Ever since Nitish Kumar resigned as CM, the JD(U) has been performing a balancing act within the government and the party organisation. Two senior leaders, Bijendra Prasad Yadav and Vijay Kumar Choudhary, were chosen as Deputy CMs without a meeting of the JD (U) legislature party, and the party later elected eight-time Nalanda MLA Shravan Kumar as its leader in the Assembly. While there had been speculation that Nishant may take a Deputy CM post, he opted out at the last minute, sources had said.

A JD(U) source said, “Nishant Kumar has been preparing himself. He is putting himself under probation. He will meet people during the yatra and draw strength from the field, rather than taking up a key position straight away. He may take an important party position in due course.”

JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said, “Nishant Kumar is our leader by consensus choice. Whether he holds a key position in the government or party organisation is immaterial. He has been meeting party functionaries and common workers daily to pass on the message of following up on the progress of several flagship schemes started by former CM Nitish Kumar. Nishant Kumar will tour across Bihar to find resonance with the people and Nitish Kumar’s legacy.”

Nishant Kumar still has the opportunity to become a member of the Bihar Legislative Council, as two-thirds of the seats are falling vacant soon. Another JD(U) leader said, “Who knows? He could become the Legislature Party leader in the bicameral Bihar House. At a later stage, he could also become the party’s parliamentary board chairperson, a position once held by RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha. The crux is that Nitish Kumar does not want to put Nishant under the scanner by giving him a prominent position outright.”