Patna, March 8: Nishant Kumar, the son of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is set to formally join the Janata Dal(United) on Sunday afternoon in Patna, marking his entry into active politics.
The joining ceremony is scheduled at 1 p.m. at the party office in the presence of senior leaders, including JD(U) National Working President Sanjay Kumar Jha.
Ahead of the event, posters welcoming Nishant Kumar have appeared across parts of the city, while security arrangements have been tightened at the party headquarters to manage the expected gathering of supporters and party workers.
The development comes a day after Sanjay Kumar Jha publicly confirmed that Nishant Kumar would soon join the party. On Saturday, Nishant participated in at least two meetings with senior JD(U) leaders and legislators in Patna, signalling his growing involvement in the party’s organisational activities.
During one such meeting, Nishant interacted with JD(U) MLAs, district presidents and senior functionaries, including Union Minister Rajeev Ranjan Singh, popularly known as Lalan Singh. Jha introduced him to the gathering, where Nishant, dressed in a white kurta-pyjama, greeted the attendees and exchanged brief conversations with several leaders.
Although the meeting was described as informal, many within the party viewed it as an important step towards projecting Nishant Kumar as a potential political successor to Nitish Kumar. Interestingly, the move has sparked discussion as Nitish Kumar has often spoken against dynasty politics in the past.
Meanwhile, speculation has intensified after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for March 16. His decision has fuelled political chatter about a possible leadership change in Bihar, with expectations that the state may soon see a new Chief Minister, likely from the BJP.
Amid these developments, JD(U) leaders have begun openly supporting Nishant Kumar’s political rise. Party MLA Harinarayan Singh even suggested that Nishant could soon emerge as the JD(U) Legislature Party leader and potentially take the role of Deputy Chief Minister.
According to party sources, Nishant Kumar, who is 50 years old, may also be nominated to the Bihar Legislative Council a few months after the formation of a new BJP-led government in the state.
The JD(U) has also strategically chosen March 8 — International Women’s Day — for Nishant’s formal entry, describing the timing as a symbolic gesture acknowledging the large number of women supporters associated with Nitish Kumar’s political base.
–IANS
