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Nitish Kumar
Bihar finds itself on the cusp of a new political epoch on Tuesday when Nitish Kumar, the state's longest-serving chief minister, is slated to make way for the first-ever BJP-led government in the province. Kumar, who heads the JD(U) and became a Rajya Sabha MP last week, is expected to tender his resignation shortly after the last meeting of his cabinet, which is scheduled at 11 am. "It is a constitutional requirement. The chief minister informs his colleagues about his decision to dissolve the cabinet before meeting the governor," said Dilip Jaiswal, a senior BJP leader who is also a minister in the outgoing government. The BJP, which is the single largest party in the 243-strong assembly, with 89 MLAs, will thereafter elect its legislature party leader. The meeting of the legislature party is scheduled to be held at the BJP office here around 3 pm. Union minister Shivraj Singh Choudhan, whom the BJP parliamentary board has named central observer for the legislature party leader'
BJP leaders in Bihar on Monday said that the name of the party's "first chief minister" in the state will be known on Tuesday, with Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan like to arrive here to facilitate the power transition. Chouhan, whom the BJP headquarters in Delhi had on Sunday named the 'central observer' for the election of the new legislature party leader, will be visiting the state on a day when JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, the longest-serving CM of Bihar, is expected to put in his papers. Kumar, who turned 75 last month and was sworn in as a Rajya Sabha MP a week ago, is expected to visit Raj Bhavan to tender his resignation immediately after his last cabinet meeting scheduled at 11 am, where he is likely to make a formal announcement of relinquishment of the post. "Shivraj Singh Chouhan ji will be coming to Patna tomorrow and BJP legislators will be electing their leader in his presence," the party's Bihar unit president Sanjay Saraogi told reporters here. Interestingly,
Bihar inched towards a political transition on Sunday with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar convening a meeting of his cabinet on April 14, following which the JD(U) president is likely to relinquish the post to make way for a BJP-led government. According to a notification issued by the cabinet secretariat department, the meeting will take place at 11 am, after which the longest-serving CM of the state, who got elected to the Rajya Sabha last week, was expected to submit his resignation to Governor Syed Ata Hasnain. Earlier, Kumar's close aide and JD(U) national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha had told reporters that the process of formation of a new government was likely to "roll out after April 13". Meanwhile, the BJP, which has been approaching the prospect of having its first- ever chief minister in the state with considerable restraint, got down to business and named Shivraj Singh Chouhan as a "central observer", who would oversee the change of guard. A statement issued by the
At least eight women were killed in a stampede at a temple in Bihar's Nalanda district on Tuesday, Police said. The incident took place due to a heavy rush of devotees at the Shitala Mata temple on Tuesday morning, a senior officer said. Bihar Sharif Assistant Superintendent of Police Noorul Haque said, "At least eight women died in the stampede at Shitala Mata temple on Tuesday morning. Police personnel and officials of the district administration have reached the spot, and the rescue work is on." The exact cause of the stampede is not known, but there was a huge rush of devotees, said Haque, who was also present at the spot.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha earlier this month, is set to resign from the state legislative council on Monday, JD(U) sources said. The JD(U) president was elected to the upper House of Parliament on March 16, and according to party insiders, the 14-day period during which he has to quit as MLC ends Monday. "It is stipulated in the Constitution that you should resign within 14 days. Things will happen accordingly," Sanjay Kumar Jha, the national working president of the JD(U), had told reporters here last week. JD(U) leader and MLA Anant Kumar Singh, who met Nitish Kumar on Sunday, told media persons that the chief minister will tender his resignation as MLC on Monday. Jha, however, had parried queries on when the 75-year-old JD(U) supremo was expected to step down as chief minister.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was on Tuesday elected JD (U) president unopposed with no other candidate filing nomination for the party's top post. This is the fourth time Kumar, 75, has become the party chief. Already helming the party since Lalan Singh resigned from the post ahead of Lok Sabha polls in December 2023, Kumar was recently elected to Rajya Sabha. Returning officer Aneel Prasad Hegde, a former Rajya Sabha member, announced the name of Kumar, who was not present as he was participating in the ongoing Samriddhi Yatra in Bihar. "I declare Nitish Kumar as the party's national president since no other nomination has been filed," Hegde announced and handed over the certificate of his election to JD(U) working president Sanjay Kumar Jha and Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh at the party's central office here. Asked about Kumar's absence, Jha said he is participating in the ongoing Samriddhi Yatra. "We have come here to receive the election certificate
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has filed his nomination for the post of JD(U) president as he prepares to return to national politics with his election to the Rajya Sabha. JD(U) national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha submitted Kumar's nomination at the party's central office here on Thursday. Jha is one of the proposers for Kumar. The Bihar chief minister did not come to Delhi to file his nomination. Party sources said Kumar is set to be elected unopposed, as there is hardly any possibility of anyone else filing the nomination for the post. JD(U) national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said the last date for filing of nomination for the post is March 22 white the last date for withdrawal of candidature is March 24. The scrutiny of the documents of the candidates will be done on March 23, he said. "The counting of votes will take place on March 27 if any other candidate files a nomination. So far, only one (Nitish Kumar's) nomination has been filed," he told PTI. Kumar
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's son Nishant Kumar joined the JD(U) on Sunday and said he would work to strengthen the party's organisation. Nishant, an engineering graduate who is in his 40s, was inducted into the party at its headquarters here in the presence of top leaders, including Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh 'Lalan' and JD(U)'s national working president Sanjay Jha. After joining the party, Nishant said, "My father decided to go to the Rajya Sabha. It was his personal decision. We all respect it. We will keep working under his guidance. I will work to strengthen the organisation." Nishant claimed his father, as the longest-serving chief minister of Bihar, did a lot for the state in the last twenty years. People of the state will never forget the CM's contribution to the state's development, he said. "I thank everyone. I will honour the trust you all have placed in me. The country, our state and I are proud of what my father has done in the last 20 years. I will take
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's son Nishant Kumar joined the JD(U) on Sunday and said he will work to strengthen the party's organisation. Nishant, an engineering graduate who is in his 40s, was inducted into the party at its headquarters here in the presence of top leaders, including Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh 'Lalan' and JD(U)'s national working president Sanjay Jha. After joining the party, Nishant said, "My father decided to go to Rajya Sabha, it was his personal decision. We all respect it. We will keep working under his guidance. I will work to strengthen the organisation". Nishant claimed his father, as the longest-serving chief minister of Bihar, did a lot for the state in the last twenty years. "People of the state will never forget his (Nitish) contribution to the state's development," he said. Nishant received a rousing reception at the JD(U) office on his arrival. Party functionaries gathered outside the office and were seen waving party flags and beating .
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's son Nishant Kumar will formally join the JD(U) on Sunday, marking a generational shift in party leadership, sources said. Nishant met party MLAs and MLCs at the residence of JD(U)'s working national president Sanjay Jha here on Friday and discussed his future strategies at length. Senior JD(U) leader Sharvan Kumar was the only Bihar minister present in the meeting. Nishant, an engineering graduate who is in his 40s, will join the JD(U) at its headquarters here in the presence of senior leaders, including Jha, party sources said. On the rare occasions that he is seen in public, Nishant has endeared himself to the people by his humility. Also, while interacting with the media, he has given glimpses of the close track he keeps of the good work done by his father. Meanwhile, speculations are rife that Nishant will be made deputy CM in the new government. A close aide of Nitish Kumar claimed on Saturday that a "unanimous" decision had been taken to
JD(U) workers on Friday continued to protest the decision of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to enter the Rajya Sabha, a move seen as signalling the end of his more than two-and-a-half-decade-long stint in Bihar politics. At the JD(U) office here, situated right across the street from the BJP's state headquarters, irate party workers staged a demonstration alleging that "traitors" had hatched a "conspiracy" with the alliance partner to "get rid of" their leader, who had been an eyesore for the "powerful liquor lobby" ever since he brought prohibition. "There are some people in our party who are playing the role of Jaichand (12th-century Rajput chieftain who aided Afghan invader Muhammad Ghori). One is in the Union cabinet, and the other has come from the BJP and is lording over us now", an irate JD(U) worker alleged. The allusion was to Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan, an old aide of Nitish Kumar and a former party president, and Sanjay Kumar Jha, the JD(U)'s working ...