Nitish Kumar's son Nishant backs JDU for better performance in Bihar polls, stays mum on his political entry
Nishant Kumar's brief yet striking appearance has further fueled curiosity about his future political role, though he left the question unanswered. However, he urged people to vote for the party and asked the cadre to pull up its socks for the upcoming Assembly election in Bihar.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's son, Nishant Kumar, expressed confidence on Tuesday that the Janata Dal (United) would improve its performance in the upcoming state Assembly election which is scheduled later this year. His remarks come in light of the party's setback in the 2020 elections, where it lost its position as the senior NDA partner in the state.
In what was his most candid interaction with the media so far, the otherwise reclusive 47-year-old urged people to support JD(U) and encouraged party workers to gear up for the electoral battle ahead. However, he remained tight-lipped about the ongoing speculation regarding his possible entry into active politics.
Nishant Kumar's rare media engagement
The rare media engagement took place at the memorial of his mother, Manju Sinha, where Nishant had accompanied his father to pay tributes on her birth anniversary. Amidst a flurry of questions from journalists, he maintained a measured stance but couldn’t help flashing a wide grin when asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent reference to his father as "laadla" (dear). "Of course, he would say so. Both of them are alliance partners," said the CM's son, unfazed by the contention of many opposition leaders here that the PM had belittled the JD(U) supremo by using a colloquial expression normally reserved for children.
His brief yet striking appearance has further fueled curiosity about his future political role, though he left the question unanswered. "I want to appeal to the people of the state, especially the youth, to vote in greater numbers for the party this time. In 2020, the JD(U) got only 43 seats, still development work continued under my father. To ensure that progress continues with the same speed, the tally should improve," he added.
Nishant bats for Nitish as CM face in upcoming Assembly polls
Short of a majority in the Lok Sabha, the BJP is now dependent on JD(U) and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's TDP to survive in power and Nishant hoped his father "would be declared the chief ministerial candidate by the NDA" and continue to occupy the top post after the elections.
He also said, "I would urge members of our party that they fan out and apprise the people of the efforts made by my father in the last 19 years." He also laughed off the suggestion of Tej Pratap Yadav, the elder son of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, that he join the opposition party, saying, "It is for the people to decide who should be on which side." However, Nishant did not let his guard down, replying with a cryptic "just leave it (arrey chhodiye)", as journalists tried to pry into his own plans to enter politics, in the backdrop of JD(U) putting up posters calling for it.
(With PTI inputs)
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