Tag: Nitish Kumar

  • Fevicol ka jod? The bonhomie in Modi’s alliance dispels coalition fears

    Extending support to PM-designate Narendra Modi after the Lok Sabha poll results, Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde said the alliance of BJP and Shiv Sena of Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideal is “Fevicol ka jod” which is unbreakable. His comments came amid widespread concerns that Modi 3.0 was propped up by slippery allies who could shift their loyalties.When Modi became the PM in 2014, it was a clean break in Indian politics. The BJP had enough of its seats to not depend on any ally for survival. India had seen coalition politics for decades when coalition governments, often unstable and marked by various pulls and pushes, had become a new normal.Modi’s decisive mandate changed Indian politics. Gone were the days when allies used to hold the prime minister to ransom. During the UPA II government led by Sonia Gandhi, coalition politics was blamed for corruption and policy paralysis. Modi was free of coalition constraints and was able to shape the economy and governance according to his will. Major reforms were possible solely due to the full majority of the BJP. In fact, the BJP fell out with several of its allies, notably Shiv Sena and the Akalis. Before this Lok Sabha election, the BJP also snapped ties with the AIADMK. Many began to think that India was headed towards one-party rule.But Modi 3.0, which lacks full majority, is widely seen as a weaker dispensation dependent on TDP chief Chardrababu Naidu and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar.

    The NDA bonhomieThe TDP was part of the BJP-led NDA but exited in 2018 when Naidu was the state’s chief minister. JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar has for a long time been in a love-hate relationship with the BJP. He has partnered and then junked the BJP several times. With this complicated background, many see the future of the NDA coalition shaky .Both Nitish and Naidu were also expected to extract their pound of flesh.

    But after the allocation of portfolios to ministers, it became clear that the allies were not very demanding. Modi kept the core ministries while allies got mostly peripheral portfolios. The NCP was an exception which showed dissatisfaction at the offer of the minister of state and rejected it.Later, Nitish Kumar, speaking at an NDA parliamentary meeting, took a swipe at the Congress-led INDIA opposition bloc, declaring his unwavering support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Kumar said, “I will be with PM Modi at all times.” He expressed confidence in the future electoral success of the NDA, saying, “Next time when you come, the people who have won here and there this time will lose next time. We are fully confident about it, In a rare gesture, Nitish even tried to touch Modi’s feet but was embraced by Modi.Today, at the oath-taking ceremony of Chadrababu Naidu, ample bonhomie was on display between Modi and Naidu and head of Jana Sena Party Pawan Kalyan. As Naidu moved away from dias towards PM Modi, he shook hands with PM Modi who presented him with a bouquet. And what followed was a long hug and a pat on the back as Naidu turned emotional.

    The ceremony was filled with emotional moments and memorable scenes. PM Modi stood with megastar Chiranjeevi and his brother Pawan Kalyan, raising their hands and hugging each other. This heartfelt moment moved Ram Charan, Chiranjeevi’s son, to tears as he watched his father and uncle share the stage with the Prime Minister.

    The uncertainty of coalition governmentsThe bonhomie on display between PM Modi and the NDA allies is contrary to what many had expected: a lot of messy haggling over portfolios and competitive wooing of parties by the NDA and the INDIA block of opposition parties. The NDA has been off to a harmonious start. However, coalition governments often spring surprises over time.

    Since the BJP has previously run coalition governments under Atal Bihari Vajpayee, it is conversant with this political culture. But it will have to learn to live with several partners, which it is no longer accustomed to. The BJP’s coalition era leaders, such as LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, have all receded to the background. Few at the top of the party today know how to manage fickle partners.

    The uncertainty and precarity of the coalition era of the past, however, may not be visible in Modi 3.0. Many think both Nitish and Naidu will be focused on their state governments and would expect financial help from the Centre.

  • Modi cabinet: K Ram Mohan Naidu youngest, Jitan Ram Manjhi oldest in PM Modi’s Council of Ministers

    New Delhi, At 36, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu is the youngest minister while 79-year-old Jitan Ram Manjhi is the oldest minister to be inducted in the 18th Lok Sabha. Naidu, Srikakulam MP from Telugu Desam Party (TDP), was sworn in as a minister of state (MoS) in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new Council of Ministers. Another young minister is Raksha Khadse (37), an MP from Maharashtra. She won the Raver Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra. Manjhi was sworn in as a Union Cabinet Minister in Modi 3.0 government. He has served as the 23rd chief minister of Bihar, and is the founding president of Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM).

    Previously, Manjhi had served as the minister for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes welfare in Nitish Kumar’s Cabinet. He won the Gaya seat in 2024 general elections.

    Some of the other young ministers include Chirag Paswan and Jayant Choudhary. PM Modi, along with his 71 ministers, took oath on Sunday as the new coalition government was formed after two full tenures in which the BJP enjoyed a majority on its own.

  • Did INDIA Bloc Offer PM Position To Nitish Kumar? Congress Reacts |

    The Congress party on Saturday responded to the claims of Janta Dal (United) leader KC Tyagi about Nitish Kumar being offered the Prime Minister’s position by the INDIA bloc. “We don’t have any such information,” stated Congress general secretary KC Venugopal in a press conference following the Congress Working Committee’s meeting in Delhi.  

    The JD(U) senior leaders pointed fingers at the coalition for mistreating Nitish Kumar; he alleged that those who previously rejected Nitish Kumar as the INDIA bloc’s national convenor are now proposing to make him Prime Minister. He further said that this is the ‘game of politics’ and the JDU will not run back to the INDI Alliance.  

    With 12 seats in Bihar, Kumar’s JD (U) has become a significant ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to reach the magic number of 272 seats in the Lok Sabha. JD (U) was crucial in the formation of INDIA bloc last year. However, it returned to the NDA in January after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s name was suggested as the potential prime ministerial candidate for the INDIA bloc.  

    On Friday, while supporting the NDA proposal to name Narendra Modi as the leader of the coalition, Kumar expressed his confidence by saying, “Next time when you come, those who have won here and there this time will lose. I am confident about it. They never worked for the nation. They never served the country. The country will progress under your (PM Modi) leadership.”  

    He added that all the pending work in Bihar will be completed. It is very good that all of us have come together, and we will all work together with you (PM Modi). 

  • ‘Everything Will Be Done Soon’: Nitish Kumar On Bihar Cabinet Expansion; BJP-JDU Seat-Sharing |

    New Delhi: New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday said that the announcement on the exapnsion of the cabinet and the seat-share deal of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal United (JDU)for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections will be done soon.

    Taking to reporters Nitish Kumar said, “Everything will be done soon… we will inform about everything.” Kumar’s statement came as he along with 10 other candidates for the Bihar Legislative Council election were declared elected unopposed to the state Legislative Council.

    #WATCH Patna: On seat sharing in NDA and Bihar cabinet expansion, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar says, “Everything will be done soon… we will inform about everything …” pic.twitter.com/FlAaREPBXg


    — ANI (@ANI) March 14, 2024

    According to constitutional provisions, Bihar can have a maximum of 36 ministers, including the Chief Minister. Currently, the state Cabinet has a total of nine ministers, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Among them, Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha are Deputy Chief Ministers. Apart from these, Dr Prem Kumar of BJP, Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Shravan Kumar (all three of JDU), Santosh Kumar Suman of HAM and Independent Sumit Kumar Singh also took oath as ministers.

    On January 28, 2024, Nitish Kumar assumed office as the Chief Minister of Bihar, securing the backing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). His appointment followed his prior resignation, which led to the dissolution of the state government. Nitish Kumar’s departure from the Mahagathbandhan government, comprising the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), signaled the end of the coalition.

    Citing internal discord and the failure to deliver on promises as primary factors, Nitish Kumar severed ties with the coalition. The JD(U) leader specifically criticized the RJD, emphasizing, “I had no choice but to dissolve the alliance.”

    Following the formation of an alliance with the BJP, two deputy Chief Ministers, Vijay Sinha and Samrat Choudhary, were appointed to key positions.

  • Amit Shah to address public meeting in Bihar’s Paliganj today

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to address a public meeting with people belonging to Other Backward Caste (OBC) and Economically Backward Class (EBC) at Paliganj near Patna in Patliputra Lok Sabha Constituency on Saturday ahead of the Lok Sabha 2024 election.

    Amit Shah’s Bihar visit today is his first after the formation of the new government in January 2024 with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

    Shah’s public meeting in Paliganj near Patna will motivate BJP in five Lok Sabha seats including Patliputra, Arrah, Patna Sahib, Jahanabad and Hajipur.The public meeting of the Home Minister is organised by Bihar BJP OBC Morcha and all preparations have been completed by the party workers for the grand success of the meeting.

    Bihar BJP OBC Morcha General Secretary Sanjeev Kumar Chaurasia told ANI, “We are fully prepared to greet the Hon’ble Home Minister Amit Shah Ji. Thousands of people will be present in Paliganj to listen to the Home Minister. Amit Shah ji is a source of inspiration for all of us. Under his guidance, the party is continuously moving ahead.”

    “It is a matter of pride for all of us that the Home Minister will guide us today before the Lok Sabha election and we are very much sure that NDA will win all 40 seats in Bihar to strengthen Prime Minister Narendra for a third term”, he addedMukesh Kumar Patel also General secretary of Bihar BJP OBC Morcha said, “The OBCs of Bihar realise that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done much welfare work for the backward society. This has never been done by any previous government in the history of independent India hence we would like to congratulate Home Minister Amit Shah. We will seek guidance from him to ensure a big victory for the party in the Lok Sabha elections.”During one day Bihar visit, Amit Shar will unveil the statue of veteran BJP Leader Kailashpati Mishra at ICAR Building premises, Jagdev Path, Patna.

    Earlier on Friday Amit Shah held a late-night meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to discuss seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

    The meeting took place at Shah’s residence here in the national capital. At around 12:45 am, Maharashtra CM Shinde and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar were seen leaving Shah’s residence after the meeting.

    The meeting on seat-sharing within the Mahayuti Alliance in Maharashtra began at around 7:00 pm.

    The Mahayuti Alliance includes the Bharatiya Janata Party, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party-Ajit Pawar faction. BJP National President JP Nadda along with the party’s state president Praful Patel were also present in the meeting.

    Deliberation on the seat-sharing formula within the alliance in Maharashtra was made, sources said.

  • Lok Sabha Polls: In Bihar, BJP Nears Seat Sharing Deal With Chirag Paswan, JDU

    Last night, Chirag Paswan held a meeting with BJP chief JP Nadda but a formal decision of seat-sharing is yet to be announced. 

  • ‘Idhar Chala Main Udhar Chala’: Tejashwi Yadav Takes Dig At Nitish Kumar In Jan Vishwas Rally |

    Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday slammed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and described his recent ally shift phenomenon with the Hrithik Roshan starred song, ‘idhar chala main udhar chala, jane khan mai kidhar chala.’ Addressing the crowd in Jan Vishwas Rally at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, Tejashwi said that the Bihar government should get its insurance done as it runs the risk of JDU supremo taking repeated U-turns. 

    Yadav exclaimed that the BJP says ‘Modi ki Guarantee’, but who will take the guarantee of Nitish Kumar? Reacting to the accusations of PM Modi over familial politics in RJD, former deputy CM of Bihar said, “They call us out on nepotism, but they have Samrat Choudhary, brother of Ram Vilas Paswan, Manjhi ji’s son has been made minister, it doesn’t look like any nepotism to them.” 


    He further expressed gratitude to the Congress for their support in challenging times, Yadav highlighted Nitish Kumar’s initial skepticism about job promises during their tenure. “When we pledged jobs, he questioned their source. Under our administration, we conducted a caste census, raised the reservation limit to 75%, and increased reservation for extremely backward people by 24%. We achieved what the country hadn’t since independence,” Tejashwi Yadav remarked. 

    He hailed RJD’s ethos, stating, “In RJD, ‘R’ signifies rise, ‘J’ stands for job, and ‘D’ represents development.” Tejashwi critiqued the BJP for destabilising elected state governments, asserting that the public will respond. Tejashwi pledged to continue the fight, framing it as an ideological battle. “Even if summonses are sent to Rahul Gandhi or the CBI targets Akhilesh Bhai in the Uttar Pradesh alliance, we will persist. BJP has become a dustbin where every party’s waste is accumulating,” he stated in Patna. 

    Taking a swipe at PM Modi, Tejashwi criticized his recent visit to Bihar, accusing him of repeating falsehoods. “Modi ji is a factory of lies. In the last election, BJP won 39 out of 40 seats. Ask their MPs about the work done in their districts,” he concluded. 

    PM Modi visited Bihar on Saturday where is was present in a public meeting in Aurangabad alongwith Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. PM also unveiled development projects valued at over Rs 21,400 crore in the state.

  • `Hum Gayab Ho Gaye The…`: Nitish Kumar Swears Allegiance To NDA, PM Modi Breaks Into Laughter | Video

    Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pledged his eternal loyalty to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Saturday during a public meet in Aurangabad.

  • ‘You will not get free electricity, I have been saying this from beginning’: CM Nitish in Bihar Assembly – The Economic Times Video

    Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar addresses the Bihar Assembly on electricity tariff. He says, “…I have been saying since the beginning that it will not be given for free. We provide it at a very low price. In some states, they announce that they will provide it for free but we never said that…”

  • Nitish Kumar Govt To Review Functioning Of Departments Held By Former Bihar Dy CM Tejashwi Yadav |

    PATNA: In a significant political development, the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar on Friday ordered a probe to review the functioning of the departments under the state’s former Deputy chief minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and his close ministers in the previous JDU-RJD government. According to news agency ANI, orders have been given by the Bihar government to review the functioning of the departments under Tejashwi and his close ministers in the previous government. 

     

    Patna | Orders have been given by the Bihar government to review the functioning of the departments under former state Dy CM Tejashwi Yadav and his close ministers in the previous government. The work of the Health Department, Road Construction Department, Urban Development and… pic.twitter.com/MYbaldPaWz


    — ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2024

     

    The work of the Health Department, Road Construction Department, Urban Development and Housing Department and the decisions taken by him will be reviewed, the order said. Apart from this, the work of the RJD regime in the Rural Affairs Department, PHED and Mines and Geology Department will also be reviewed. Instructions have also been issued by the state government to the secretaries of all concerned departments in this connection, said news agency ANI.

    The order came shortly after Tejashwi Yadav launched a fresh attack on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar while addressing the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and said that the CM does not want to listen to anyone. “You all very well know how our CM is, he does not want to listen to anyone. He used to say ‘I will die, but won’t join BJP’…We decided to stay with Nitish ji, no matter how much we have to sacrifice, only to defeat BJP in 2024…’ Hum logo ne ek thake hue mukhyamantri ko Niyukt kiya hai’…” said RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav.

    “He does not want to listen to anyone, but still, ours was a grand alliance government, and we wanted to be united with a big goal, We have to stop the powers that be, those who work to sow poison in the country, so this time at any cost, no matter how much we have to bear, no matter how much we have to sacrifice, we joined Nitish ji, so that BJP will be defeated in 2024. We will do the work of ousting BJP from power and we appointed a tired Chief Minister, ” added Tejashwi Yadav.

    Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav joined Rahul Gandhi in his ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ on Friday in Bihar’s Sasaram. The Yatra reaches it’s final stage in Bihar and is scheduled to enter Uttar Pradesh later today.

    Yadav was seen driving Rahul Gandhi and other leaders in the lead jeep as the yatra made its way through Sasaram with the RJD leader acknowledging his ally in his post on x. This was the first time the RJD leader was seen sharing the stage with Gandhi in Bihar since state Chief Minister Nitish Kumar severed his ties with the INDIA bloc.