Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is once again at the centre of heavy speculation. This time, it is all about his son, Nishant Kumar. In Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United (JDU), there is talk that Nishant Kumar is set for his political debut ahead of the Bihar polls scheduled later this year. Nitish Kumar leads the NDA alliance in Bihar and there is no indication that he will not be the chief minister candidate again.
Reports quoting a JDU source say there is "an ever-growing demand from party workers" to bring Nishant into the field. "He (Nishant) seems ready to join politics. It is only about getting the green signal from Nitish Kumar," they say.
Officially, JDU asserted that it is a rumour. Nevertheless, the implications of Nishant Kumar's potential entry in politics are already in circulation.
Ideology Versus Reality
Nitish Kumar has always been a strong critic of dynastic politics and has been unsparing in his condemnation of the Congress, off-again-on-again ally RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal), and LJP (Lok Janshakti Party) for promoting family. Reports of his son's likely plunge into politics predictably send a conflicting message about Nitish Kumar's ideology of socialism or his rise from the grassroots to Bihar's top post.
Nitish Kumar was among the socialist leaders in Bihar who rose to prominence during the JP Movement of 1974-75, an uprising led by Jayaprakash Narayan for social and political reforms.
Nitish Kumar is the longest-serving Chief Minister of Bihar - he has ruled for more than 18 years - and along the way, he has collected labels like "maverick" and "Paltu Babu". The latter, for his frequent partner-swapping. He has spent a large part of the past few years oscillating between the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan of the RJD-Congress. Nitish Kumar has been derided for his flip flops but his skill of turning the tide in his favour, no matter which side, remains unmatched. Even his critics acknowledge his social engineering skills and governance record.
This is the reason why Nitish Kumar is one sought-after politician. And despite being one of the BJP's oldest allies, he is treated as a secular politician, always courted by non-BJP parties. His appeal spans across the upper castes, women, OBC (Other Backward Classes), EBC (Economically Backward Classes) and Muslims.
Despite his frequent alliance swaps to stay in power, Nitish Kumar has managed to maintain the image of a man of integrity. He was considered honest because he kept his wife and son out of politics; the popular notion is that he has not amassed illegal property and assets for his family - an allegation mostly directed at his contemporary Lalu Yadav.
Nitish Kumar's chief flex is his rejection of dynastic politics. Therefore, it is no easy decision for him to bring his son into politics. His predicament highlights another worry for regional parties in India - the inability to make a succession plan beyond family.
"Parties established and led by charismatic leaders often find it difficult to resolve succession as the second-rung leaders are always a distant second, and amongst them, no one is seen as more capable of leadership than the other. This creates an intrinsic danger of the party's disintegration," says Pushpendra, former professor, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
"It's easier to seek the transfer of loyalty from a charismatic leader to an heir from the family. It settles the issue of succession for the time being, leaving the onus on the successor to prove her/his mettle," he adds.
Saving The Party
Nitish Kumar is also believed to be ailing and in the absence of a strong second-rung leadership, his party is facing an existential crisis. The fear of MLAs and MPs deserting the party is always present. Many believe the projection of Nishant Kumar as his successor is a strategy to arrest that fear.
A section of JDU leaders, dreading internal feuds in a post-Nitish Kumar scenario, is pushing for Nishant to join active politics. Others believe Nishant's entry is unlikely as long as Nitish Kumar remains active in politics.
"Nitish Kumar is faced with the dilemma of whether to stand firm on opposing dynastic politics, as he has been doing all along or to save his party from the factional fight," says Pushpendra.
"It is to be seen whether he gives priority to his principled stand on dynastic politics or to save his party."
The Next-Gen has long established itself in the other prominent Bihar parties. Lalu Yadav had presented his son Tejashwi Yadav as the future leader of the party way back in 2013. LJP's Late Ram Vilas Paswan too launched his son Chirag Paswan around the same time.
Both these leaders have gone through their early struggles and are firmly saddled, for now. Chirag Paswan was instrumental in LJP joining the NDA fold before the 2014 polls. Similarly, Tejashwi led the Mahagathbandhan to 110 seats in the 2020 assembly polls. On January 18, 2025, an infirm Lalu cemented Tejashwi's status by placing him at par with himself (as party president) and naming him the party's chief minister face for this year's Bihar election.
By that score, Nitish junior's entry, if at all, is belated.
Nitish Kumar's hesitation in anointing Nishant as his successor is understandable. It harms his image among voters and party workers who viewed him as a leader with a difference.
Those who support Nishant's launch may have the right idea - the JDU, with its repeated political flip-flops and weakening image in the state, sorely needs a fresh start.
But Nishant Kumar will have a long way to go, going by the average time taken by others to come into their own.
(The author is Contributing Editor, NDTV)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
