"Congratulate Pitaji On 10th Oath": A Rare Interview By Nitish Kumar's Son

As JDU chief Nitish Kumar took the oath as Bihar's Chief Minister for the record 10th time, the who's who of NDA, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were in attendance. Among those seated in the first row at the grand event in Patna's Gandhi Maidan was Nitish Kumar's only son, Nishant. The 50-year-old is an exception in Bihar's political landscape, where leaders groom their children into their successors.

In contrast, Nishant stays away from the spotlight and rarely speaks to the media. Today, however, he obliged. Speaking to NDTV at the big event, he said, "I congratulate my father for taking the oath for the 10th time and express my gratitude to the people for ensuring our victory. I also thank God."

#NDTVExclusive | "Thank the people of Bihar for this mandate" : Nishant Kumar, Nitish Kumar's son to NDTV's @prabhakarjourno in Patna's Gandhi Maidan ahead of swearing-in ceremony of Nitish 10.0 pic.twitter.com/WSAX1W17rb

— NDTV (@ndtv) November 20, 2025

The Nitish Kumar-led JDU-BJP coalition posted a mammoth score of 202 seats in the Assembly polls. While the BJP won 89 seats, the JDU bagged 85 -- nearly double its 2020 score of 43.

Asked if he had expected such a thumping victory for his father, Nishant replied, "I hoped that he would win, but people trusted us more than we expected. We won 43 seats last time, but my father kept working, and people supported him wholeheartedly this time. I thank them."

Nishant said women had played a key role in the NDA's victory and stressed that his father focused on their empowerment during his two decades in power. He thanked the workers and leaders of JDU's NDA allies, BJP, LJP (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha and Rastriya Lok Morcha, for their support and hard work behind the big victory.

When NDTV asked him about speculation over his political entry, Nishant just smiled.

Nishant is a software engineer by education and went to Birla Institute of Technology (BIT), Mesra. About eight years back, he had said he had no interest in politics. "I have neither interest in politics nor any knowledge about this field. My first love is spiritualism, and as of now, I am proceeding on the path of spiritualism." Of late, however, he has been seen in several events with his father. He is also reportedly part of political discussions within the party.