JD(U) Legislators Project Nishant Kumar as Party's Future and Possible Bihar CM

Legislators of the Janata Dal (United) projected Nishant Kumar, son of former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, as the party's future and as the next Chief Minister of the State at a meeting at the party office in Patna on Friday, September 18, 2026. Party leaders who spoke after the meeting described the projection as unanimous.

The gathering was convened as a one-day orientation and training programme for newly elected JD(U) MLAs and MLCs. JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar, national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha and senior party leaders attended. Mr. Nitish Kumar was present only for a brief period during the nearly three-hour meeting, which also discussed strengthening the party at the grassroots level.

Barauli MLA Manjeet Kumar Singh said there was no doubt that Nishant Kumar was the party's leader and had the ability to lead both the party and the State. He said every MLA and leader of the party wanted him to lead Bihar in the coming days.

JD(U) State president Umesh Singh Kushwaha said he had no hesitation in accepting that the party's future lies with Nishant Kumar, adding that it was in safe and capable hands. He said Mr. Nishant had made a place in people's hearts through his work and dedication to public service.

Mr. Nishant did not respond directly to the projection as future Chief Minister or as the party's prospective leader. Instead, he used the platform to criticise the Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

"After 2005, maintaining law and order was accorded the highest priority in Bihar. The atmosphere of fear, crime and kidnapping that prevailed at the time was handled carefully, and an environment of peace and harmony was established," he said.

Following his father's position, he said Nitish Kumar had never compromised on what the party describes as the 'Triple C' — crime, corruption and communalism — and that he too would not compromise on this. He added that his father had always taught him that politics is not a means to secure a position but an opportunity for public service.

"With this objective in mind, I am working further to strengthen Bihar's healthcare system and also to take the JD(U) to new heights. JD(U) is a party rooted in socialist values, with 'development with good governance and justice' as its guiding principle," said Mr. Nishant, who serves as Health Minister in the State Cabinet led by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.

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

At the start of the programme, Mr. Jha said many sitting MLAs had won elections for the first time in the 2025 polls and needed training to discharge their legislative responsibilities effectively. A team of experts from Delhi, from PRS Legislative Research, was invited to brief them on the law-making process, budgetary procedures and the functioning of the House. Mr. Jha said the party's greatest asset is Mr. Nitish Kumar's 20-year track record and asked legislators to take forward the party by highlighting his record and his politics of development.

The projection at a party meeting is not a formal announcement of a chief ministerial candidate. Under the constitutional process, a Chief Minister is appointed by the Governor and is normally the leader chosen by the majority of elected members of the legislature party, in consultation with alliance partners. Bihar has seen a long period of political churn and shifting alliances since 2005, when Nitish Kumar first took office, and questions about succession within the JD(U) have been raised repeatedly in that period. The party has not indicated any timeline for a formal decision.