Page 23 - Nitish Kumar

Bihar coalition govt on tenterhooks amid rumours of Nitish returning to NDA

The trouble was out in the open when Kumar attended the high tea ceremony held at the Raj Bhavan here on the occasion of the Republic Day but his deputy Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD skipped the function

Nitish's ties with INDIA bloc worsen, Sushil Modi hints at coalition

Senior BJP leaders held consultations among themselves and with allies on Friday amid signs that the party is open to joining hands with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar yet again as his ties with INDIA bloc partners nosedive. Former Bihar deputy chief minister and Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi, who has been among the state leaders consulted by the BJP top brass, told reporters that doors are never closed permanently for anyone in politics. They open and close as per the necessity, he said, when asked about the party's earlier stand that its doors were closed for Kumar forever after he snapped ties with the BJP in August 2022. Modi said, "As far as Kumar or the JD(U) are concerned, doors are never permanently closed in politics. Closed doors open when the time comes but whether they will open or not is for our central leadership to decide." However, BJP sources declined to comment on whether a decision has been taken to join hands with the JD(U). Home Minister Amit Shah an

JDU chief Nitish Kumar will soon return to BJP-led NDA: Jitan Ram Majhi

Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi said on Friday it was only a matter of time before JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar returns to the BJP-led NDA. Asked about the timing of Kumar joining hands with the NDA, Manjhi said, "It will happen at any moment. I knew from the beginning that the grand alliance government of the RJD-JD(U) would fall." On the reason for Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav skipping the governor's high-tea ceremony on Republic Day, Manjhi said, "I cannot comment on this. You should ask him (Tejashwi Yadav) why he was absent." Earlier in the day, Manjhi had said that the 'grand alliance' government in Bihar would not remain intact. "There is not much to say about the political atmosphere in Bihar. Nitish Kumar's statement on dynastic politics was directed at the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The 'grand alliance' government in Bihar will not remain intact after this statement from the CM. Kumar had also mentioned that some people wanted

Doors never permanently closed: Sushil Modi on Nitish Kumar's return to NDA

After Nitish Kumar split away from the NDA in 2022, the BJP said that its doors w ere permanently closed to Bihar's longest-serving chief minister

Firmly with INDIA bloc but would like Congress to do introspection: JD(U)

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) on Friday asserted that the party was "firmly with INDIA coalition" but wanted the Congress to do "introspection" with regard to alliance partners and sharing of seats. State JD(U) president Umesh Singh Kushwaha made the statement, refuting rumours that his party, headed by the chief minister, was thinking of a return to the BJP-led NDA. "All is well in Bihar's ruling Mahagathbandhan and the media speculations are driven by some agenda," Kushwaha told reporters. He also said, "I met the CM yesterday as well as today. It is a routine affair. There is no truth in the rumours doing the rounds. We also reject the rumours that party MLAs have been asked to rush to Patna". He also made light of Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav, who is in RJD, sitting far from each other at the Republic Day parade, asserting that "we are firmly with INDIA coalition". Kushwaha, however, said, "We want the Congress, which is our alliance partner, to do some ...

Book on life, legacy of 'Jan nayak' Karpoori Thakur to hit stands in May

A new book on the life and legacy of former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur, commemorating the birth centenary of the political luminary, will hit the stands in May, Penguin Random House India has announced. Written by Santosh Singh and Aditya Anmol, "The Jannayak Karpoori Thakur: Voice of the Voiceless" focusses on his politics that introduced groundbreaking concepts such as "quota within quota, or equity within equity". Thakur had played a pivotal role in bifurcating reservation among OBC, EBC, EWS and women in 1978 -- a model that significantly influenced the recommendations of the Mandal Commission. "I am greatly elated and excited about Penguin bringing out our book on socialist legend and former Bihar CM Karpoori Thakur. And my happiness has just doubled with the announcement of Thakur getting the Bharat Ratna. Thakur's lasting legacy is not just pioneering the OBC quota but his inclusive and cohesive politics," author Singh said in a statement. Earlier this week, Presid

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar unfurls national tricolour on 75th Republic Day

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday unfurled the national flag at his residence in Patna, on the occasion of the 75th Republic Day

Political turmoil in Bihar, Chirag Paswan postpones his R-Day programmes

As the speculations ran rife over a rift in the ruling Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance), the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) went into a huddle at state headquarters

Will he, won't he? Buzz on Nitish Kumar's BJP return amid INDIA rift

Union Home Minister Amit Shah himself sounded more open to such a possibility in a recent interview

Bharat Ratna for Karpoori Thakur: All you need to know about 'Jan Nayak'

Karpoori Thakur, who is considered to be the fountainhead of OBC politics in Bihar, served as the state's CM for two short tenures

Bharat Ratna: 'Jannayak' Karpoori Thakur, mentor to likes of Lalu, Nitish

Former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur, who has been chosen for the country's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna, is remembered as a stalwart of social justice and an inspiring figure in Indian politics. Hailing from the extremely backward class Nai (barber), Thakur was born in an impoverished family in Samastipur district but went on to make giant strides in politics that earned him the epithet Jannayak (people's leader). The official announcement which came a day ahead of Thakur's birth anniversary, hailed the socialist leader's lifelong dedication to the upliftment of the underprivileged sections of society and his relentless fight for social Justice. Born in 1924, Thakur went on to become the Chief Minister in the 1970s and his tenure is best remembered for introducing reservations for the backward classes, besides the state's first brush with prohibition. He died in 1988. Leaders of the current era like JD(U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD head L

'Nyay Yatra' to enter Bihar on Jan 29, Nitish may share stage with Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' will enter Bihar on January 29 and cover four districts in three days during which top INDIA bloc leaders may join him for public meetings, the party announced here on Monday. Addressing a press conference at the historical Sadaqat Ashram, the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters, senior leader and MLC Prem Chandra Mishra said that Gandhi will reach Kishanganj district from Siliguri in West Bengal, and after interacting with the public and a night halts, leave for Purnea a day later. "In Purnea, a big rally has been planned. Invites have been sent to our alliance partners like Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who has agreed to come. In the event of his getting caught up elsewhere, the JD(U) president has assured that a senior leader will be sent to represent his party," said Mishra. An invitation has been extended to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, a staunch ally of the Congress, "who may attend the rally in Purnea, or at Katihar

CM Nitish Kumar reshuffles portfolios of 3 RJD ministers in Bihar govt

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar reshuffled his cabinet on Saturday night, in which portfolios of three ministers of his ally RJD were changed. Education Minister Chandra Shekhar, who has been hitting the headlines for different reasons, was made the Sugarcane Industries Miniter. Alok Mehta, who held the Sugarcane Industries and Revenue and Land Resources portfolio, was made the new Education Minister of the state, according to a notification. The Revenue and Land Resources Department was assigned to Lalit Kumar Yadav, who will continue with his existing responsibility of the Public Health and Engineering Department. Besides making controversial statements on different issues, Chandra Shekhar was reportedly involved in a tiff with the Education Department's Additional Chief Secretary KK Pathak.

Cong turns to civil groups to train cadre; allies hesitant to join Rahul

The BJA, a union of activists and civil society outfits, is currently assisting the Congress in organising the Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra

Bihar govt to begin study to analyse air pollution in Gaya, Muzaffarpur

The Bihar government has decided to conduct a real-time apportionment study in Muzaffarpur and Gaya to identify sources of air pollution in these two cities of the state, an official said on Monday. The decision was taken as Muzaffarpur, Gaya and the state capital Patna are among the 122 non-attainment cities in terms of air pollution trends. The study in Muzaffarpur and Gaya will be conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology (Delhi and Patna). The Bihar State Pollution Control Board will soon sign memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in this regard, which are being finalised," BSPCB Chairman Devendra Kumar Shukla told PTI. The study will identify the "seasonal mass concentration level of PM2.5 and PM10 in ambient air" of the extended urban areas of both cities, he said. PM 2.5 and PM 10 are minute particles present in the air, and exposure to these is harmful to health. Real-time source apportionment studies help identify factors, such as vehicles, dust, biomass burning, and ..

Will exceed target of creating 1 million govt jobs in Bihar: Nitish Kumar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday asserted that his government was looking forward to not just achieving but "exceeding" the target of creating 10 lakh government jobs in the state. Speaking at a function organised here for the distribution of appointment letters to newly recruited teachers, Kumar said his government provided appointment letters to 96,823 newly recruited teachers at all district headquarters in the state during the day. "Here at Gandhi Maidan, a total of 26,935 newly recruited teachers are getting their appointment letters. We have so far provided government jobs to 3.63 lakh people in the state," he claimed. "We will soon achieve the target of providing 10 lakh government jobs to youths of the state. Let me make it very clear that we will not just achieve the target but exceed it... the state government is working in that direction," the CM said. Besides, five lakh employment opportunities have been created for the state's youths, and around 3.68 lakh

Railways land-for-jobs linked money laundering case: ED files charge sheet

The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday filed its first charge sheet in the railways land-for-jobs linked money laundering case, naming former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and her MP daughter Misa Bharti. An alleged "close associate" of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's family Amit Katyal, some other individuals and companies have been named in the prosecution complaint (charge sheet), they said. The charge sheet has been filed before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Delhi and the court has listed the matter to be heard on January 16, the sources said. Katyal was arrested in this case by the ED in November last year while Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son and Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav were summoned by the agency but they have not yet deposed. The alleged scam pertains to the period when Prasad was the railway minister in the UPA-1 government. It is alleged that from 2004 to 2009, several people were appointed to Group "D" positions in various zones of th

'He should be sacked': Paswan on Bihar minister's remark on Ram temple

Bihar Education Minister Chandra Shekhar sparked off controversy by saying that if the people fall sick or get injured they will seek medical attention rather than visit a temple

18,000 workers, dismissed on account of strike, to be reinstated: Nitish

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday said services of more than 18,000 anganwadi workers, terminated on account of their taking part in a state-wide strike, will be restored. Kumar gave the assurance to a delegation of anganwadi workers, which called on him at his official residence, requesting that the government consider raising the stipend paid to Sevikas' and Sahaayikas'. The CM told them that his government has been raising stipends of angangwadi workers from time to time, and in view of your request a respectable hike will be made soon. As per the social welfare department, the Sevikas' get a stipend of Rs 6,500 per month, while the amount is Rs 5,900 for Sahaayikas'. He also told the delegation that anganwadi workers who had been relieved of services last year, for going on a strike which continued for more than two years, will be reinstated. According to the Chief Minister's Office, the number of anganwadi Sevikas' who would be reinstated was 10,203, in addition t

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar may become INDIA convenor with Congress help

Has Congress' backing for appointment as bloc's convenor