Patna: Nishant Kumar is all set to join politics and join the Janata Dal (United) in a grand debut on March 8, the party announced Friday, even as his father Nitish Kumar made it clear that the decision to move to Rajya Sabha and step down as chief minister of Bihar was his own and irreversible.In a key meeting of the JD(U) at the CM’s official residence at 1, Anne Marg here, a resolution was moved for felicitating the entry of Nishant, Nitish’s son into the party fold and it was unanimously endorsed by all MLCs and MLAs.
JD(U) top leaders and party workers welcomed Nishant, who was earlier reluctant to the idea of joining politics, but after a detailed discussion with his father, party supporters and family members, he changed his mind.“Yes, the chief minister gave the green signal for Nishant’s entry into JD(U),” senior JD(U) leader Vijay Choudhary said.The push for Nishant’s formal entry had initially come from senior leaders. “Union minister Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh and the party national working President Sanjay Jha suggested that Nishant should enter the JD(U), and the party legislators enthusiastically welcomed the suggestion,” party spokesman Neeraj Kumar said.Nishant, an alumnus of BIT Mesra, maintained a low-profile lifestyle. However, there is intense speculation that he could be appointed deputy chief minister in a new NDA govt or be given a key organisational role to prevent a leadership vacuum if Nitish potentially shifts to Delhi.The move is being seen as a significant shift in Bihar’s political landscape because his father, Nitish, long took a firm stand against dynastic politics, yet his only son is now set to enter public life at the age of 50.“Days after joining the JD(U), Nishant will begin touring different parts of the state to interact with the party leaders and workers,” Neeraj said.Speaking to JDU legislators, Nitish Kumar said he will spend more time in Bihar despite the Rajya Sabha move.Rubbishing the fact that he was nudged or pressured to step down, the JD(U) president assured party legislators that he will continue to monitor “everything” in the interest of the state’s development.“The party legislators were assured by the CM that he decided of his own accord and not under any pressure. The CM also assured that he would keep himself available to party workers in the state for guidance,” minister Vijay Choudhary told reporters after the meeting.Nitish said he was firm in his decision to go to the Rajya Sabha and asked the party legislators to let him go to Parliament. “When I was working with former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the Centre, Vajpayee Ji used to advise me to remain in Delhi. But then I told him my first priority was Bihar and returned to Bihar. But now I decided to go to the Rajya Sabha,” he said. “You people do not need to worry. I will arrange a house in Patna and spend more time in Bihar. You will not face any difficulty. All the work started by our govt will continue uninterrupted,” he said.Most of the party legislators were shocked on Thursday after Nitish, through a post on X, announced his desire to go to the Upper House of Parliament. He also filed his nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha polls on Thursday.In a bid to allay apprehension in the minds of the party MLAs, the JD(U) chief further said that if any legislator had any problem, she/he would approach senior party leaders like the state’s parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary and state President Umesh Kushwaha. “Both will communicate your grievances/problems to me. I will also be available in Patna and continue to meet the legislators and common people as well,” Nitish said.
