News Analysis India

Tag: Bihar CM

  • Haven’t discussed cabinet expansion with BJP leaders: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

    By PTI
    PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday asserted that the issue of his Cabinet’s expansion did not figure during the talks he had with top BJP leaders at his official residence here the previous evening, amid reports that efforts were being made to thrash out the matter.

    The JD(U) leader said his conversation with BJP national general secretary in-charge of the state Bhupendra Yadav, state unit chief Sanjay Jaiswal and deputy CMs Tarkishor Prasad and Renu Devi was “sahaj aur samanya” (normal and cordial), but it did not centre around political issues.

    “As of now, we have a 14-member-strong state cabinet. The issue (of expansion) was not taken up for discussion at yesterday’s meeting,” Kumar told reporters emerging from the secretariat where he had reviewed, among other things, implementation of prohibition in the state which went dry close to five years ago.

    BJP leaders had met Kumar at 1, Anney Marg shortly after calling on the newly elected national president of the JD(U), RCP Singh, at the party’s Birchand Patel Marg office.

    Speculation is rife that leaders were trying to arrive at a decision on the issue of cabinet expansion, which has been hanging fire on account of contesting claims, reportedly, by the BJP and the JD(U), with regard to the parties’ respective representation in the council of ministers.

    The BJP is said to be insistent on having a bigger share of the pie since it has emerged as the larger NDA constituent in the recently held assembly elections, winning 74 seats as against the JD(U)’s tally of 43.

    The chief minister’s party, however, is said to be keen on a 50-50 formula for the JD(U)-BJP, the contention being that its tally fell not because of a dip in its leader’s popularity but due to the rebellion of Chirag Paswan’s LJP which caught the NDA unawares.

    As per rules, the state cabinet can have up to 36 members.

    The 13 cabinet members, other than the CM, include seven from the BJP, four from the JD(U) and one each from smaller allies — the HAM and the VIP.

    Replying to a query on Sushil Kumar Modi, his former deputy who was recently elected to the Rajya Sabha, Kumar said, “We share a very close relationship. Our rapport has been excellent. But it is for the BJP to take a call on what responsibility to assign to which of its leaders.”

    Earlier in the day, chairing the meetings attended by ministers and top officials, the chief minister issued instructions for speeding up irrigation with focus on methods like sprinkle or drip which do not involve heavy consumption of water.

    He also called for a comprehensive survey of farm holdings so that pieces of land which are not sufficiently irrigated could be identified for remedial action.

    He also ordered a firm crackdown on “big fish” involved in illicit liquor trade, which, in turn, would break the “distribution and supply chain”.

    He said there should be tight patrolling of roads and highways, which are usually preferred by liquor smugglers, with a special focus on areas bordering adjoining states and Nepal.

    Also, keep a close watch on those who were previously known to be involved in liquor trade but now appear to have taken up other business, he said.

  • Bihar CM Nitish Kumar chuckles over demand for ‘Bharat Ratna’ to Sonia Gandhi

    By PTI
    PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday chuckled over the demand for conferring Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour in the country, on Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

    Kumar remarked that the Congress could have done the needful while the UPA, led by it, ruled the country for two consecutive terms.

    “All have the right to raise any type of demand”, he said with a barely suppressed laugh when asked about the suggestion made by former union minister and ex-chief minister of Uttarakhand Harish Rawat that Gandhi, besides BSP supremo Mayawati, be considered for the civilian honour.

    Rawat said in support of his demand that while the Congress president has taken the honour of Indian womanhood to new heights, the BSP chief had inspired millions of oppressed.

    “I wonder why they did not do the needful when they were in power. No need for raising such a demand would have remained in that case, Kumar quipped.

    The Bihar Chief Minister was talking to reporters outside the police headquarters which he had visited to take stock of the law and order situation in the state.

    Kumar, who is the JD(U)s de facto leader, however, chose to remain non-committal over speculations of a split in the Congress with many of its MLAs poised to cross over to his party.

    “Nobody (from the Congress) has spoken to me (expressing such an intention). These things do keep taking place in political parties, though”, said Kumar, who relinquished the post of JD(U) national president less than a fortnight ago.

    Speculations of a split in the Congress have intensified with the claim made by a former MLA that 11 of the party’s 19 legislators in the current assembly were ready to change loyalties.

    Bharat Singh, a former Congress MLA who is seen as a stormy petrel in the political circles here, made the claim, alleging that many veterans, including key office-bearers, were also planning to take flight in search of greener pastures.

    The Congress has accepted plea of senior party leader Shaktisinh Gohil and relieved him from his duties as the AICC’s Bihar in-charge and appointed Bhakta Charan Das in his place.

    “We have a precedent in Ashok Choudhary”, Singh said referring to the former BPCC chief who joined the JD(U) three years ago causing a split in the legislative council and is currently an influential member of the state cabinet and working president of the JD(U)s Bihar unit.

    Senior Congress leader and former state minister Chandan Bagchi said he was “not sure with what authority and on feedback of which sources he (Bharat Singh) is making the claims”.

    He,however, agreed with the disgruntled former MLA’s contention that the party suffered in Bihar on account of its alliance with the RJD and distribution of tickets in the recent assembly elections raised many questions.

    “Candidates were decided by a select group of people sitting in Delhi. The meeting of the state election committee, which used to deliberate on names of prospective nominees for hours, was never convened.

    “The high command must inquire as to how such an anomaly took place”, Bagchi said.

    “It is no surprise that we performed dismally in the elections though we are not a spent force in Bihar, contrary to popular belief”, said the Congress leader, whose party had contested 70 seats of the 243-strong assembly.

    He also said, “we have been the losers wherever we have chosen alliances as an easy route. This has been the story in Bihar as well”.