When Nitish Kumar was sworn in as Bihar's Chief Minister for a record tenth time last November, a quiet unease settled within his party. The question on everyone's mind was simple: What next?
Kumar had governed the state for nearly two decades, and his health had become a matter of concern. His alliance partners, the BJP and the LJP, backed him — but neither made any secret of their own ambitions. Both had their eyes on the top job in Bihar.
Even before the elections, senior leaders within the Janata Dal (United) had been pushing for a succession plan, worried that Nitish Kumar's political legacy could be swallowed up by ambitious allies. Their preferred solution was straightforward: bring in Nitish's son, Nishant Kumar. The party patriarch, however, was not interested.
This reluctance set Nitish apart from his contemporaries of the socialist movement — Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mulayam Singh, Sharad Yadav, and Ram Vilas Paswan. When these leaders built their own parties, they brought their families along, keeping hard-won power close to home. The move drew widespread criticism of dynastic politics. Nitish chose a different path, one that earned him considerable goodwill with voters and made him difficult to replace over the past twenty years.
Now, it appears, that chapter is closing. Less than six months after his latest swearing-in, Nitish Kumar led-JDU has decided that Nishant will enter active politics. A Rajya Sabha seat is also being considered for him. Given the current arithmetic, the BJP-led NDA government depends on support from both the JDU and the Telugu Desam Party. It would not be surprising if Nishant were subsequently inducted into the Modi cabinet. That would give him a national platform and a front-row seat to political administration.
Forty-nine-year-old Nishant is Nitish's only son. He is an engineering graduate.
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During the Bihar election campaign, several JDU leaders had told THE WEEK that Nishant's entry into politics remained a live option and was expected to gain momentum in future.
Bihar's political picture has grown more interesting with the appointment of Nitin Nabin as the BJP's new national president. At 45, and the son of a former BJP legislator, Nabin has shaken things up in the state. Bihar's political stage is now crowded with younger figures — among them Chirag Paswan and Tejashwi Yadav. Nabin's rise also sent a quiet but clear signal: the BJP has not given up on claiming the Chief Minister's post in Bihar at some point.
Even other regional leaders like Jitan Ram Manjhi, Upendra Kushwaha, have their family members as elected representatives so that the legacy stays within the family.
Had Nitish Kumar not decided the succession plan, it would meant that without an anchor the party leaders would have drifted to other political formations, the party insiders had said.
Nishant Kumar's entry carries several implications. It is expected to strengthen the JDU from within, giving him direct access to party affairs, given a lingering feeling among members that a small circle of leaders close to Nitish had been running things largely on their own. Whether Nishant is handed a formal party position or political debut is through Rajya Sabha route remains to be seen.
There is also the question of political weight. As Nitish Kumar makes fewer public appearances, his son's voice could gradually come to carry real influence particularly when it comes to future alliance negotiations.
Bihar, it seems, is preparing for what comes next.
