Former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s son, Nishant Kumar, finally took oath as a minister in the cabinet of Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Thursday. He was the second JD(U) leader, after the party’s legislature party leader Shravan Kumar, to take oath, indicating that he has entered the state government as a prominent face of the JD(U).
Nishant’s journey, from a software engineer who remained confined to private life for years to becoming part of the government after long resisting public office, is being seen as one of the biggest political shifts in Bihar in recent years.
Born on July 20, 1975, Nishant Kumar has so far been known as a soft-spoken and reserved person. Despite living with his father at the Chief Minister’s residence, Nishant largely stayed away from public life and the glare of politics. By profession, he is an engineer and earned a Software Engineering degree from the prestigious Birla Institute of Technology (BIT), Mesra. After the death of his mother, the late Manju Sinha, in 2007, he is said to have turned towards spirituality.
About a year ago, he came into the limelight when he accompanied Nitish Kumar as the JD(U) chief paid tribute to his father, freedom fighter Kaviraj Ram Lakhan Singh. There, he also interacted with the media. Later, he was frequently approached by journalists for comments. However, he refrained from making political statements, except for urging the people of Bihar to continue supporting Nitish Kumar to ensure good governance and sustained development in the state.
After Nitish Kumar decided to step down as Chief Minister and move to the Rajya Sabha, speculation grew over Nishant being considered for the post of Deputy Chief Minister. However, he reportedly declined such proposals despite efforts by party leaders to persuade him.
Sources indicated that Nishant preferred not to take up a senior post without first gaining electoral experience. He is said to have wanted to work directly with the public and contest an election to become an MLA before assuming major responsibilities. His plan reportedly involved spending time at the grassroots level to better understand public issues.
Nishant Kumar formally joined the JD(U) on 8 March, 2026. He was inducted into the party by its working president, Sanjay Jha.
Since then, speculation had been growing that Nishant would emerge as Nitish Kumar’s political heir. By becoming a minister now, he has effectively reinforced those expectations.