As Nitish Kumar was sworn in as Bihar Chief Minister for a record 10th term on Thursday, his son Nishant broke his long public silence to comment on his father’s achievement.
Nishant, 50, who mostly stays out of the limelight, said in a rare interview that while he hoped National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to win, he did not expect such an overwhelming victory.
“I was hoping he would win, but people believed in us more than we expected. Last time we won 43 seats, but my father continued to work and people supported him wholeheartedly this time. I thank them,” Nishant told NDTV on November 20 on the sidelines of the swearing-in ceremony.
Nitish Kumar was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Bihar for a record 10th time on Thursday in a grand ceremony at the iconic Gandhi Maidan in Patna.
Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha today also administered the oath of office and secrecy among the 26 ministers in Nitish Kumar’s cabinet.
Prime minister Narendra ModiHome Minister Amit Shah and other senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attended the swearing-in ceremony.
“I congratulate my father on his tenth oath-taking and express my gratitude to the people for ensuring our victory. I also thank God,” Nishant said in an interview.
The Nitish Kumar-led JDU-BJP coalition scored a landslide by winning 202 seats in 243-member assembly in Bihar. BJP won 89 seats while JDU won 85
In an interview with NDTV, Nishant said that women played a key role in the NDA’s victory and emphasized that his father had prioritized their empowerment during his two decades in power. He also thanked the workers and leaders of NDA allies JDU, BJP, LJP (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha and Rastriya Lok Morcha, for their support and hard work behind the big victory.
Bihar has seen many sons rise to prominence in the political arena. Nishant she was an exception.
Nitish Kumar was a staunch critic of dynastic politics and often criticized it Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) for promoting ‘family’. There is an “increasing demand” from party workers for Nishant’s entry into politics.
I hoped he would win, but people believed in us more than we expected.
Nishant Kumar was born on 20 July 1975. He is the only son of Nishit Kumar and Manju Sinha who died in 2007.
A software engineer and graduate of Birla Institute of Technology (BIT) Mesra, Nishant kept a relatively low profile and avoided political events.
