Nitish Kumar's son Nishant likely to join politics; who's he
What's the story
Nishant Kumar, the son of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is likely to join politics after the Holi festival.
The Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) party has been abuzz with speculations of his political debut for over a year now.
Party insiders told the Indian Express that Nishant is ready to enter the political arena, waiting only for his father's nod.
Public appeal
Nishant Kumar's public appeal marks potential political debut
On January 8, Nishant had accompanied his father to a public event.
At the event, he made his first public appeal for the JD(U) and asked people to vote for his father in the upcoming elections.
"Please vote for the JD(U) and my father and bring him back (in the elections scheduled for later this year)," he said.
This was a far cry from July 2024, when he had dismissed rumors of entering politics as he was interested in spirituality.
Dynastic politics
Nitish Kumar's stance on dynastic politics could influence decision
If he does enter politics, Nishant would join the ranks of political heirs in India, like Udhayanaidhi Stalin in Tamil Nadu and Nara Lokesh in Andhra Pradesh.
Nishant, a software engineer and Birla Institute of Technology (BIT) Mesra alumnus, has kept a low profile and mostly avoided attending political rallies.
His possible foray into politics has also drawn comparisons with other political successions in Bihar.
Political succession
Nishant Kumar's potential entry mirrors other political successions
"Lalu Prasad had projected his son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav as the next leader of the party in 2013. Ram Vilas Paswan also projected his son Chirag around the same time. It was Chirag who had been instrumental in bringing LJP to the NDA fold before the 2014 polls."
"That decision changed the political fortunes of the LJP. Similarly, Tejashwi had led the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan to 110 seats...in the 2020 Assembly polls," a JDU leader told India Express.