Nishant Kumar, son of Janata Dal (United) president and former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is poised to join the Bihar cabinet. Sources indicate that Nishant, 45, is likely to take the oath of office during the cabinet expansion scheduled for Thursday.
This development follows weeks of speculation and comes after Nishant Kumar had initially declined a cabinet position. Reports suggest he had preferred to gain experience as a party worker before accepting any official post. However, senior JD(U) functionaries reportedly persuaded him to join the government headed by BJP leader Samrat Choudhary.
Background and Previous Reluctance
An engineering graduate, Nishant Kumar entered politics just a couple of months ago. When the new government was formed after Nitish Kumar stepped down as Chief Minister to become a Rajya Sabha member, there was strong anticipation that his son would be included in the council of ministers. At that time, Nishant chose not to join, leading to veteran JD(U) leaders Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Bijendra Prasad Yadav being inducted as ministers and designated as Deputy Chief Ministers.
A source close to the family and party told PTI that JD(U) cadres had long wished to see Nishant in government, and he had previously hesitated even when a Deputy Chief Minister's role was an option. His agreement now marks a significant shift.
Cabinet Expansion Details
The upcoming cabinet expansion is expected to see approximately a dozen JD(U) leaders taking oath. Among those likely to be inducted from the JD(U) quota are Ashok Choudhary, Shrawan Kumar, and Leshi Singh, all of whom served as ministers in the previous Nitish Kumar government.
The Bihar cabinet has a maximum strength of 30 members in the 243-member assembly, and the JD(U) reportedly aims to secure up to 16 ministerial berths. In addition to the JD(U) and BJP, representatives from other allied parties such as LJPRV (led by Chirag Paswan), HAM (led by Jitan Ram Manjhi), and RLM (led by Upendra Kushwaha) are also expected to be included.
High-profile attendees for the expansion ceremony are anticipated to include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP president Nitin Nabin, underscoring the political significance of the event.