At JD(U) orientation, the message as Nitish Kumar’s son takes stage

On Friday, the Janata Dal (United) conducted a day-long orientation programme that served as a platform for its scion Nishant Kumar to speak to party workers. Nishant Kumar, the Bihar health minister and son of former Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, addressed the gathering for the first time, praising Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary for adhering to the ideals and governance model of his father.

He urged JD-U workers to follow Nitish Kumar's legacy, highlighting the policies, programmes, and governance schemes implemented by the party since 2005. Nishant also emphasized the importance of gathering feedback from the public and party workers and flagging any concerns with party leadership.

The orientation programme, originally designed to train legislators in legislative practices and procedures, attracted several senior leaders. However, only Nishant Kumar addressed the gathering besides him, indicating a potential shift in the party's politics towards him in the near future. Other attendees included deputy chief ministers Bijendra Prasad Yadav and Vijay Kumar Choudhary, JD(U) Legislature Party Leader and Minister Shravan Kumar, and Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, who was absent, drawing attention to his absence.

Sanjay Kumar Jha, the National Working President of JD(U), stated that the budget practices, economy, major road network expansions, and improvements in electricity access were among the topics discussed at the event. He also downplayed Lalan Singh's absence, stating that the orientation programme was not intended for MPs. The meeting did not officially discuss the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), but some leaders expressed the need to maintain the party's longstanding stance on the issue.