‘Aage yehi sab kaam dekhenge’: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s remark hints succession buzz

PATNA: In a move being widely interpreted as anointing his successor, CM Nitish Kumar, while addressing a public rally on Wednesday, placed his hand on deputy CM Samrat Choudhary’s shoulder and said, “Aaage yehi sab kaam dekhenge (it is he who will look after everything from now on).”Nitish made the remark at the end of his address during the public rally in Jamui district, which was organised as part of his ‘Samriddhi Yatra.’ The CM put his hand on Samrat’s shoulder also during a similar rally in Nawada district and said he (Samrat) has done a lot of work in the state. The CM’s “cryptic hint” is being widely discussed in the state’s political circles as Nitish prepares to move from state to national politics. He was recently elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha, which will fulfil his long-stated desire to serve in all four legislative houses (the Bihar assembly, legislative council, Lok Sabha, and Rajya Sabha).Nitish’s remarks assume significance mainly because Samrat is currently being considered as the leading contender for the post of the CM after Nitish moves to the Rajya Sabha. As a prominent leader from the Other Backward Class (OBC) and the current deputy CM, Samrat has been receiving Nitish’s public endorsement during almost all the Samriddhi Yatra-related public meetings.However, the JD(U) workers have been demanding that Nitish’s only son, Nishant Kumar, who entered active politics just a few days, be made the next CM. State’s industries minister Dilip Kumar Jaiswal and the Union minister of state for home affairs, Nityanand Rai, are among the few BJP seniors who are also being considered as the successor to Nitish.Before addressing the public rallies in both the districts, Nitish inspected several ongoing projects in Jamui and Nawada as part of his ‘Samriddhi Yatra.’ He also launched development projects worth over Rs1,213 crore in the two districts.The CM gifted projects worth Rs914 crore to Jamui district. He inaugurated 181 projects at a cost of Rs602 crore and laid the foundation stone for 189 projects at a cost of Rs312 crore in Jamui.Later in Nawada district, Nitish gifted projects worth Rs299 crore. The CM inaugurated 37 projects at a cost of Rs55 crore and laid the foundation stone for 21 projects at a cost of Rs244 crore in Nawada district.