Page 29 - Nitish Kumar

As Nitish tries to bring Opposition together, here's a look at his journey

The Bihar CM met with Congress leadership on Wednesday and indicated he would work towards bringing the Opposition together ahead of the 2024 General Elections

Opposition leaders united on forming pre-poll alliance, talks on: Nitish

Asserting that leaders of most opposition parties are united on forging a pre-poll alliance against the BJP-led NDA before the 2024 general elections, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday said "talks are on". He told newspersons after arriving at Patna's Jayaprakash Narayan International (JPNI) Airport, that he had held talks with several opposition leaders on the issue during his recent Delhi visit. I met several opposition leaders during my stay in Delhi Sab log ek paksh mein hin bol rahein hain (All are speaking in one voice), he said. "We are working to forge an alliance against the BJP-led NDA before the 2024 general elections. Talks are on with other non-BJP leadersit will continue in future too, Kumar elaborated. He added that most leaders had conveyed to him that they were willing to join hands to fight BJP unitedly. This is not the first time I met non-BJP leaders in Delhi. Talks with other non-BJP leaders are onThey (leaders of opposition parties) have also ...

BJP spokesperson takes a dig at Kejriwal, calls him 'Natwarlal of politics'

The BJP on Thursday called Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal the "Natwarlal of Indian politics" and said he has given the biggest example of "political conversion" by deciding to ally with the coalition of corrupts. Addressing a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala said he can understand the "political helplessness" of Bihar Chief Nitish Kumar to forge an alliance with the Congress and the RJD, but he failed to understand why Kejriwal, a "political pinocchio", decided to make a U-turn on corruption. On Wednesday, Kejriwal met Kumar and RJD's Tejashwi Yadav at his residence in New Delhi. The meeting came hours after the Bihar leaders met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi as part of Kumar's initiative to forge an alliance of opposition parties ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. "We understand Nitish ji's political helplessness. But what is the political compulsion and helplessness of Arvind Kejriwal, who was born to fight against ...

Nitish Kumar should know PM post for 2024 not vacant: Giriraj Singh

Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Thursday took a swipe at Nitish Kumar a day after the Bihar chief minister met with Congress leaders Mallikarkun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi

Nitish meets Cong, AAP in attempt for Oppn unity for 2024; BJP hits back

Anurag Thakur took a swipe at the opposition parties over their efforts to forge unity to take on the BJP in the 2024 elections and said these parties were coming together for 'Maha thug Bandhan'

Owasi targets Nitish Kumar govt again over communal violence in Bihar

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday stepped up his attack on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar after the police there reportedly said the violence during Ram Navami was pre-planned, saying as to why the state government "was sleeping". This comes a few days after the Hyderabad MP had slammed the Bihar and West Bengal governments over the processions during festivities leading to violence on Ram Navami. "I had said earlier that it was pre-planned. When it was pre-planned, why were you people sleeping?... It is the failure of the Nitish Kumar-RJD government. They proved to be a failure in stopping this violence," he told reporters here. The authorities gave permission for a procession and the police remained a mute spectator when a madrasa is burnt in front of them, Owaisi alleged. "When such a major violence takes place, the government so far does not talk about giving compensation. You (Bihar government) don't suspend those policemen. Instead of that, you do 'Iftar', eating .

Nitish blames Centre for 'not supplying' adequate Covid vaccines to Bihar

With Covid-19 cases once again increasing in the country, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar alleged on Monday that the Central government is not supplying adequate Covid vaccines to the state

Bihar cabinet approves rules for hiring school teachers, 4% DA hike

The Bihar Cabinet on Monday approved new rules under which the state government will constitute a Commission for recruiting teachers in government schools. It was also decided at the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar that the government will increase the dearness allowance (DA) of the state employees and pensioners by four per cent. Earlier, the recruitment of teachers was held at panchayat, block and district levels... Under the new rule, the government will appoint teachers through a Commission, S Siddharth, Additional Chief Secretary (Cabinet Secretariat), told reporters after the Cabinet meeting. According to a senior education department official, around 1.5 lakh teachers from primary to senior secondary stages will now be appointed on the basis of the revised guidelines. Around 9,350 upgraded higher secondary schools in the state are facing an acute shortage of teachers. Under the new rule, appointments will not be made on a contractual basis. Those ...

Bihar CM Nitish urges Centre to provide fresh Covid-19 vaccine stocks

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday urged the Centre to provide fresh stocks of COVID vaccine vials so that administering of jabs, which is currently on hold, could be resumed. Talking to reporters here on the sidelines of a function, he also asserted that his government was "alert" in view of rising incidence of COVID cases in some parts of the country, though Bihar was not one of them. "Our testing rate is much higher than the national average, which is six lakh tests per one million people. We are conducting eight lakh tests. Bihar accounts for about one fourth of the total number of tests conducted across the country", claimed Kumar. He underscored that the current spike was noticed in those parts of the country which were the worst affected when the coronavirus had caused a global pandemic. "In Bihar cases are very few but we are alert, nonetheless. In places like hospitals wearing of masks is being reinforced. We were also carrying out vaccination till our supply drie

Bihar riots were orchestrated, culprits will be exposed soon: CM Nitish

With dust settling on communal disturbances in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday rejected charges of administrative laxity and vented spleen against Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the BJP, vowing to expose those who had orchestrated the riots. The JD(U) leader also lambasted AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, calling him an agent of the BJP. He was replying to queries from journalists on the sidelines of a function organised on the occasion of birth anniversary of former deputy prime minister and dalit stalwart Babu Jagjeevan Ram. Kumar's remarks come a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that the BJP was bringing in goons to create riots in her state. The Bihar CM taunted Shah over the much-publicised rioters will be hung upside down if BJP comes to power in Bihar remark at a rally in Nawada district on Sunday, and reminded him of riots in 2017 when our government had to arrest the son of a BJP leader". The allusion was to the riots that broke

Chief minister Nitish Kumar has lost his will to govern Bihar: BJP

The BJP on Monday slammed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for communal violence in the state, saying he seems to have lost his will to govern and asked him to "stop dreaming about becoming prime minister and instead take care of the state". While former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad questioned Kumar's willingness to handle the situation, former Bihar deputy CM and MP Sushil Kumar Modi hit out at the state's ruling alliance leaders for blaming the BJP and right wing organisations for violence wondering as to why the government has then not then exposed such a conspiracy. "If it is a BJP conspiracy, then why did you not expose it? Lakhs of people who participated in Ram Navami processions across the state are not BJP members but belong to the Hindu society. They can be from any party. For the first time in his over 17 years tenure as CM, Nitish Kumar has been unable to control such a situation even after so many days," Modi said. Prasad said no incident was reported last year a

Rioters will be hung upside down if BJP forms govt in Bihar in 2025: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday tore into the Nitish Kumar-led Mahagathbandhan government in Bihar for "failing to check" communal violence in Sasaram and Bihar Sharif towns and asserted that rioters will be hung upside down if the BJP forms the government in the state in 2025. Addressing a rally in Hisua in Nawada district, Shah, widely regarded as the BJP's principal strategist, asserted that the people of Bihar have decided to ensure the victory of party candidates in all the 40 Lok Sabha seats in the 2024 general elections. "People of the country have decided that Narendra Modi will become the prime minister for the third consecutive term. Once that happens, Nitish Kumar will go back on his promise of handing over the mantle to his deputy Tejashwi Yadav as his dreams of becoming the PM will be shattered," he said. Shah alleged that Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar have practiced politics of appeasement which has helped terrorism flourish, while Modi has scrapped Article 370

Nitish Kumar takes a veiled dig at Home Minister Shah ahead of Bihar visit

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar took an indirect dig at Union Home Minister Amit Shah ahead of his proposed visit to the state to attend a BJP function for the celebration of Emperor Asoka's birth anniversary. Kumar, who was addressing a function organised here by his JD(U) on the occasion of the jayanti' of the legendary Maurya emperor, also asked the people to be on guard against attempts by the saffron party, which he did not mention by name, to "exploit" the historical figure for "political gains". "There are people who are trying to foment tension in society for political gains. Beware of them. In a few days, someone from Delhi will come and try to mislead you in the name of Samrat Asoka," Kumar said Wednesday in an oblique reference to Shah's scheduled visit on April 2 to Sasaram. The CM also claimed that "these people played no role in the struggle for Independence. By invoking the name of Asoka, they will try to wean away (kabza karna chahte hain') some castes". "I have .

Won't speak on Rahul's disqualification as it involves court order: Nitish

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday declined to speak on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha, saying he avoided doing so in matters involving court order. However, Kumar said his party, the JD(U), has commented on the issue. Talking to reporters here, Kumar reiterated the need for a united opposition saying he was waiting for the Congress to move ahead on the same even as he scoffed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's contention that the corrupt were joining hands. It is his (Modi's) wont to keep saying things. These people believe only in self-praise. They cannot speak well of others. We do our job but also appreciate the good work of others. I have always remembered what had been achieved during the rule of late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, said Kumar, who had served in the cabinet of the BJP patriarch. He also took a dig at Modi saying he should keep a record (while speaking on corruption), of the type of people he aligns with. Kumar also referr

ED raids at Lalu's family as I am part of Mahagathbandhan, alleges Nitish

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that ED raids on the premises of former Union Railway minister Lalu Prasad and his associates was a result of him being a part of the Mahagathbandhan

BJP giving higher positions to leaders who abuse Nitish: Bihar JD-U chief

"The move of Upendra Kushwaha was pre-planned. It was scripted by BJP. Those who abuse Nitish Kumar are getting higher positions," Umesh Kushwaha said

Kushwaha's exit may hurt Nitish as BJP goes fishing for JD-U weak links

After the separation of the Janata Dal-United from the National Democratic Alliance in August 2022, the BJP targeted the weak links of the party to hurt the vote bank of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

4-member probe team to visit TN: Bihar CM on 'attack' on migrant labourers

"As soon as I got to know though newspapers, I directed officials to look into the matter. They talked with the Tamil Nadu govt and reported that a team should be sent from here," Nitish Kumar said

Nitish Kumar biggest obstacle for Tejashwi becoming Bihar CM: RJD MLA

RJD MLA Sudhakar Singh once again targetted Nitish Kumar by terming him the "biggest obstacle" in the path of Tejashwi Yadav taking over as Bihar Chief Minister

Nitish expresses concern over attacks on Bihar labourers in Tamil Nadu

Bihar Chief Minsiter Nitish Kumar on Thursday expressed concern over the alleged attacks on labourers hailing from the state in far-off Tamil Nadu. Taking to Twitter, Kumar said he has instructed officials here to get in touch with their counterparts in Tamil Nadu and ensure security of labourers from Bihar, who are eking out a living in the southern state. "I have learnt from newspapers that labourers from Bihar who are employed in Tamil Nadu are being attacked. I have asked the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police of Bihar to speak to officials in Tamil Nadu and ensure safety and security of Bihari workers there," Kumar tweeted. Reports of physical assaults on labourers from Bihar and other Hindi-speaking regions, many of whom have uploaded videos of their travails on social media, had surfaced in the recent past.