Page 27 - Nitish Kumar

To ensure Kharge, Rahul availability, Oppn unity meet now likely on June 23

This comes as a huge jolt to the efforts of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav

Nitish orders probe as under-construction bridge on Ganga collapses again

"We will take strict action against the construction company 'SK Singla'. It would be put on the 'black-list' after the investigation is completed," said Additional Chief Secretary,

Bihar cabinet approves change in Prohibition and Excise Act: Official

The Bihar cabinet on Tuesday approved a change in the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2022 which will allow authorities concerned to release vehicles carrying liquor in the dry state on payment of a far lower rate of penalty than that stipulated earlier, an official said. The authorities can now release vehicles carrying liquor after payment of either 10 percent of the insured value of the vehicle or Rs five lakh as penalty by the legal owner after consulting the judicial authority, additional chief secretary S Siddharth said. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had imposed total prohibition in Bihar in 2016. The modified section will be notified soon by the government department concerned after completing mandatory formalities, he said. The owner of a vehicle seized in Bihar for carrying liquor is at present is at present required to pay 50 percent of its insured value for its release after the Court's .

Opposition parties' meeting in Patna likely to take place on June 12

The much-awaited meeting of parties opposed to the BJP may be held here on June 12, according to hints that have emanated from a meeting of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) here on Sunday. While no significant office bearer confirmed or denied the same, many present at the meeting said on condition of anonymity that the disclosure was made by the chief minister himself. Kumar, the JD(U)'s supreme leader, has been pitching for "opposition unity" ever since he snapped ties with the BJP in August last year, following accusations that the ally was trying to create fissures in his party and diminish his standing. Kumar, who is now heading an alliance government in Bihar which includes RJD, Congress and the Left, has reached out to leaders like Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, all of whom are opposed to BJP but not very comfortable with the grand old party either. In fact, the idea of hosting a meeting of opposition leaders in Patna was floated by Banerjee, who

Appreciate Nitish's efforts for oppn unity; can't trust KCR, Kejriwal: Cong

The Congress on Saturday said it has high regard for the efforts of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to bring opposition parties together but was "still not able to trust" leaders such as Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal. AICC spokesperson Alok Sharma alleged that these leaders had "helped BJP in the last eight-nine years". "With a full sense of responsibility, as an official spokesperson of the Congress, I assert that we are still not able to trust Kejriwal and KCR," Sharma told reporters at Sadaqat Ashram, the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) headquarters. To buttress his point, he underscored the Delhi CM's support for the now withdrawn farm bills, besides raking up the AAP founder calling for "arrest" of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to bust corruption. Nonetheless, he added, "We leave it to the discretion of Nitish babu. He may decide whom to take along." The Congress is the third largest constituent of Bihar's ruling ...

Bihar CM Nitish blames Centre for failure to attend Niti Aayog meet

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday blamed the Centre for his inability to attend the Niti Aayog meeting on Saturday where he wished to raise issues like caste census and special status for the state. The JD(U) leader, whose party is boycotting the inauguration of the new Parliament building on Sunday, dubbed the function as an attempt to change history by those who had made no contributions to the freedom struggle. Kumar, who was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function to mark the death anniversary of first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, said, When I received the schedule of the Niti Aayog meet I sought a change in the timings since it clashed with the function here. We have respected Pandit Nehru since our childhood, though politically I have pursued a different line, said the veteran socialist leader, who now has the Congress as an ally. They (the Centre), however, did not agree to change the timing of the Niti Aayog meeting. Had they even agreed to hold

What is the need for new Parliament building, asks Bihar CM Nitish

Amid Opposition's call for boycotting the inauguration of the new Parliament building, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Saturday asserted that there is "no need" for a new Parliament building. The new Parliament building is an attempt to write a new history by those who had no contribution in the freedom struggle, he told reporters here. Kumar also expressed dismay over President Droupadi and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar, who is also the chairman of Rajya Sabha, not being invited to the function. JD(U), of which he is a senior leader, has announced that it will boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building on Sunday. The party will observe a day-long fast here on the day to protest the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "There is no need for a new Parliament building... Those who had no contribution to the country's fight for independence are trying to distort history. It is quite surprising that the President of India and the

Defeating bill in RS will be semi-final for 2024 polls, says Kejriwal

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday called for opposition unity to take on the BJP as the JD(U) leader met the AAP convenor at his residence here and extended "complete support" to him in the ongoing face-off with the Centre over the control of administrative services. Kejriwal said he would meet leaders of various parties to ensure that any bill brought to replace the recent central ordinance, which virtually negated the May 11 Supreme Court order that ruled in favour of his government, is not passed in Rajya Sabha and also urged Kumar to reach out to them to rally support on the issue. If the bill is defeated in Rajya Sabha, it will send out a message that the BJP will lose the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he claimed. "It will be the semi-final of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls," the AAP national convenor told reporters outside his residence after meeting Kumar and his deputy and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. Kejriwal will be meeting the chiefs of

Nitish Kumar should stop 'daydreaming' about becoming PM, says BJP

The BJP on Sunday took a swipe at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar following his meeting with his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal, saying he should pay attention to his state which is being pushed into "anarchy" instead of daydreaming about becoming the prime minister. Kumar has been meeting opposition leaders in a bid to forge an alliance of non-BJP parties and threw his weight behind Kejriwal over the Delhi chief minister's protest against the ordinance brought in by the Centre on the issue of authority over transfers and postings of government officers in the national capital. Prem Shukla, the BJP's national spokesperson, said meeting other leaders is Kumar's right but he has not been paying attention to his own state. "He is daydreaming to become prime minister. Instead, he should discharge his duties as Bihar chief minister, his constitutional responsibility," he said. Sanjay Mayukh, a BJP MLC in Bihar, said Kumar should come out of his "dream world" as there is no vacancy

Nitish meets Kejriwal, assures support to AAP govt amid tussle with Centre

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday met his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal at the latter's residence here and extended "complete support" to him in the AAP government's ongoing tussle with the Centre over the control of administrative services. Kumar was accompanied by his deputy and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. The Centre promulgated the ordinance on Friday to create a National Capital Civil Service Authority for transfer of IAS and DANICS cadre officers and disciplinary proceedings against them. This came a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services, excluding those related to police, public order and land, to the elected government in Delhi. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Kejriwal said he will personally reach out to the chiefs of all opposition parties to seek their support in the matter so that any bill brought by the Centre to replace the ordinance is defeated in Rajya Sabha. "Day after tomorrow (Tuesday), I have a meeting with West .

Nitish Kumar declines to reveal next steps on Bihar's caste survey

The Bihar government has completed 80 per cent of the caste based cum economic survey and it has an option to pass a law and complete the survey

Dhirendra Shastri: Self-styled godman who ducked proving his 'superpowers'

Videos and photos of his talks are viral on social media but he once called his followers 'mad'

Ex-JD(U) president RCP Singh joins BJP, attacks Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

Former Janata Dal (United) president R C P Singh joined the BJP here on Thursday in the presence of Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan and accused Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, once his mentor, of compromising with crime and corruption in his pursuit of "kursi" (chair). Once a close confidant of Nitish Kumar, Singh had a fallout with him last year as he was seen by his party to be veering closer to the BJP as the differences between the two parties grew leading to the subsequent severance in their ties. Joining the BJP, he took a swipe at his former mentor, saying Kumar had compromised with his stand against crime and corruption in his love for the chair. He will be left with nothing in Bihar, Singh said and lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his work for the poor and overall leadership of the country. In his strong remarks against the Bihar chief minister, Singh mocked him as "palti maar" (someone who keeps taking a U-turn) and said he was and will remain "PM (palti ...

Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi to meet Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav will meet Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray during their Mumbai visit on Thursday, a JD (U) MLC said. The duo will visit Thackeray's residence and later meet Pawar at his home. Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar has been meeting Opposition leaders to strengthen the bloc against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He met his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday in Bhubaneswar. Kumar and Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) leader Yadav will have lunch at Matoshree, the private residence of Uddhav Thackeray in suburban Bandra, said JD (U) MLC Kapil Patil. They will meet Pawar at his south Mumbai residence 'Silver Oak' in the evening, he added. Kumar had caught the national imagination with his pitch for a united opposition which, he believes, can take on and defeat the BJP in next year's Lok Sabha polls. The JD(U) supre

You'll see results in next LS elections when we work unitedly: Bihar CM

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met with his Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren in Ranchi, as part of the ongoing efforts to cobble up a grand Opposition alliance against the BJP

Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi to meet Sharad Pawar, Uddhav in Mumbai on May 11

Bihar Chief Minister, and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav will meet Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray during their Mumbai visit on Thursday, a JD (U) MLC said. The duo will visit Thackeray's residence and later meet Pawar at his home. The Janata Dal (United) supreme leader has been meeting Opposition leaders to strengthen the bloc against BJP ahead of the 2024 polls. He met his Odisha couterpart Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday in Bhubaneswar. Kumar and Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) leader Yadav will have lunch at Matoshree, the private residence of Uddhav Thackeray in suburban Bandra, said JD (U) MLC Kapil Patil. They will meet Pawar at his south Mumbai residence 'Silver Oak' in the evening, he added. Kumar had caught the national imagination with his pitch for a united opposition which, he believes, can take on and defeat the BJP in next year's Lok Sabha polls. The JD(U) supreme leader, who had stunned the BJP last year when he .

CM Patnaik's Delhi visit sparks speculations in Odisha political circle

A day after meeting his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Wednesday left for a four-day trip to the national capital, leading to speculations being bandied about in the state's political circles. Though the chief minister's office said that Patnaik has a number of official engagements to meet union ministers during his stay in Delhi, sources in the ruling BJD claimed that he may meet political leaders from other parties too. He is scheduled to return to Odisha on May 13, Patnaik's sudden visit to Delhi sparked speculations that the BJD president may meet some opposition leaders who are already in touch with Nitish Kumar and Mamata Banerjee on forming an opposition grouping ahead of the 2024 elections. The Odisha chief minister's move is being apparently seen as aimed at sending a message to the BJP which has of late become an aggressive foe in Odisha ahead of the 2024 general elections. Though the BJD officially has claimed it was maintaining equ

Opposition unity bid: Nitish meets Naveen, but 'no talks on alliance'

It is unlikely Patnaik would attend any meeting that might require sharing the stage with the Congress

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to travel to Odisha, meet Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will meet his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar on May 9, amid talks of regional parties coming together ahead of the 2024 general elections, officials said. Kumar will meet Patnaik at Naveen Niwas' here around 12 pm, they said. The Bihar CM and JD(U) leader had recently announced that he would travel across the country to unite opposition parties ahead of the Lok Sabha polls next year. He has already met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, and Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja. Patnaik, the BJD supremo, had also met Banerjee in March. In December last year, Patnaik had invited both Banerjee and Kumar to witness the hockey world cup in Odisha.

2024 LS polls: CM Nitish likely to meet Naveen Patnaik for Opposition unity

After touring Delhi, Kolkata and Lucknow in a bid to unite Opposition ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is all set to visit Bhubaneswar to rope in his Odisha counterpart