'Declare Nitish Kumar as NDA's CM face': Nishant Kumar proposes, BJP says wait for 'right time'

The BJP maintains that Nitish Kumar is the NDA leader and the announcement of the CM face will happen at the right time. (File photo: PTI)

Amid strong indications of his possible entry into politics, Nishant Kumar (48), an engineer by profession and the son of incumbent chief minister Nitish Kumar, has demanded that the NDA declare his father as the chief ministerial face of the alliance ahead of the Assembly elections set to be held later this year.

Speaking to media persons at a gathering to mark the birth anniversary of his late mother, Manju Sinha, Nishant thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his praise of the Chief Minister at an event in Bhagalpur where both leaders shared stage and said that the state has taken strides of development under his father's leadership.

"NDA should declare it and JD(U) workers and leaders should declare it so that government is formed under his leadership again and development of the state continues," Nishant said.

At a rally in Bhagalpur, effectively launching the NDA's poll campaign in the state, PM Modi heaped praise on Nitish -- even referring to him as Bihar’s "laadle mukhyamantri (dear Chief Minister)".

Speaking to the press in Patna a day after the PM's visit, Nishant urged people from all sections to vote for the NDA and help it retain power with a bigger majority in the state.

"I would urge the youth and people from all sections of society to vote for the NDA. Last time, people gave JD(U) only 43 seats. Yet, my father ensured that the pace of the state’s development did not slow down. We expect more seats so that development works can be further stepped up,” he said Tuesday.

Nishant further said that JD(U) workers must go to the people and tell them of the work done by Nitish Kumar in the last 19 years. “People should tell us what more needs to be done. There should be no slacking from our end,” he said, opening up on political matters for the first time.

There has been a strong buzz around Nishant's political entry ahead of the Assembly elections in the state. Nishant, who has made no mention of his political debut so far in his three interactions with the media this month alone, has largely stayed away from the limelight.

Reacting to Nishant's demand that NDA declare Nitish the CM face, JDU's alliance partner BJP said that the decision regarding the NDA's CM face will be taken at the appropriate time.

"Nitish Kumar is NDA leader and CM. He will be declared CM candidate at the right time. The PM has always praised Nitish Kumar. Nishant has only stated what is very obvious… We can now sense that Nishant is joining politics soon and taking key JD(U) decisions," a senior BJP leader told The Indian Express.