Nitish Kumar has become the Chief Minister of Bihar for the tenth time, alongside 26 ministers taking the oath of office and secrecy. Accompanied by Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, the cabinet reflects a careful consideration of caste factors, making the new Bihar government's cabinet a shining example of dynastic politics.
When viewed in its entirety, Nitish Kumar has managed to keep himself away from the shadow of dynastic politics. Prior to the Bihar elections, there was significant discussion about his son Nishant Kumar entering politics. Both JDU leaders and NDA partner Jitan Ram Manjhi were advocating for Nishant's entry into politics. However, Nitish Kumar decided to keep his son away from this sphere.
This unfolds in the same Bihar where it's famously said, 'If a leader's son doesn't carry on the political legacy, then what will he do?' Even post-election, people share pictures and videos of Nishant Kumar, asking if anyone recognizes him.
In the 2020 Bihar elections, Nitish Kumar vehemently attacked dynastic politics. Targeting Lalu Yadav, he mockingly asked what development was done, saying, 'Only children were born!' This led to a strong protest in the assembly by Tejashwi Yadav, creating a significant uproar.
Six months earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought up the issue of dynastic politics in Bihar, advising BJP leaders that the zamindari system should end and there should be no space for dynastic politics. During the elections, Shashi Tharoor wrote an article highlighting the ills of dynastic politics and offering various suggestions, notably listing Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav.
During his Bihar visit, Modi clearly told BJP leaders, ‘There should be no dynastic politics in politics... zamindari system shouldn't exist... it shouldn't be like, if not us, then our sons and daughters... this shouldn't happen.'
And posing the biggest question on such a platform, he asked why the hard work of the workers should not be rewarded.
However, following the NDA government's oath-taking in Bihar, it's visibly evident that talks of dynastic politics remain mere electoral rhetoric.
Examples of Dynastic Politics in Nitish's Cabinet
In the Bihar elections, 29 elected MLAs from the NDA come from political family backgrounds, with 11 from BJP and 11 from JDU. Consequently, Nitish Kumar's cabinet has been formed from these very MLAs.
1.
Rashtriya Lok Morcha leader Upendra Kushwaha garnered attention after endorsing his wife Snehlata's election candidature and later proposed his son for a ministerial position, culminating in Deepak Prakash from his quota being sworn in as a minister. He is yet to be a legislator, so there's speculation he may be inducted through the Legislative Council.
2.
Elected as an MLA from the Bankipur constituency on a BJP ticket, Nitin Nabin has taken the oath as minister in the Bihar government. It's notable that Nitin Nabin is the son of long-time BJP member Naveen Kishore Prasad Sinha, becoming part of the government through dynastic politics.
3.
BJP MLA Shreyashi Singh has also been included in Nitish Kumar's cabinet. Shreyashi Singh is the daughter of former Union minister Digvijay Singh and is an MLA from Jamui.
4.
Before the Bihar elections, Ajay Nishad, an MP from Muzaffarpur, rejoined BJP, and subsequently, his wife Rama Nishad received a BJP ticket. After winning the election and becoming an MLA, she was also sworn in as a minister in the Bihar government. Rama Nishad is an MLA from Aurai.
5.
Central Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi allocated all tickets to family members and relatives, but his son was made a minister. Jitan Ram Manjhi's son, Santosh Kumar Suman, has once again become a cabinet colleague of Nitish Kumar.
Dynastic Instances in the NDA
1.
Within the NDA, examining dynastic politics highlights HAM leader and Central Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi as a prominent example. Manjhi received 6 seats from NDA, distributing tickets solely to family members and relatives. Results revealed that Manjhi's daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, and son-in-law all became MLAs.
2.
Upendra Kushwaha also secured 6 seats within NDA. Upendra Kushwaha’s wife Snehlata has become an MLA from Sasaram. He gave a ticket to Santosh Singh’s brother Alok Kumar Singh at Dinara, who won but wasn’t made a minister.
3.
Prominent faces like Samrat Chaudhary, Nitish Mishra, and Shreyasi Singh also hail from dynastic politics, with 11 such BJP MLAs elected.
4.
Within JDU, renowned names such as Anant Singh, Rituraj Kumar, and Chetan Anand also belong to political dynasties.
