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Son Nishant joins JD(U), may become Bihar deputy CM as Nitish Kumar to move to Rajya Sabha, vacate CM's chair
Buzz over Nishant possibly being named deputy CM continues amid reports that Bihar is set to have its first chief minister from the Bharatiya Janata Party
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar's son, Nishant Kumar, kickstarted his political journey on Sunday, as he formally joined 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 CM's chair, which is set to go to ally BJP now.
“I thank everyone,” Nishant said after formally taking up the party membership, "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."
Earlier, speculation was rife that Nishant — an engineering graduate like his father and is in his 40s — would be JD(U)'s nominee for the Rajya Sabha seat from Bihar. However, with Nitish Kumar, 75, himself set for an Upper House move, Nishant has joined the JD(U), apparently in keeping with the sentiments of party workers who'd been demanding his entry into politics for several years.
Ahead of his induction, Nishant held two back-to-back meetings with senior JD(U) leaders and young MLAs on Saturday. Later in the day, he again met with the party's district presidents at the residence of the JD(U) national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha. The second meeting was also attended by Union minister Rajiv Ranjan ‘Lalan’ Singh who is among top JD(U) leaders.
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In the meetings, Nishant is learnt to have discussed the JD(U)'s future strategy and how best to move forward after party chief Nitish Kumar's Rajya Sabha move, HT has reported.
Those who attended the meeting said that Nishant Kumar would be given greater responsibility in the organisation. "The party will decide ahead what role he will have. It is Nitish-ji’s party and it carries the legacy of his 20 years of work,” said Sanjay Jha.
“Even if he (Nitish) is going to the Rajya Sabha, the Bihar government will continue to function under his guidance till 2030,” he added.
Hari Narayan Singh, JD(U) MLA from Harnaut, considered close to Nitish, claimed that a "unanimous" decision was taken to make Nishant the deputy CM in the new government that will be formed after Nitish Kumar's resignation, a claim that other legislators have so far denied.
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Meanwhile, legislator Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha said that nobody could have any reservation with whatever role Nishant will be given. “Once the government formation exercise begins, it will be decided who gets into the cabinet and what role Nishant should have in the government as well as the party. Nitish Kumar is one person who will take all the calls,” he added.
The buzz over Nishant being named Bihar's deputy CM continues, with reports of the state preparing to have its first chief minister from the Bharatiya Janata Party.
JD(U) spokesman Neeraj Kumar said that Nishant will be a “different prospect” for the party and for Bihar.
"He is the son of Nitish Kumar, whose unblemished track record will be a big strength for him, but still his simplicity, humility and his education set him apart. His decision to get a feel of the state will shows how he views politics and it will also help allay people’s concerns about Nitish Kumar leaving for Rajya Sabha," he added.
Party insiders reportedly feel that with Nitish around and JD(U)'s wholesome acceptability of his son, Nishant may have plenty of time to get tuned to the rigours of politics despite concerns around his father's health.
