PATNA: Political atmosphere in the state became charged on Friday when chief minister (CM) Nitish Kumar‘s son, Nishant Kumar, made his first public appeal, urging people to vote for his father in the upcoming assembly elections. This was Nishant’s debut in political matters as he has largely maintained a low profile.
Nishant, accompanied by his father, visited Bakhtiyarpur in Patna to pay floral tributes to statues of prominent freedom fighters, including his grandfather, Kaviraj Ramlakhan Singh ‘Vaidya’. During the visit, he interacted with reporters and made his appeal, igniting debates across political circles.
“Ho sakega to pitaji ko, unki party ko aap sab janata vote karen, fir se layen (If possible, please vote for my father and his party and give him a chance once again),” he said. Nishant added that his father did good works for the state. However, he chose not to comment when asked whether he would join politics himself.Nishant also extended New Year’s greetings to the people and recalled the contributions of his grandfather and other locals to the freedom movement. “My grandpa was a freedom fighter who went to jail for the country’s freedom,” he said.
The development triggered sharp reactions from the opposition, who labelled it as evidence of Nitish’s “waning mass appeal and charisma”. “The emotional public appeal highlights the helplessness of a son. This is shocking,” RJD spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav said. He even suggested that Nitish step down and pass on leadership to Nishant. “If a doctor’s son becomes a doctor and an IAS officer’s son becomes an IAS officer, then why can’t a politician’s son become a politician?” Yadav asked, predicting major political developments in Bihar following the conclusion of the Delhi assembly elections.
Congress spokesperson Rajesh Rathorre described Nishant’s involvement as part of a larger political strategy. “Nitish appears to be working under a calculated plan,” he said, anticipating that state politics might witness unexpected twists in the near future.
Meanwhile, the BJP, a key ally of Nitish’s JD(U), backed Nishant’s statement. BJP spokesperson Prabhakar Mishra said, “The work that the CM has done for Bihar is unparalleled. Nishant’s remarks are a rightful acknowledgment of his father’s contributions.”
