<p>Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s decision to relinquish his position and head to the Rajya Sabha signals the culmination of coalition politics practised in the state over the last many years. It is not known what role Nitish himself had in this move because he has not been keeping good health in the past few months. </p><p>It is ironic that the Janata Dal (U) stalwart, one of the sharpest minds in contemporary politics, is now seen as having a limited say on his own position. The alleged waning of his faculties may, therefore, be seen as a reflection of the weakening of his politics. Both the leader and his party stand diminished in the state in relation to their coalition partner, the BJP.</p>.Who is Nitish Kumar's son Nishant, tipped to be Bihar's new Deputy CM.<p>The BJP has pursued a strategy of alliances with regional parties in states where it did not have the strength to form governments or even a significant Opposition. Bihar extends the party’s template for coalition governments, first experimented with at the Centre in the late 1990s. In the states, this strategy helped the BJP encroach on regional parties’ space by appropriating their support base and weakening or splitting them. </p><p>There is a recent example in Maharashtra, where both the Shiv Sena and the NCP now stand fractured. The Sena, once the leader of the alliance, has since ceded control to the BJP, which is now the state’s prime political force. In Bihar, the BJP was the JD(U)’s junior partner until the 2025 election, when the former took decisive steps to emerge as the larger force.</p>.<p>The elections were fought under the nominal leadership of Nitish Kumar, though the BJP was initially hesitant to announce him as the Chief Ministerial candidate. However, there were no doubts about the party pushing for the chief ministership. The move has come sooner rather than later, perhaps hastened by Nitish’s declining health. </p><p>The veteran leader’s son, Nishant Kumar, is being reported as a likely Deputy Chief Minister candidate. Neither Nishant Kumar, who is new to politics, nor any other leader of the JD(U) has the acumen or experience to hold together the party’s core support base, which is a social coalition of the Most Backward Castes and women. The BJP and the other parties, including the RJD led by Tejashwi Yadav, will try to make inroads into this base. While the BJP does not yet have a strong regional face to lead the party, its expertise in social engineering and continued alliance with the JD(U) may prove the difference in this race.</p>
<p>Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s decision to relinquish his position and head to the Rajya Sabha signals the culmination of coalition politics practised in the state over the last many years. It is not known what role Nitish himself had in this move because he has not been keeping good health in the past few months. </p><p>It is ironic that the Janata Dal (U) stalwart, one of the sharpest minds in contemporary politics, is now seen as having a limited say on his own position. The alleged waning of his faculties may, therefore, be seen as a reflection of the weakening of his politics. Both the leader and his party stand diminished in the state in relation to their coalition partner, the BJP.</p>.Who is Nitish Kumar's son Nishant, tipped to be Bihar's new Deputy CM.<p>The BJP has pursued a strategy of alliances with regional parties in states where it did not have the strength to form governments or even a significant Opposition. Bihar extends the party’s template for coalition governments, first experimented with at the Centre in the late 1990s. In the states, this strategy helped the BJP encroach on regional parties’ space by appropriating their support base and weakening or splitting them. </p><p>There is a recent example in Maharashtra, where both the Shiv Sena and the NCP now stand fractured. The Sena, once the leader of the alliance, has since ceded control to the BJP, which is now the state’s prime political force. In Bihar, the BJP was the JD(U)’s junior partner until the 2025 election, when the former took decisive steps to emerge as the larger force.</p>.<p>The elections were fought under the nominal leadership of Nitish Kumar, though the BJP was initially hesitant to announce him as the Chief Ministerial candidate. However, there were no doubts about the party pushing for the chief ministership. The move has come sooner rather than later, perhaps hastened by Nitish’s declining health. </p><p>The veteran leader’s son, Nishant Kumar, is being reported as a likely Deputy Chief Minister candidate. Neither Nishant Kumar, who is new to politics, nor any other leader of the JD(U) has the acumen or experience to hold together the party’s core support base, which is a social coalition of the Most Backward Castes and women. The BJP and the other parties, including the RJD led by Tejashwi Yadav, will try to make inroads into this base. While the BJP does not yet have a strong regional face to lead the party, its expertise in social engineering and continued alliance with the JD(U) may prove the difference in this race.</p>
