Patna: Amid the growing debate over former Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s political legacy and the possible future role of his son Nishant Kumar, RLM president and Rajya Sabha member Upendra Kushwaha on Sunday said legacy should be seen as the continuation of ideas and values, not the transfer of a govt post or political power. JD(U) state president Umesh Singh Kushwaha hit back, accusing Upendra of being overly ambitious and asking him to focus on his own political camp.Speaking to reporters in Patna, Upendra said discussions on carrying forward Nitish’s legacy were natural, particularly in the context of his eventual “withdrawal” from active politics. He said he was the first to demand Nishant’s entry into public life and described him as being like a son to him, just as RLM functionary Deepak Prakash is. He said both represented the future of Bihar.Upendra also demanded the formation of an Education Commission in Bihar and reiterated his demand for 65% reservation for other backward classes. He said Nitish had made efforts in this direction, but the initiative could not be fully implemented for various reasons.Reflecting on his association with JD(U), Upendra said he had contributed significantly to strengthening and expanding the party and continued to have an emotional attachment to the organisation he had helped build.Responding on X, Umesh advised Upendra to stop worrying about JD(U) and focus on managing his own political camp. Referring to a popular village saying about spreading one’s feet only as far as the blanket allows, he accused some “overly ambitious” political figures of dreaming beyond political reality.Umesh also targeted Upendra’s political organisation, saying those concerned about JD(U) should first take care of their own camp, which he claimed often loses its balance like a vehicle with a flat tyre.Bringing Nishant into the exchange, Umesh said his growing popularity and public acceptance as a future and people-friendly figure in Bihar was causing unease among political opponents. He advised such critics to strengthen their political “digestive system” and described Nitish as the “development man” and Nishant as the “future of Bihar”.The exchange has added fresh momentum to the debate over Nitish’s political legacy and Nishant’s possible future role in Bihar politics.
