<p>In the second week of January, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was accompanied by his son Nishant Kumar at a political function in Bakhtiyarpur, barely 55km from Patna. The event was to pay tributes to freedom fighters, including Nitish’s father Kaviraj Ram Lakhan Singh, who too had participated in the freedom movement.</p><p>Soon after the function, Nishant, the only child of Nitish and his late wife Manju Sinha, told the local gathering that his father had put Bihar on the fast track of development. “Agar aap sabhi ko inka kaam pasand hai, toh agli baar inko phir se mukhyamantri banwaiyee. (If you all think, he has done a good job for Bihar, then help him in becoming the chief minister again),” Nishant made a fervent appeal.</p><p>The appeal was more of an emotional nature by a doting son for his protective father. Nevertheless, the local media and the national TV channels were quick to seize upon the matter and gave Nishant’s statement wide publicity by giving it a political colour.</p><p>The move provoked a section of Janata Dal (United) leaders to bat for Nishant’s entry into mainstream politics. “Time has come for Nishant to enter the political arena and carry forward his father’s legacy. After Holi, Nishant is likely to join mainstream politics,” was the assertion of all the second-rung JD (U) leaders, including a couple of Nitish’s Cabinet colleagues.</p><p>“If my daughter Shambhavi can become a Lok Sabha member from Samastipur, why can’t Nitish’s son join the mainstream politics,” said Nitish’s Cabinet colleague and a trusted aide Ashok Choudhary. “But the final decision (about Nishant’s entry) will be that of the JD (U) chief Nitish Kumar,” added the senior minister.</p>.Nitish Kumar 'mentally unsound', 'failed to observe protocol' when VP visited Bihar: Tejashwi Yadav.<p>Another minister Shrawan Kumar echoed a similar sentiment but asked everyone to exercise restraint. “One should not jump to any conclusion till a final decision is taken in this regard. As a party worker, we all want Nishant to take a political plunge and carry forward Nitish’s legacy,” the minister added.</p><p><strong>No buyers</strong></p><p>But not everyone is ready to buy this theory. “I don’t think Nishant has ever given an indication that he is interested in politics. He has a spiritual bent of mind and has asserted several times ‘I am more into spirituality’. Besides, Nitish is a strong opponent of dynasty politics and would never alter his image by promoting his reluctant son,” averred Giridhar Jha, a senior editor, who has covered Bihar for more than three decades.</p><p>Jha’s assertion is not wide off the mark. After all, Nitish, a protege of JP (late Jayaprakash Narayan) and Lohia (Ram Manohar Lohia), has always said that “Bihar was his family, unlike Lalu and Ram Vilas Paswan who promoted only their family”.</p><p>“Even Rajiv Gandhi, Naveeen Patnaik, Hemant Soren and Tejashwi Yadav were properly groomed before they donned the mantle. In this case, had Nishant been really interested in politics, Nitish, during his heydays, would have groomed his son who will turn 50 this July,” argued Jha.</p><p><strong>Doubting Thomas</strong></p><p>Other political analysts, too, share a similar theory. “Yeh loktantra hai (This is democracy), where a king’s son cannot be a king. You have to prove your ability, capability and acceptability within the party and outside. As of now, what is Nishant’s claim to fame? That he is the son of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Nothing more, nothing less,” opined another senior editor of a leading Hindi daily, preferring anonymity.</p><p>“Have you ever seen Nishant attending any political function or a rally or giving any speech? He has not shown one bit of leadership quality. Nor has he demonstrated the communication skills of his father. In fact, he has himself admitted that he was more into spirituality and was not interested in politics,” the editor added.</p><p>Moot point</p><p>The question that remains unanswered is: why is then a large section of JD (U) leaders advocating for Nishant’s entry into mainstream politics.</p><p>“This is precisely because of the impending internecine war within the JD(U). Till Nitish is at the helm, the ruling party will remain united. Once he bows out due to political setback or his poor health condition, the JD (U) will fall like ninepins. There will be a mad scramble among Nitish’s legislators to join either the BJP or the RJD. One section would like to carry forward his (Nitish) legacy by making Nishant a titular head,” explained former Bihar Congress president Kaukab Quadri.</p><p>“But then, this is Bihar. Here leaders like Tejashwi Yadav (son of Lalu) and Chirag Paswan (son of late Ram Vilas Paswan) have to sweat it out to prove their mettle. Nishant is neither tried nor tested,” averred the Congress leader.</p><p>His assertion says it all.</p><p>(The writer is a Patna-based journalist)</p>
<p>In the second week of January, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was accompanied by his son Nishant Kumar at a political function in Bakhtiyarpur, barely 55km from Patna. The event was to pay tributes to freedom fighters, including Nitish’s father Kaviraj Ram Lakhan Singh, who too had participated in the freedom movement.</p><p>Soon after the function, Nishant, the only child of Nitish and his late wife Manju Sinha, told the local gathering that his father had put Bihar on the fast track of development. “Agar aap sabhi ko inka kaam pasand hai, toh agli baar inko phir se mukhyamantri banwaiyee. (If you all think, he has done a good job for Bihar, then help him in becoming the chief minister again),” Nishant made a fervent appeal.</p><p>The appeal was more of an emotional nature by a doting son for his protective father. Nevertheless, the local media and the national TV channels were quick to seize upon the matter and gave Nishant’s statement wide publicity by giving it a political colour.</p><p>The move provoked a section of Janata Dal (United) leaders to bat for Nishant’s entry into mainstream politics. “Time has come for Nishant to enter the political arena and carry forward his father’s legacy. After Holi, Nishant is likely to join mainstream politics,” was the assertion of all the second-rung JD (U) leaders, including a couple of Nitish’s Cabinet colleagues.</p><p>“If my daughter Shambhavi can become a Lok Sabha member from Samastipur, why can’t Nitish’s son join the mainstream politics,” said Nitish’s Cabinet colleague and a trusted aide Ashok Choudhary. “But the final decision (about Nishant’s entry) will be that of the JD (U) chief Nitish Kumar,” added the senior minister.</p>.Nitish Kumar 'mentally unsound', 'failed to observe protocol' when VP visited Bihar: Tejashwi Yadav.<p>Another minister Shrawan Kumar echoed a similar sentiment but asked everyone to exercise restraint. “One should not jump to any conclusion till a final decision is taken in this regard. As a party worker, we all want Nishant to take a political plunge and carry forward Nitish’s legacy,” the minister added.</p><p><strong>No buyers</strong></p><p>But not everyone is ready to buy this theory. “I don’t think Nishant has ever given an indication that he is interested in politics. He has a spiritual bent of mind and has asserted several times ‘I am more into spirituality’. Besides, Nitish is a strong opponent of dynasty politics and would never alter his image by promoting his reluctant son,” averred Giridhar Jha, a senior editor, who has covered Bihar for more than three decades.</p><p>Jha’s assertion is not wide off the mark. After all, Nitish, a protege of JP (late Jayaprakash Narayan) and Lohia (Ram Manohar Lohia), has always said that “Bihar was his family, unlike Lalu and Ram Vilas Paswan who promoted only their family”.</p><p>“Even Rajiv Gandhi, Naveeen Patnaik, Hemant Soren and Tejashwi Yadav were properly groomed before they donned the mantle. In this case, had Nishant been really interested in politics, Nitish, during his heydays, would have groomed his son who will turn 50 this July,” argued Jha.</p><p><strong>Doubting Thomas</strong></p><p>Other political analysts, too, share a similar theory. “Yeh loktantra hai (This is democracy), where a king’s son cannot be a king. You have to prove your ability, capability and acceptability within the party and outside. As of now, what is Nishant’s claim to fame? That he is the son of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Nothing more, nothing less,” opined another senior editor of a leading Hindi daily, preferring anonymity.</p><p>“Have you ever seen Nishant attending any political function or a rally or giving any speech? He has not shown one bit of leadership quality. Nor has he demonstrated the communication skills of his father. In fact, he has himself admitted that he was more into spirituality and was not interested in politics,” the editor added.</p><p>Moot point</p><p>The question that remains unanswered is: why is then a large section of JD (U) leaders advocating for Nishant’s entry into mainstream politics.</p><p>“This is precisely because of the impending internecine war within the JD(U). Till Nitish is at the helm, the ruling party will remain united. Once he bows out due to political setback or his poor health condition, the JD (U) will fall like ninepins. There will be a mad scramble among Nitish’s legislators to join either the BJP or the RJD. One section would like to carry forward his (Nitish) legacy by making Nishant a titular head,” explained former Bihar Congress president Kaukab Quadri.</p><p>“But then, this is Bihar. Here leaders like Tejashwi Yadav (son of Lalu) and Chirag Paswan (son of late Ram Vilas Paswan) have to sweat it out to prove their mettle. Nishant is neither tried nor tested,” averred the Congress leader.</p><p>His assertion says it all.</p><p>(The writer is a Patna-based journalist)</p>