Bihar Agriculture Minister Sudhakar Singh on Saturday squarely blamed the BJP for the fertiliser crisis in the state, and alleged that the saffron party leaders were protecting those indulged in hoarding and black marketing of fertilisers. The RJD leader, while speaking to reporters, alleged that the BJP leaders at the Centre and those who were part of the previous NDA government in the state were responsible for the crisis. "The Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) government came to power in Bihar barely a month ago. BJP leaders who had earlier held the Agriculture portfolio allowed hoarding and black marketing of fertilisers in the state," he said, referring to his predecessor Amrendra Pratap Singh. Farmers in certain districts of Bihar including Khagaria, Katihar, Saharsa, Madhepura, Supaul, Purnea, Araria, Rohtas, Darbhanga, Buxar and Patna have been facing a shortage of fertilisers for quite some time due to its unavailability at designated fertiliser dealer shops, a senior offici
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Wednesday frowned upon the recalcitrance shown by his Agriculture Minister Sudhakar Singh, who belongs to the RJD, but sought to put the ball in the court of his deputy Tejashwi Yadav, the party's de facto leader. Talking to reporters here, Kumar, who is the de facto JD(U) chief, confirmed having met poll strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor the previous day but insisted that the meeting was "normal and not of any political significance". "I had tried to enquire from him (Sudhakar) about his grievances. Instead of replying, he stormed out," said Kumar when asked about reports of the agriculture minister having created a scene at the cabinet meeting on Tuesday. Sudhakar Singh, whose father Jagadanand Singh is the state RJD president, had spoken about rampant corruption at a public meeting in Kaimur district a couple of days ago. The minister, who is said to be upset with bureaucrats in his department, has reportedly threatened to resign upon .
It doesn't bear thinking about. But Nitish Kumar may have managed the impossible feat of bringing the two together
A day after five Janata Dal (United) MLAs from Manipur merged with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), party leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Saturday said that the state has become JDU-free
In a significant development, RJD's Kartik Kumar, who was given the law portfolio earlier in the month, was shifted to the sugarcane department amid the ongoing row over his alleged involvement in a criminal case. Shamim Ahmad, also an RJD leader, replaced Kumar as the law minister, a notification issued by the state Cabinet Secretariat Department said. Ahmad held the sugarcane portfolio before his elevation. The opposition BJP had been demanding Kumar's removal from the cabinet, alleging that an arrest warrant was pending against him in a 2014 kidnapping case. The Congress and CPI-ML (Liberation), constituents of the ruling Grand Alliance, had also asked the Nitish Kumar government to reconsider the decision of inducting Kartik Kumar into the cabinet.
Veteran RJD leader Awadh Bihari Chaudhary was on Friday unanimously elected as Speaker of the Bihar Legislative Assembly. The post had fallen vacant upon resignation of Vijay Kumar Sinha, against whom a no-confidence motion was moved by the 'Mahagathbandhan', after it came to power in the state earlier this month. Chaudhary was seated on the Chair by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Sinha, a senior BJP leader, who has now become the Leader of the Opposition.
Raids were conducted at residences of RJD MLC Sunil Singh, party leaders Ashfaque Karim, Faiyaz Ahmad and Subodh Roy
"At present, 72 per cent of ministers of the Bihar government have a criminal record. Hence, how could we expect good governance from them? The Jungle Raj has returned to Bihar again," he alleged
With the floor test in Bihar Vidhan Sabha scheduled, the CBI accompanied by paramilitary forces raided the premises of five legislators and parliamentarians in Bihar
Raids by a central agency are underway at the residence of RJD MLC Sunil Singh in Patna
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Saturday came out with a list of directives for cabinet colleagues belonging to the RJD, in an obvious attempt at image makeover for his party. The RJD heir apparent issued the commandments on his official Twitter handle, whereby party ministers have been forbidden from purchasing new cars and also from allowing visitors to touch feet. Greetings should be exchanged with namaste or aadab, said Yadav, whose party is facing the heat over criminal cases pending against many ministers. He further asked ministers to conduct themselves with dignity and humility and give priority to helping the poor irrespective of their religion and caste. Please also promote exchange of books or pens in place of bouquets, added the leader who now seems intent on projecting a more mature image of himself. In an apparent bid to restrain RJD members from gloating over their party being the largest partner, he used the term under the leadership of honoura
Sushil Modi grabbed the lands of the Christian community in Patna's Lodipur locality and in Khetan market, Yadav alleged, demanding a probe into his property in Bihar
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday called on his old associate and RJD president Lalu Prasad, with whom his rivalry has been the stuff of political legend and whose party helped him dump the BJP to form a new government. Kumar walked down to 10, Circular Road, the bungalow allotted to Prasad's wife Rabri Dev, right across the street from his official residence 1, Anney Marg, accompanied by cabinet colleague and close aide Vijay Kumar Chaudhary. Prasad's younger son and RJD heir apparent Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, who has returned as the deputy CM after five years, rushed to the bungalow's gate to receive his boss. Kumar warmly greeted Prasad, whom he often calls his bade bhai (elder brother), presenting the RJD president with a bundle of flowers which the former CM accepted with one arm bandaged because of a shoulder fracture he suffered last month. Notably, Kumar, the de facto leader of the JD(U), was last seen at 10, Circular Road earlier this year when he attended an Ift
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) tops the list of the political parties having maximum number of ministers with criminal charges against them.
A day after becoming the law minister in the new Nitish Kumar government in Bihar, Kartikeya Singh alias Kartik Master avoided surrendering in a court or police in a kidnapping case, an official said
In the new cabinet of the Nitish Kumar govt in Bihar, 33-year-old Tejashwi Yadav is the youngest minister while Bijendra Prasad Yadav, 76, the state power minister under the JD(U) quota, is the oldest
RJD gets lion's share of portfolios; Tejashwi gets Health
Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets its dairy products under the Amul brand, on Tuesday increased prices of its Gold, Taaza and Shakti milk brands by Rs 2 per litre.
The state cabinet can have up to 36 ministers, including the chief minister. The induction of ministers on Tuesday is expected to keep a few berths vacant for future expansion.
Nitish Kumar realised in order to have credibility with his new friends, he needed to go the extra mile