Page 21 - Nitish Kumar

'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' to enter Bihar, brings Rahul to state after 2 yrs

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' will on Monday reach Bihar through Kishanganj, a district with a heavy Muslim population which is also a party stronghold. Gandhi's Bihar tour comes a day after the Congress was left high and dry with former ally Nitish Kumar, the Bihar chief minister, making a return to the BJP-led NDA. This is Gandhi's first visit to Bihar since the assembly poll campaign of 2020. Gandhi is scheduled to address a public meeting in Kishanganj, followed by a big rally in the adjoining district of Purnea on Tuesday and another one in Katihar a day later, according to Congress legislature party leader Shakil Ahmed Khan. He will be leaving for West Bengal on Thursday via Araria district and will return to Bihar a few days later via Jharkhand, said state Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh. According to leaders of the state Congress, the party's alliance partners in Bihar like RJD president Lalu Prasad and CPI(ML)-L general secretary Dipanka

Saamana editorial slams Bihar CM Nitish Kumar for returning to NDA

Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece Saamana in its editorial has criticised Bihar CM Nitish Kumar for returning to NDA fold

Behind Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's switch: Caste play, Modi's outreach

Bihar CM, who returned to NDA fold, feared significant losses in Lok Sabha polls had he stayed with INDIA bloc

LIVE: Now the double engine govt will benefit Bihar, says JP Nadda

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Nitish's Bihar switch: Tharoor takes dig with word of the day snollygoster

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday took a swipe at JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar over his latest volte-face in Bihar, posting what he said was the word of the day snollygoster, which means a shrewd and unprincipled politician. Kumar on Sunday resigned as the Chief Minister of Bihar, saying "things were not working well" for him in the Mahagathbandhan or the grand alliance and the opposition bloc INDIA, and staked claim to form a new government with the BJP, which he had dumped less than 18 months ago. Tharoor shared his social media post from 2017 when Kumar had broken away from the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress and returned to the BJP despite being foes for a long time. "Word of the day! Definition of snollygoster US dialect: a shrewd, unprincipled politician. First Known Use: 1845. Most recent use: 26/7/17," Tharoor had tweeted in 2017. Tagging that post, the former Union minister said on Sunday in a post of X, " Didn't ...

We tolerated Nitish's Hindi push for cordiality in INDIA bloc: DMK leader

JD(U) President and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said 'only Hindi should be spoken' and the party tolerated it for the sake of cordiality in INDIA alliance, DMK leader T R Baalu said here on Sunday. Speaking to reporters after holding seat sharing talks with Congress leaders here, Baalu, when asked on exit of Nitish Kumar from INDIA alliance said it appeared that right from the beginning he had 'some issues' and there would not be any electoral 'damage' due to his move. To a question about the 'Bihar Chief Minister's statement that nothing worked as per his plan in the INDIA bloc,' Baalu asked: "What did he plan? He did not spell out any plan, he said only Hindi should be spoken and only that (message) remains." Elaborating, Baalu, a Lok Sabha member said: "He (Nitish Kumar) said everyone should talk in Hindi. We tolerated it. Even then, we kept quiet, as a compromise, for the sake of cordiality in the alliance. It was said that English must not be spoken. This is an ordinary .

Nitish Kumar is natural ally, with him we will sweep LS polls: JP Nadda

BJP on Sunday described the party's alliance with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as "natural" and asserted that the coalition will benefit the state. Addressing a press conference here, shortly after he attended Kumar's swearing in with his party as an alliance partner, BJP national president JP Nadda asserted that NDA will "sweep" the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He also attacked the opposition bloc INDIA, saying it stands for "bhrashtachar bachao, parivar bachao( protect corruption and save the family). He said the new NDA government headed by Nitish Kumar will make 'Ujjwal Bihar.' "The people of Bihar had given the mandate in the last assembly polls to our natural alliance with Nitish Kumar. Bihar has gained whenever we have been in power together, be it in terms of law and order or economic development," he said. He asserted that "Bihar will again see growth propelled by double engine, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the helm at the Centre". He also said, "We are ...

Happy to see formation of NDA govt in Bihar: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed delight on Sunday over the formation of the NDA government in Bihar. He wished the leadership success in steering Bihar towards "new heights of development and prosperity". "Happy to see the formation of NDA government in Bihar. Congratulations to Shri @NitishKumar Ji on assuming the role of Chief Minister, and my heartfelt greetings to Shri @samrat4bjp and Shri @VijayKrSinhaBih as they take the oath as Deputy Chief Ministers," Sarma wrote on X. JD(U) president Nitish Kumar took oath as Chief Minister of Bihar for a record ninth time after a dramatic volte-face, ditching the Mahagathbandhan' and the opposition bloc INDIA and forming a new government with the BJP, which he had dumped less than 18 months ago. The 72-year-old leader indicated that he was not feeling happy with the way things were in the Mahagathbandhan' in the state, as well as the INDIA bloc that he helped take shape, but which failed to adequately recognise his efforts. BJP ..

No question of going anywhere else now, leaving NDA-fold: Nitish Kumar

JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, who took oath as Chief Minister of Bihar for a record ninth time on Sunday after a dramatic volte-face, asserted that there is now no question of him going anywhere else, leaving the NDA-fold. Kumar was sworn in by Bihar Governor Rajendra Arlekar at Raj Bhavan here, hours after he resigned from the post, saying "things were not working well" for him in the Grand Alliance and the opposition bloc INDIA. "I was with them (NDA) earlier, too. We went on different paths, but now we are together and will remain so... I came back to where I was (NDA), and now there is no question of going anywhere else, the 72-year-old leader told reporters after taking oath as the CM. He said a total of eight people took oath on Sunday as ministers, and names of the remaining ones will be decided soon. BJP leaders - Samrat Choudhary and former Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha - will be the deputy chief ministers, Kumar said. Kumar also said he was committed to the development of Bi

UP CM Adityanath congratulates Nitish Kumar for taking oath as Bihar CM

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday congratulated Nitish Kumar for taking oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar. In a post on 'X', Adityanath said, "Hearty congratulations to Shri @NitishKumar ji on taking oath as as the Chief Minister of Bihar and Shri Samrat Chaudhary ji and Shri Vijay Sinha ji on taking oath as Deputy Chief Ministers! Fully confident that the double engine government formed in Bihar will set excellent standards of service, good governance and development in the state under the guidance of respected Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji." JD(U) president Kumar on Sunday took oath as Chief Minister of Bihar for the record ninth time after a dramatic volte-face, ditching the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) and the opposition bloc INDIA and forming a new government with the BJP, which he had dumped less than 18 months ago. Kumar was sworn in by Governor Rajendra Arlekar at the Raj Bhavan in Patna in the presence of senior leaders, including BJP ...

Nitish Kumar takes oath as Bihar chief minister for record ninth time

BJP leaders Samrat Choudhary, Vijay Kumar Sinha take oath as ministers in Nitish Kumar-led government

NDA govt in Bihar will leave no stone unturned for state's development: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Sunday that the newly sworn-in NDA government in Bihar will leave no stone unturned for the state's development and to fulfil people's aspirations, as he congratulated Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his two deputies on taking oath. In a post on X, Modi said he is confident that the new government in Bihar will serve the people with full dedication. Hours after resigning as chief minister and breaking ties with the INDIA bloc, Kumar took oath of the same office for the ninth time as the BJP extended its support to him. BJP leaders Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha took oath as deputy chief ministers, along with several ministers.

JDU will be finished in Lok Sabha polls, says RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, whose party on Sunday lost power following Nitish Kumar's latest volte-face, claimed that the latter's JD(U) will be "finished in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls". The former deputy chief minister described his ex-boss as a "respectable" but "tired" leader and warned the BJP, which has teamed up with the JD(U) chief, that the septuagenarian did not like to share "credit" with allies. "Nitish Kumar seems to have a problem with me getting the credit for many achievements of our government. It should ring alarm bells for the BJP," remarked Yadav. "Nitishji is a respectable leader. He used to mock me when I was in the opposition for promising 10 lakh jobs during the 2020 state elections. I made him work in that direction", said the young leader. He added, "whatever may be the excuses Nitish ji makes for switching sides, his JD(U) is all set to be finished (khatam hone wala hai) in Lok Sabha polls". Yadav, who is RJD supremo Lalu Prasad's younger son, became the

Nitish Kumar resigns, stakes claim to form govt in Bihar with BJP's support

JD(U) president Nitish Kumar on Sunday resigned as the Chief Minister of Bihar, saying "things were not working well" for him in the Mahagathbandhan he had joined less than 18 months ago and the opposition bloc INDIA. Talking to reporters here after submitting his resignation to Governor Rajendra Arlekar, Kumar, who is likely to form a new government with the support of the BJP, said: "If the parties which were with me earlier agree to come together, you will get to know what happens next". "I have submitted my resignation to the Governor. The government that was in place now comes to an end. I have let it go", said Kumar, who stopped briefly to talk to reporters outside the Raj Bhavan, which is a stone's throw from his official residence. The 72-year-old leader indicated that he was not feeling happy with the way things were in the Mahagathbandhan in the state as well as the INDIA bloc that he helped take shape but which failed to adequately recognise his efforts. "You all know ho

Nitish Kumar's exit from Mahagathbandhan 'gain' for INDIA bloc, says DMK

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's exit from the Mahagathbandhan alliance and consequently the INDIA bloc to align with the BJP is a "loss" for the Saffron party and a "gain" for the opposition alliance, Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK said on Sunday. Reacting to Janata Dal (United) President and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's move, which is being seen as a body blow to the INDIA alliance, DMK spokesperson J Constandine Ravindran said, "People will never accept this act of betrayal." Ravindran told PTI: "Though Kumar is a veteran leader in Bihar, he has completely lost credibility. He has no integrity. Integrity and credibility are very important for a leader." Furthermore, he said: "Nitish Kumar leaving the INDIA bloc is a gain for us (opposition alliance) and it is a loss for the BJP. People will teach a lesson to Nitish Kumar at the right time." The JD(U) chief is shifting loyalties for the fifth time, Ravindran said, adding that Kumar had joined the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar only in ...

How Nitish Kumar became longest-serving Bihar CM over many political storms

Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar has distinguished himself as a leader who ruled Bihar for the longest time, without his party having ever won a majority on its own. Concealed beneath the feat, which testifies to his political acumen and survival instincts, is the fact that the 72-year-old leader could never remain at peace with his allies which also made him change partners frequently. "The name of Nitish Kumar deserves to enter the Guinness Book of Records for the number of times he has aligned, dumped and realigned with the BJP, was a tongue-in-cheek remark by Congress MLA from Bhagalpur Ajeet Sharma. Sharma also cited Kumar's famous remark "mitti mein mil jaayenge magar BJP ke saath nahin jaaenge" (I shall be consigned to dust rather than going back to the BJP), soon after he had first snapped ties with the saffron party in 2013, following his objections to the national ascendance of Narendra Modi, his then Gujarat counterpart. No wonder, in a political career spannin

Nitish Kumar to take oath as CM along with 2 deputy CMs at 5 pm in Bihar

It is understood that Nitish will take oath as the CM for the ninth time along with two deputy chief ministers from the BJP at the swearing-in ceremony on Sunday

Akhilesh presented alliance model to counter BJP, others should follow: SP

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has presented an alliance model to counter the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections and others should follow, a spokesperson of his party said on Sunday after JD(U) president Nitish Kumar resigned as the chief minister of Bihar. Kumar, who is likely to form a new government in Bihar with the BJP's support, told reporters in Patna that "things were not working well" for him in the Mahagathbandhan he had joined less than 18 months ago and the opposition bloc INDIA. Reacting to the development, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Ameeq Jamei said, "The elections that are going to be held are for saving our secular democracy. Our party leader Akhilesh Yadav has presented a model by announcing seat-sharing with the Congress and RLD." "A second round of talks with the Congress is on. Everyone should follow this to remove the BJP (from power)," he said. Yadav on Saturday announced that his party's alliance with the Congress was "off to a good start" with 11 "strong

Reached seat-sharing understanding with some INDIA bloc partners: Kharge

Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said his party has held talks with all alliance partners of INDIA bloc on seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, and reached an understanding with some of them, while the dialogue with others is at the final stages. He said the Congress has already begun preparation for the Lok Sabha polls with the ongoing 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' led by party leader Rahul Gandhi and his own visit to various places across the country. "Our party's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is going on. I have also visited Telangana, and will be travelling to Dehradun, Odisha, Bihar, Delhi, Kerala and other places. Dates have been fixed for my visits and Rahul Gandhi will also come to a few places. We have already started our preparations. It is our party work and programme, we will do, it should not be compared with other parties," Kharge told reporters here. On seat sharing with alliance partners, he said he has constituted a six-member committee headed by

Garbage goes into dustbin: Lalu's daughter Rohini amid political upheaval

In an apparent dig at JD(U) president Nitish Kumar who resigned as the Chief Minister of Bihar, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad's daughter Rohini Acharya on Sunday said the "garbage has gone into the dustbin". Kumar resigned as the chief minister of Bihar, saying "things were not working well" for him in the Mahagathbandhan he had joined less than 18 months ago and the opposition bloc INDIA. "Garbage goes back into the dustbin. Happy stinking garbage to the group", Acharya posted on 'X'. Earlier on Thursday too she had posted controversial remarks and later deleted. Later, the RJD had claimed that Acharya's social media posts were aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and not Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. "Comments made in another context are withdrawn when vested interests use these for political purposes," an RJD leader had told reporters when asked about the deleted posts on X, in which Acharya, who is based in Singapore, had mentioned no leader by name. Screenshots of the deleted posts, in