Decision taken to make Nishant Bihar's deputy CM, MLC: Nitish aide

Patna, Mar 7 (PTI) JD(U) MLA Hari Narayan Singh, a close aide of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, on Saturday claimed that a "unanimous" decision has been taken to make the party supremo's son Nishant the deputy CM in the new government to be formed upon his father's resignation.

Singh, the MLA from Harnaut, the assembly segment in Nalanda district that Kumar himself had represented in the 1980s, also claimed that Nishant, who is entering politics in his late 40s, will be elected to the state legislative council next month.

"At the legislature party meeting held at the chief minister's residence, a unanimous decision was taken to make Nishant the deputy CM in the new government," Singh told a private news channel here, a day after the JD(U) president briefed his colleagues about his decision to give up the post and move to the Rajya Sabha.

The JD(U) MLA added, "It was also decided that Nishant shall formally join the JD(U). Since he must become a member of the legislature to hold a constitutional post, he would be elected to the legislative council in April when biennial elections to nine seats are scheduled. He need not necessarily contest from the seat that falls vacant upon his father's resignation." To a pointed query, Singh said, "It is not clear whether Nishant will become the deputy CM as soon as a new government is in place or after some time. That is a decision to be taken by the top leadership in due course. I cannot say anything about the speculations that the JD(U) will insist on having two deputy CMs. Yesterday, a decision was taken only on Nishant." Notably, Nishant is all set to formally join the JD(U) on Sunday, less than a week after his father, known to be a vociferous critic of "dynasty politics", chose to hang his boots, less than four months after having been sworn in for a fifth consecutive term in office.

Speculations are rife that the chief minister's post shall now be taken by the BJP, which is the single-largest party in the ruling NDA, and the JD(U) might insist on having two deputy CMs with the crucial Home portfolio, a complete reversal of the arrangement that is currently in place.

Of the two deputy CMs, Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, both from the BJP, the Home portfolio, in which vests the control of the state police, is held by the former.

Meanwhile, the opposition continued to fish in the NDA's troubled waters, alleging that Kumar was being "driven out of Bihar" by the BJP which was also "denying him an honourable exit".

Former chief minister and RJD leader Rabri Devi told reporters, "Nitish Kumar is not giving up his post on his own accord. He is being driven out of Bihar by the BJP. But he should resist and refuse to buckle under pressure." Prior to filing nomination papers for Rajya Sabha elections on Thursday, catching most of his own party colleagues unawares, Kumar had announced on social media that he wanted to enter the Upper House because "it has always been my wish to have the experience of both Houses of the state legislature and Parliament".

The longest-serving CM of Bihar, who has been an MLC all through his tenure, had earlier represented Lok Sabha constituencies such as Barh and Nalanda.

State Congress media cell chief Rajesh Rathore, meanwhile, asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah to "give up his ruthlessness and let Nitish Kumar, an old ally, have an honourable exit".

"Now that Nitish Kumar has made up his mind to contest the Rajya Sabha elections, the least that Amit Shah can do is to withdraw one of his candidates and let the five remaining ones, including the JD(U) president, get elected unopposed. Nitish Kumar has honoured this tradition during his long innings," Rathore said in a statement.

Altogether six candidates, including one from the RJD, a Congress ally, are in the fray for biennial elections to five Rajya Sabha seats in the state, where, according to Rathore, "Nitish Kumar has, since assuming power in 2005, ensured on all occasions except one that all those in the fray for Rajya Sabha get elected unopposed." PTI TEAM NAC ACD