Bihar: JDU cadre bets on Nishant to succeed father Nitish Kumar

New Delhi: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is a rare regional heavyweight who has been outspoken in his disdain for dynastic politics and has made a point of keeping his family, including his only son Nishant, out of the limelight. As politics wanted, Nishant is now seen I want to go As his father ends his two-decade run in Bihar, the cadre is keen to step in to keep the party rooted in its support base.as Nishant Kumar Although he appeared to be on the verge of making his political debut, the decision was driven as much by filial considerations as by political necessity.Signs of uneasiness on the part of JDU workers about the post-Nitish era were evident after the chief minister filed his nomination for the Lok Sabha, with some crying, some holding slogans, some knocking down furniture and throwing plates at the party’s headquarters in Patna, which will host a luncheon as it became clear that their “leader” is likely to pass the baton to the BJP nominee.JDU MP Kaushalendra Kumar, who has chosen to represent his home state of Nalanda in the Lok Sabha since 2014, said supporters of Bihar’s longest-serving CM are sad. “They will feel slightly more at ease if Nishant joins politics,” he said, stressing that everyone in the party would eventually act according to Nishant’s words.Kaushalendra, like Nitish, hails from the Kurmi community and members of the community, including the party’s legislators, are believed to be pushing for Nishant’s entry into politics.Some party members said he would soon enter politics. While JDU top brass is yet to confirm the post allotted to the 50-year-old engineering graduate, there are indications that he will join the new Bihar government as deputy chief minister.Nitish will start serving in the Rajya Sabha once the outgoing members retire on April 9, and party workers said there is still a month to finalize the details.The JDU’s core support base has traditionally included Kurmis, backward castes and Dalits, and while it has shown signs of fraying over the years, the Kurmis have remained staunchly supportive of Nitish.Since Nitish’s main cronies are from the upper castes, the party’s grassroots believe that his son should play a key role to convey continuity and prepare for the battle ahead as his father shows signs of withdrawing from the tough arena of national politics.