JD(U) legislators nominate Nishant Kumar as the future CM of Bihar

Bihar Health Minister Nishant Kumar. File | Photo credit: PTI

Janata Dal (United) leader Nishant Kumar, son of former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, was unanimously tipped as the future of the party and as the next Chief Minister of the state during a key JD(U) meeting held at the party office in Patna on Friday (18 Sep 2026).

The meeting was attended by JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar, MLAs, MLCs and other senior leaders of the party, including national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha. It was a one-day orientation and training program for newly elected JD(U) MLAs and MLCs.

Soon after the meeting, Barauli MLA Manjeet Kumar Singh said, “There is no doubt that Nishant Kumar is our leader and he has all the capabilities to lead the party and the state. We all want him to lead Bihar in the coming days. Every MLA and party leader wants that,” Mr Singh said.

JD(U) state president Umesh Singh Kushwaha said he had no hesitation in accepting that the future of the party lay with Nishant Kumar. He said the future of the party was in safe and capable hands, noting that Mr. Nishant had quickly carved a place “in the hearts of the people through his work and dedication to public service”.

A three-hour meeting

The meeting of the JD(U) legislators lasted for nearly three hours, during which several other issues, including strengthening the party at the grassroots level, were also discussed. However, Mr. Nitish was present there only briefly.

Mr. Nishant did not respond to his projection of the future Chief Minister or the party leadership, but instead chose to use the platform to attack the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

“After 2005, maintaining law and order in Bihar was considered top priority. The atmosphere of fear, crime and kidnapping prevailing at that time was handled carefully and an environment of peace and harmony was established,” Nishant said.

Following his father’s example, he claimed that former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had never compromised on the ‘triple C’ – crime, corruption and communalism – and he too would never compromise on this policy. He added that his father had always taught him that politics was not a means to secure a position but an opportunity for public service.

“With this goal in mind, I am continuing to work to strengthen the healthcare system in Bihar and also to take JD(U) to new heights. JD(U) is a party rooted in socialist values, whose guiding principle is ‘development with good governance and justice’,” said Mr. Nishant, who is now serving as the Health Minister in the state cabinet of Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.

He also pointed out that whether inside or outside the legislature, the aim is to keep the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) united. He also urged the legislators to reach the booth level in their constituencies and connect with the voters.

Training module

At the start of the programme, Mr. Jha said that many sitting MLAs had won elections for the first time in the 2025 polls and it was essential to train them to discharge their legislative duties effectively. He added that with this objective, a team of experts from Delhi (PRS Legislative Research) has been invited to provide information on the law-making process, budget procedures and the functioning of the House.

Mr. Jha said that the biggest asset of the party is the 20-year history of Nitish Kumar and his popularity continues to grow due to his work. He asked the legislators that the JD(U) must move forward by highlighting its work and its development policy.

Published – 18 Sep 2026 20:38 IST