Page 10 - Nitish Kumar

On moral ground: Railway ministers who resigned after train tragedies

Here's a list of railway ministers who resigned, or offered to resign, following major train tragedies, taking moral responsibility for the incidents

Bihar govt approves rural road projects worth over Rs 17,000 crore

Rural road construction in Bihar is all set to receive a major boost with projects worth more than Rs 17,000 crore getting the cabinet nod, a top official said. Briefing reporters after a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat Department, S Siddharth, on Thursday said approval was given for 37 projects of the rural works division, covering as many districts of the state. "These projects include construction and maintenance of 11,251 roads, the total length of which would be 19,876 km. An expenditure of Rs 17,266 crore was approved for the purpose," said Siddharth. A district-wise break-up showed that the maximum number of 706 roads, with a total length of 1,237 km, are to be built in Madhubani, at a cost of Rs 1,221 crore. However, it is Aurangabad that will have the largest length of roads (1,252 km), the total number being 576, at a cost of Rs 1,125 crore. Another district with a significant number of 629 roads is

With Delhi win in the bag, BJP targets major Bihar Assembly victory

Delhi's victory has given the NDA a significant boost, with political discussions already gaining pace in Bihar. The NDA has set an ambitious goal of winning 225 seats in the 243-member Bihar assembly

Full faith in PM's leadership: Bihar CM hails BJP's victory in Delhi polls

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday hailed the victory of ally BJP in the Delhi assembly polls and lauded the "able leadership" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The JD(U) president voiced his sentiments about the electoral verdict on social media. "Heartiest congratulations for the Bharatiya Janata Party's emphatic victory in assembly polls of Delhi where the people have reposed full faith in the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Kudos to Narendra Modi ji for the historic win," Kumar wrote. The BJP won 48 seats of the 70-strong Delhi assembly, ousting from power the Aam Aadmi Party headed by former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. The JD(U) had contested the Burari seat as a BJP ally, but it lost to the AAP winner by a huge margin of 20,000 votes. Assembly elections in Bihar are due later this year when Kumar, on the wrong side of 70, will seek a fifth consecutive term in office. The BJP, which is numerically stronger in the state assembly, had been lying

Budget 2025: From Siddaramaiah to Nitish Kumar, here are CMs' views

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar calls Budget 'progressive' while Karnataka CM SIddaramaiah said that it has given Karnataka an 'empty vessel'

Union Budget will help accelerate Bihar's growth, says Nitish Kumar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday lauded the Union Budget 2025-26 as one that was "positive" and would help in accelerating development of the state. Kumar, whose JD(U) is a key constituent of the ruling BJP-led NDA at the Centre, also profusely thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. In a statement, the longest-serving CM of Bihar said the proposal for setting up a "Makhana board" will give a boost to cultivation of foxnuts, for which the state is known far and wide. He also said greenfield airports proposed in the budget will go a long way in improving flight connectivity, which would give a fillip to the state's economic growth.

BJP ally Chirag Paswan demands cancellation of BPSC exams over lapses

In an embarrassment to the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar, Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Wednesday backed to the hilt the demand for cancellation of BPSC exams held last month. Paswan, whose Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) is an NDA constituent but not a part of the government in the state, said he learnt about "irregularities on a large scale" in the exams from close relatives who were among the more than four lakh candidates. "Many members of my family, my nieces and a nephew, took the exams. I have learnt from them the shocking lapses that took place," said the Hajipur MP when he was asked about his stand on the Combined Competitive Exams held on December 13. Paswan said he was told "at many some centres, question papers were not available in adequate numbers. So, these were printed after the tests had officially begun. After a short while, these question papers were for all to see on social media platforms like WhatsApp and X". The Union minister lambasted the BPSC authorit

Union Budget 2025: Focus on allies, Bihar, and middle-class relief

2025 will see the fewest Assembly polls in any year during the current five-year term, therefore the Budget will be presented in a more favourable political context for the government

Dedicated his entire life to social justice: PM remembers Karpoori Thakur

Respectful tributes to former Bihar Chief Minister Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur ji on his birth anniversary, who dedicated his entire life to social justice and made many efforts, PM Modi said

JD(U) Manipur chief withdraws support to BJP, Nitish Kumar expels him

While the JDU's move will not affect the stability of the government, it sends a strong message, given the party's role as a key ally of the BJP at both the Centre and in Bihar

'Spurious liquor' claims seven lives in dry Bihar; police launch probe

While locals attribute the deaths to illicit liquor, police claim that at least two deaths were unrelated. The cause of the remaining five deaths remains unclear

Walking with allies: Poll-bound Bihar's Budget demands loom large

If it was Andhra Pradesh last Budget, it's poll-bound Bihar that has now turned to Centre with a list of demands. How the NDA government is delivering on promises

CM Nitish Kumar unveils Rs 1,107 crore development projects in Madhubani

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar unveiled developmental projects worth Rs 1,107 crore in Madhubani district on Sunday. Kumar inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 139 projects in the district. He also announced that the state government would urge the Centre to start flight services from the Madhubani airport under the UDAN scheme. The CM chaired a meeting at Mithila Haat in the Jhanjharpur area to review the ongoing developmental schemes in the district. District Magistrate Arvind Kumar Verma gave a detailed presentation about the ongoing projects and schemes, including the Bihar Student Credit Card Scheme, CM Nishchay Self Help Allowance Scheme, CM Rural Solar Street Light and CM Agricultural Electricity Connection Scheme, a statement said. The CM instructed the officials to resolve the issues raised by the elected representatives in the meeting at the earliest, it added. Kumar also inspected the Saksham Anganwadi Center in Durgipatti village of Khutauna block. During th

Prashant Kishor arrested for 'illegal' fast, refuses bail over conditions

Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor was on Monday arrested for his illegal fast unto death and sent to jail upon refusal to accept bail, granted by a court here with conditions that were deemed "unreasonable". The 47-year-old, who was last week booked for holding 'Aamaran anshan' (fast unto death) at Gandhi Maidan, in violation of a Patna High Court order that forbids any such demonstration at a place other than Gardani Bagh locality in the city, declared that he would continue his agitation from behind bars. Senior lawyer Y V Giri, who is actively associated with Kishor's party, said the bail was granted with an unreasonable condition that Kishor must give a written undertaking, which would have been tantamount to admitting guilt. The former poll strategist, who started his fast unto death on January 2, demanding, among other things, cancellation of the Combined Competitive Examination conducted last month by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC), was rounded up along wit

Nitish Kumar rules out quitting NDA, recalls ties with Ex-PM Vajpayee

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday ruled out the possibility of quitting the NDA, pointing out that his ties with the BJP went back a long way. The JD(U) supremo, who termed as a "mistake" his two short-lived alliances with the RJD-Congress combine, fondly recalled the backing he had always received from former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. "It was respected Atal ji who made me a Union minister. He used to shower so much of affection on me. I never faced any difficulty in getting my proposals cleared, Kumar told reporters in Vaishali district, which he toured as part of the state-wide Pragati Yatra'. The longest-serving chief minister of the state also recalled that it was Vajpayee's wish that "I become the CM" when the NDA first won assembly polls in Bihar in 2005. "So, why would I not stay (with the BJP)? A couple of times the people in my party committed a mistake (by pressing for an alliance with the Congress-RJD combine). I rectified it both times, said the JD(

Rethinking the woman voter: A growing force reshaping India's politics

In Bihar Nitish Kumar has reaped a huge dividend from the votes of women over the years, especially from low-income groups

Will Nitish Kumar jump ship again? Bihar CM reacts to frenemy Lalu's offer

Nitish Kumar was asked about Lalu Yadav's 'our doors are open' remark, where the latter offered his former ally to join hands with INDIA bloc again

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar owns movable, immovable assets worth Rs 1.64 crore

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar owns movable and immovable assets worth Rs 1.64 crore, according to his latest disclosure of assets. According to details of assets of the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues uploaded on the Bihar government website on December 31, Kumar has Rs 21,052 in cash and nearly Rs 60,811.56 in different banks. The Nitish Kumar government has made it mandatory for all cabinet ministers to disclose their assets and liabilities on the last day of every calendar year. As per the disclosures, several ministers are richer than the CM. According to the disclosures made by the CM on the website of the Cabinet Secretariat Department, Kumar has total movable properties worth around Rs 16,97,741.56, while he has immovable assets worth Rs 1.48 crore. The CM has only one residential flat at a cooperative housing society at Dwarka in New Delhi. In 2023, the CM had movable and immovable assets worth Rs 16,484,632.69. According to disclosures, Bihar Deputy CM, Samr

Tejashwi accuses Prashant Kishor's outfit of acting as Nitish's 'B-team'

In an apparent dig at Jan Suraaj Party, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav accused the fledgling outfit floated by former political strategist Prashant Kishor of acting as 'B team' of the Nitish Kumar-led ruling alliance in Bihar. In a video message late on Sunday, hours after police used water cannons to disperse students seeking cancellation of a recent BPSC exam, the former deputy CM, in an apparent reference to the IPAC founder and his party, said the protesters were "misled" into marching towards Gandhi Maidan. "This movement was started by students. The nearly two week-long dharna at Gardani Bagh, where I also had gone recently, had caused the government to tremble. At this moment, came some elements acting as the government's B team," alleged Yadav, who is now the leader of the opposition. "The protesters were misled into marching towards Gandhi Maidan, despite warnings from the administration against doing so. And, when the time to face lathi charge and water cannons came, those who

BPSC exam stalemate continues as protesting students reject offer for talks

The row over the alleged Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) question paper leak seemed to be heading for an impasse with protesting students on Saturday rejecting the Patna district administration's offer for talks with authorities in the commission and insisting on an appointment with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. In hardening of stance, Patna District Magistrate (DM) Chandrasekhar Singh also said he would not allow the 'Chatra Sansad' (students' congregation), called by Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Sunday and warned of action against coaching institute owners who were found to be involved, in any manner, in the protests henceforth. Kishor on Saturday went to Gardani Bagh where BPSC aspirants have been staging a dharna for the last several days. Addressing the protesters, Kishor said, "Before coming here, I had a long discussion with people from the education field. I must say that irregularities and paper leaks have now become the norm as far as BPSC exams are concerne