Nitish Kumar’s son Nishant ‘ready’ for politics in poll-bound Bihar; who is he?
Nishant Kumar, who had steered clear of politics until now, is likely to make his debut in poll-bound Bihar after Holi due to growing demand from party workers
In what can be a significant development in poll-bound Bihar, Janata Dal (United) chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s only son Nishant Kumar seems to be gearing up to make his political debut.
This development comes even as the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) quashed all speculation and announced that JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar, who is the longest serving chief minister of Bihar, will be the CM face once again in the upcoming elections slated to be held later this year.
What is interesting about Nitish Kumar's son entering politics is the fact that the JD(U) leader, a vocal critic of dynastic politics, had constantly attacked Opposition parties like the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) on this issue. He would often accuse RJD and LJP of “promoting only family”, while Kumar said that “Bihar was his family”.
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'Ready' to enter politics
According to a report, the 49-year-old Nishant Kumar, who had steered clear of politics until recently, is likely to join active politics after Holi, on the back of an “ever-growing demand from party workers" to join politics.
While Nishant Kumar seems “ready” to join politics, he only needs to get a “green signal” from Nitish Kumar, said an Indian Express report quoting sources.
On January 8 this year, Nishant accompanied his father to their hometown Bakhtiyarpur to unveil the statues of freedom fighters. At that venue, Nishant publicly urged people to bring his father, who is '100 per cent fit' back in the upcoming elections.
“If possible, please vote for my father and his party and give him a chance once again," he had said, sparking off speculations. However, he did not reveal his own intentions to contest the elections.
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A spiritual path
Nishant Kumar, the only son of the chief minister, has been keeping a low profile until now and did not involve himself in politics. A software engineer, he’s an alumnus of the Birla Institute of Technology (BIT) Mesra. In July last year, he denied speculations that he was entering politics and admitted that he decided to pursue a spiritual path.
Back in 2015, when he attended his father’s oath-taking ceremony, senior JD(U) leader Shravan Kumar hinted that the younger Kumar may join politics, saying a decision would be taken at the right time.
However, in the past one year, Nishant’s name has been popping up in JD(U) circles despite several leaders downplaying his role in politics. In June last year, JD(U) state general secretary Pram Hans Kumar too said that the situation and time in Bihar now demands that Nishant Kumar step forward for the welfare of the party and the state.
The leader argued that though Nitish Kumar opposes ‘parivarvaad’ there is nothing wrong if a leader with a clean image has a son who wants to serve the country and the state honestly.
Tejashwi welcomes Nishant
Notably, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav too said he will be "happy" if Nishant joined politics. In his view, it can "save" the JD(United) from its alliance partners, including the BJP.
Tejashwi, who serves as the leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, said he considered Nishant a "brother" and wished him well. According to Yadav, it would give a new lease of life to the party founded by the late Sharad Yadav.
"His father has been hijacked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had once questioned Nitish Kumar's DNA...Moreover, till recently, all his allies had been questioning Nitish Kumar’s mental health," Tejashwi pointed out.
BJP stands by Nishant Kumar
Meanwhile, Opposition parties felt that Nishant’s appeal to voters to vote for his father in the upcoming elections showed that his father’s appeal was waning among the masses. They felt that Nitish now wanted to pass on his legacy.
However, the BJP and the JD(U) sprung to the defence of the CM and his son.
The BJP felt Nishant Kumar will turn out to be a “calm and far-sighted leader” and be good for the party and the state.