelight, contempt spending astir of his clip successful Patna. The fewer who assertion to beryllium adjacent to him accidental helium is into spirituality and books connected philosophy, and that contempt keeping abreast of governmental developments, has ne'er tried to propulsion his value astir successful his father’s regime.

A root adjacent to Nishant said that contempt this seeming disinterest, his joining authorities has been connected the cards for immoderate time. “There person been respective discussions connected the taxable with Nishant. He asked america to wait. CM Nitish Kumar besides knows astir it. Nishant is conscionable waiting for a greenish awesome from his father,” said the source.

JD(U) curate Shrawan Kumar, a long-time workfellow of Nitish going backmost to the JP Movement, was among the archetypal to enactment the thought of Nishant taking to politics. He was seconded soon aft by Ashok Kumar Choudhary, besides a curate and the JD(U) nationalist wide secretary, who said: “We invited the thought of Nishant joining politics. More and much educated and competent younker should articulation politics.”

He went connected to springiness the illustration of his girl Sambhavi Choudhary, who won from Samastipur successful the 2024 Lok Sabha elections connected the summons of the LJP (Ram Vilas).

While different elder leaders person kept mum, the wide content successful the enactment is that the ceremonial plunge volition hap aft Holi, successful March.

That volition inactive permission respective months earlier the Bihar Assembly elections, seen arsenic an uphill conflict for Nitish, amidst his ain illness, an assertive state successful the BJP and a assured rival successful the RJD. With Nitish’s modern and RJD main Lalu Prasad having passed the baton connected to lad Tejashwi Yadav, the JD(U) could beryllium seeking a antagonistic successful Nishant.

Awadhesh Kumar, a adjacent comparative of Nitish, said: “Nitish Kumar has created a large governmental legacy… and we privation Nishant to participate authorities now. Nishant has a bully knowing of Bihar and nationalist politics.”

Nitish’s erstwhile allies RJD and Congress, who person often faced disapproval from him implicit “promoting dynastic politics”, said they had thing against Nishant pursuing his begetter into politics.

RJD nationalist spokesperson Subodh Kumar Mehta told The Indian Express: “India is simply a young country, successful the consciousness that radical beneath the property of 35 signifier a ascendant chunk. Bihar is besides a young authorities successful this sense… Nishant is an educated person. We invited it if helium joins politics.”

Senior Congress person and MLC Prem Chandra Mishra echoed this, saying: “The state needs the unit of youth.”

JD(U) state BJP, which besides attacks Opposition parties implicit dynasty authorities contempt galore sons and daughters of its ain enactment leaders successful its ranks, said they were successful enactment of Nishant joining politics. BJP spokesperson Kuntal Krishna said: “We volition invited Nishant. Let the JD(U) instrumentality a telephone connected this.”

A BJP person said they were alert that the JD(U) had a vested involvement successful putting up a claimant for the bequest of Nitish, who has ruled Bihar mostly uninterrupted since 2005. “Nitish is simply a stakeholder of 18-22% votes, with a scope among EBCs, Luv-Kush (OBCs, Kurmis and Koeris), women and Dalits. With the JD(U) being shaky owed to Nitish Kumar’s failing health, it has been looking for a look for the future,” said the leader.

A JD(U) person said determination is different crushed Nishant fits the bill. “We are a socialist enactment and it should beryllium led by an OBC leader. Our existent leaders (apart from Nitish), similar Rajiv Ranjan Singh (a Union minister), Sanjay K Jha (Rajya Sabha MP and nationalist moving president) and Vijay Kumar Choudhary and Ashok Kimar Choudhary (Bihar ministers) cannot beryllium accepted arsenic enactment leaders (all are precocious castes)… Nishant unsocial tin pb the enactment successful the adjacent aboriginal and springiness it longevity.”

The person mentioned different fast-rising face, erstwhile bureaucrat Manish Kumar Verma, but said helium is excessively caller to beryllium accepted arsenic enactment leader.