The 'Socialist' Legacy: Nitish Kumar Refuses To Pass Baton To Son, Stays True To Ideals
While many expect his son Nishant Kumar to step into the political ring this election, Nitish Kumar is learnt to have remained reluctant.
With Bihar gearing up for a high-stakes and crucial election, the question of who will succeed the state's Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is growing louder, and also getting more complicated. While many expect his son Nishant Kumar to step into the political ring this election, Nitish Kumar is learnt to have remained reluctant, and wary of being branded a political dynast in contradiction to his lifelong commitment to socialist ideals.
The JD(U) supremo, now a veteran of Bihar politics, has always positioned himself as a custodian of Lohiaite socialism, a creed that frowns upon political inheritance. Unlike his contemporaries including the RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav who have openly promoted their children, Nitish has kept Nishant Kumar away from the public eye, often reiterating that his son has no interest in politics.
But the shifting political landscape and the need for succession planning within JD(U) have made Nishant's name resurface in party circles. With a few factions in the party seeking Nitish's approval for Nishant Kumar's candidature this election and with an ally, Upendra Kushwah, national president of Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) and a Rajya Sabha member, making a public statement on it, the situation now looks a bit politically intricate.
Talking to News18, a senior leader of JDU said, 'We are still not sure about Nitish Ji's succession plan. But he has advised us to be patient and trust his instincts. Kushwah ji's comments on X did not go down well with him. He is a socialist leader, and he does not believe in a political dynasty. He thinks that the party and people choose its leaders when the time is right."
No Dynasty, No Drama
Yet, Nitish Kumar's own instincts remain guarded. 'For someone who rose through the JP movement and has built his image on merit and anti-dynasty credentials, endorsing Nishant as the JDU successor could dilute decades of ideological posturing," said a senior JDU leader, who is known to be close to the chief minister.
With the NDA alliance recalibrating its power equations post-2024, the pressure is mounting for Nitish to either name a political heir or risk leaving a vacuum in the state and his party. The dilemma reflects a deeper paradox, the tension between legacy and ideology, between familial instinct and political principle. However, Nitish Kumar is still standing.
Adding to the BJP's confidence is a quiet but significant development. Sources in party ranks said that Nishant Kumar, Nitish Kumar's son, will not contest the 2025 elections. Neither Nitish nor the BJP wants a dynastic narrative attached to the JD(U) patriarch's final innings. The election will be fought over employment, arresting migration and governance – issues that helped Nitish make his brand.
Meanwhile, the BJP now sees a rare window to assert dominance in the state and restructure the NDA without legacy baggage.
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First Published:
July 29, 2025, 11:25 IST
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