A question has been hanging thick in the whispered political gossip of Patna and beyond: After Nitish Kumar, who? After all, the Janata Dal (United) – which, since its inception, has never faced the “leadership question” thanks to Nitish’s hold – has undergone tumultuous changes recently. First, Nitish resigned as Bihar’s Chief Minister and took oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha , clearing the way for the state’s first BJP CM. Then, Nitish’s son, Nishant Kumar, stepped out of his father’s shadow: he joined the party on March 8 and was made the Health Minister in the Samrat Choudhary government on May 7. Nitish continues to lead his party in name, but anxiety is mounting over finding his heir, someone who is adept at navigating the complexities of the alliance with the BJP, especially now that it is the “senior partner”. For many party workers and leaders, that is Nishant. Nishant’s entry into politics didn’t happen overnight. It had been in the offing for a while.…