Patna: A senior JD(U) leader has said the party has unanimously decided to make Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s son, Nishant Kumar, the Deputy Chief Minister in the next government.
Hari Narayan Singh, a JD(U) MLA and a close aide of Nitish Kumar, said the move would come after Nitish Kumar resigns as Chief Minister. Bihar is currently governed by a JD(U)-BJP coalition.
The development comes amid a sudden political turn, with Nitish Kumar having filed his nomination to contest the Rajya Sabha elections. The report said he is expected to step down as Chief Minister after becoming a Rajya Sabha MP, following which a new government would be formed under BJP leadership.
JD(U) legislators and members of the Legislative Council met in Patna on Saturday, where a resolution was passed to get Nishant elected to the Upper House and then appoint him as Deputy Chief Minister. Singh said elections to nine vacant Upper House seats are due next month and expressed confidence that Nishant would win.
Meanwhile, the report said Nishant is set to formally join JD(U) at an event in Patna on Sunday. Separately, RJD leader and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi criticised the move, alleging Nitish Kumar was being pushed out and should not leave Bihar.
