Patna, Feb 22 With growing speculation about Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s son Nishant Kumar entering politics, Union MSME Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi extended his support to him on Saturday.
Taking to social media platform X, Manjhi defended Nishant’s potential political entry, saying: "If an IAS officer's son becomes an IAS, he is called capable. If an engineer's son becomes an engineer, he is called promising. But if a leader's son becomes a leader, many questions arise. This is not right. Nishant, son of Bihar’s CM Nitish Kumar, is welcome in politics. HAM is with Nishant.”
The HAM leader’s support signals the growing acceptance of Nishant’s possible political debut. Manjhi’s backing suggests that NDA allies might not oppose Nishant’s entry.
Nishant Kumar, unlike his father, has maintained a low public profile and stayed away from active politics -- his entry could reshape JD(U)’s internal dynamics.
With the RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav continuously raising questions over the health of Nitish Kumar and calling him a tired Chief Minister who is running the government with retired officers, there is speculation that Nishant may join the politics in Bihar.
Yadav has also compared Kumar to an outdated vehicle, stating that just as cars older than 15 years are banned from the roads due to pollution concerns, Kumar, after 20 years in power, has become ineffective.
Nishant Kumar on Friday replied to Tejashwi Yadav and said his father is 100 per cent fit. He further appealed to the people of Bihar to support his father and re-elect him as Chief Minister in the upcoming 2025 Assembly elections.
He highlighted the welfare programmes and progress achieved under Nitish Kumar's leadership since 2005.
The speculation of Nishant's possible entry into politics was intensified for the first time following his appearance at a public function in Bakhtiyarpur on January 17, where he urged support for his father's leadership.
While some political figures, including former MP Anand Mohan, have welcomed the idea of Nishant entering politics and advocate for his involvement to continue his father's legacy, others point out a potential contradiction, noting Nitish Kumar's previous criticisms of dynastic politics.
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