News Analysis India

Tag: Nitish Kumar

  • Friendship restored: Upendra Kushwaha announces official merger of RLSP with JDU in Bihar

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Putting an end to all speculations on Sunday, founder of Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) Upendra Kushwaha announced the merger of his party with all ideologies and individuals with the ruling Janata Dal (United) (JDU) on Sunday.

    “RLSP will work for common causes under the leadership of chief minister Nitish Kumar to make Bihar stronger,” Kushwaha told in a press meet. 

    “Even before floating the RLSP, I had worked elaborately for the JDU. The merger is happening in the larger interest of the state.”

    According to political analysts, the merger was long speculated following the debacle that RLSP faced in the recent assembly polls in Bihar. Recently, close to 35 senior RLSP leaders had joined the RJD.

    When asked what his role will be like after the merger, Kushwaha said that he has left it on CM Nitish Kumar to decide and further hinted that he would work for boosting the education sector in the state with the support of all the parties in the alliance. 

    On being reminded of his statement on Nitish Kumar an enemy by one of the reporters, Kushwaha asked him to forget what was said in the past. “There is no need of an enemy when you have a friend like Nitish Kumar,” the RLSP founder had said. 

    An evidently elated Kushwaha, while describing Nitish Kumar like his elder brother, said that all like-minded people in politics with common ideologies should come on one platform. 

  • Dozens of RLSP leaders join RJD amid speculation of party’s merger with JD-U

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Amid speculations that Bihar’s Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) is likely to merge with JD-U, dozens of office-bearers of the Upendra Kushwaha-led party including the principal general secretary and others, joined the RJD on Friday.

    Leader of the RJD Tejashwi Yadav welcomed all those who joined the party.

    Stepping up attacks on JD-U leader Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi Yadav said he has become the country’s weakest Chief Minister.

    “There is nothing called sushashan (good governance) in Bihar. Nitish Kumar has ruined the state and he does not have the courage to take action against criminals and corruption”, Yadav said.

    He lambasted the Nitish government for not taking action against the brother of a BJP minister after liquor was seized from his school premises in Muzaffarpur recently.

    Yadav accusing the state government of patronizing and protecting the criminals politically.

    “Now, Nitish has stooped so low that he is welcoming Upendra Kushwaha, whom he had once described as ‘nich’, said Tejashwi Yadav.

    Prominent among others who joined the are principal general secretary Nirmal Kumar, Birendra Kushwaha, and Madhu Manjari.

    All those who joined the RJD lambasted Upendra Kushwaha for his decision to merge RLSP with JD-U.

  • Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP likely to merge with JDU on March 14

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Bihar’s Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) is likely to merge with Janata Dal-United on March 14 in Patna. State Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is also likely to be present on the occasion of the merger.

    A senior leader of the RLSP told ANI, “RLSP has convened a two-day meeting at Patna on March 13-14 to seek approval from party workers on the merger with the JD-U. The move comes after the debacle in the state Assembly elections 2020.”

    Under the leadership of Upendra Kushwaha, the party had failed to secure even a single seat in the 243 member Bihar Assembly.

    Speaking to ANI, Secretary-General of RLSP Madhav Anand, a close associate of Upendra Kushwaha said: “Wait till March 14 and you will know the decision of the party.”

    JD-U sources are also hopeful that the impending merger would have a wide-ranging impact on Bihar’s politics.

    “RLSP’s merger plan with JD-U is almost finalised and is expected to be announced on March 14 in Patna. We hope that this merger will strengthen the JD-U and will have a significant impact on the state’s politics,” a senior JD-U leader said.

    It is believed that the move comes as part of JD-U’s plans to consolidate its vote bank in the state. The JD-U has only 43 MLAs and is the junior partner in the NDA government. With 74 legislators, the Bharatiya Janata Party had emerged as the big brother in the 2020 Assembly polls.

    In the recent Bihar Assembly polls RLSP fought the elections as part of an alliance comprising, among others, Asaduddin Owaisis AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) and Mayawatis’ Bahujan Samaj Party, declaring itself the Chief Ministerial candidate but could not win even a single seat.

    In November 2020, JD-U President Nitish Kumar took oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the fourth straight term.

    The NDA secured a 125-seat majority in the 243-seat strong Bihar Legislative Assembly, of which BJP won on 74 seats, JD-U on 43 while eight seats were won by two other NDA constituents. 

  • Here’s why RJD MLA landed up with a BP machine at Bihar Assembly

    Express News Service
    PATNA: A day after chief minister Nitish Kumar lost his cool at an RJD MLA in the Bihar assembly, Dr Mukesh Raushan, an opposition legislator from Mahua, landed up with a BP measuring device and a stethoscope around his neck on Tuesday.

    Donning his apron, Dr Raushan told the media that he has come to the assembly with these devices to protest against Nitish Kumar “who frequently loses his cool these days.” 

    Referring to the CM, he said, “Our chacha gets angry very soon these days. On Monday, he got angry at RJD MLC Subodh Rai when the latter asked a supplementary question. Our guardian Nitish ji gets angry very frequently and it happens only when one has a high BP.” 

    The device brought by him will be used to check the blood pressure of the chief minister, he said, further adding that he will do so in his chamber with his permission. 

  • Giriraj saying errant officials be beaten up with sticks not okay: Nitish hits back at Union Minister

    By PTI
    PATNA/BEGUSARAI: Union minister Giriraj Singh’s declamation that officials who did not listen to the people be “beaten up with bamboo sticks” was on Sunday frowned upon by his former boss, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

    Singh made his latest controversial remark at a function in his Begusarai Lok Sabha constituency on the previous day.

    The firebrand BJP leader was visibly peeved over repeated complaints from locals that officials often paid no heed when they were approached with grievances.

    Kumar, in whose cabinet Singh had served till less than a decade ago, was asked by journalists what he thought about the utterances.

    “You should go and ask Giriraj whether the use of such language is nyaysangat (proper),” said Kumar, a stickler for propriety in public behaviour, with a broad smile barely concealing his detestation.

    The Union minister, who moved to the Centre in 2014 and was elevated from MoS to the cabinet rank five years later, had made the remark at a function organised by an agricultural institute.

    Singh, who earlier represented Nawada but won Begusarai for his party by defeating CPI’s Kanhaiya Kumar by a margin of over four lakh votes, holds animal husbandry, fisheries and dairy portfolios.

    A video footage of the function has gone viral on social media.

    Singh can be heard lamenting, “People come to me with the complaint that officials do not listen (nai sunaichhe, an idiom in local Angika dialect).”

    “If that is the case, baans lekar maaro (beat them up with bamboo sticks),” said the MP, known for shooting from the hip, as some of the audience burst into laughter.

    “If you are approaching an official with a genuine grouse, you do not even need to come to me asking for help. Stand your ground. Giriraj is there with you, always. It is you (the people) in whom the real power is vested, not MPs, MLAs, DMs, BDOs or Mukhiyas,” he had added.

  • After uproar in Bihar assembly, Nitish pulls up minister who sent brother to launch govt function

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar faced an embarrassing moment in the Bihar Legislative Assembly on Friday when the opposition raised the issue of the minister for animal husbandry and fisheries Mukesh Sahani sending his brother to attend a government function on Thursday in place of himself.

    The opposition created a ruckus over the reported incident and slammed the government for appointing a minister who did not care for protocol.

    Santosh Sahani, brother of Mukesh, went to Hajipur and inaugurated a government function on behalf of the minister. The minister’s brother was also accorded the government protocols the minister is entitled to during the function. The matter was reported by a local daily and caused a massive uproar in both houses during the Bihar Legislature Budget Session.

    Members of the opposition put the government in the dock and demanded the immediate sacking of the minister over the incident. In the midst of the uproar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had to intervene and promised to look into the matter after being informed about the incident.

    The department of the minister had organised a programme for providing vehicles and ice boxes to 23 fishermen at 90 percent subsidy at Hajipur that was attended and inaugurated by his brother. The minister’s brother had reportedly arrived in a government car for the programme.

    The CM said it was surprising and summoned the minister to his secretariat chamber after the session.

    The CM spoke to Sahani for half an hour along with health minister Mangal Pandey. Later, Sahani told the media that he would reply in the House over the incident but admitted it was a mistake. He also said such a mistake will not be repeated in future by him.

    Meanwhile, taking advantage of the situation, leader of opposition Tejashwi Yadav, who had an exchange of words in the House a day before the incident, slammed the state government.

    Yadav, speaking to the media, said that CM Nitish Kumar has done a mistake by appointing such people (Mukesh Sahani) as ministers.

    “Bihar is surviving at the mercy of God now,” Tejashwi Yadav said, taunting the government over the incident.

  • Will Upendra Kushwaha return to NDA? Former union minister refuses to reveal cards

    By PTI
    PATNA: Former union minister Upendra Kushwaha on Wednesday kept his cards close to the chest when asked about his much-speculated return to the NDA, but said the “future course” will be announced after a meeting of his Rashtriya Lok Samata Party scheduled next week.

    The RLSP chief dodged queries about his numerous meetings, in the recent past, with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his former mentor, whom he had revolted against a decade ago quitting the JD(U) and charting out his own path.

    Kumar, on his part, replied with a cryptic “lets see” when he was asked elsewhere by journalists about the cornered Kushwahas possible return under his wing.

    Kushwaha, who celebrated his partys ninth foundation day, told reporters “our partys national and state executives will meet here on March 13-14. The future course will be decided thereafter”.

    About his meetings with the chief minister, he quipped with a tinge of mischief “why do you want to stop me from meeting him”.

    However, to a pointed query about reports in a section of the media that the RLSP was all set to “merge” with the JD(U), Kushwaha said testily “it is you people who write such stuff. Only you can shed more light on this”.

    When pointed out that veteran JD(U) leader Vashishtha Narayan Singh has also said that Kushwaha was all set for a return to the NDA, Kushwaha replied “he is a senior leader. I cannot comment on him. I can speak about only what I have myself said in the past”.

    Kushwaha, who was then a JD(U) Rajya Sabha member, had parted ways in 2013 and floated his own outfit.

    The BJP, which was in search of allies in Bihar after being dumped by Nitish Kumar, readily accepted the RLSP into its fold a year later.

    The fledgling party won all the three Lok Sabha seats it contested, riding the Modi wave and Kushwaha, elected from Karakat, won a berth in the Union council of ministers.

    He grew uneasy in the NDA a few years later and crossed over to the Grand Alliance on the eve of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, quitting his ministerial berth.

    The five-party grand alliance fared miserably in the elections and the RLSP chief, who also suffered the mortification of both his MLAs and sole MLC joining the JD(U), burnt his bridges with the Congress-RJD combine ahead of the assembly polls last year.

    He fought the elections as part of an alliance comprising, among others, Asaduddin Owaisis AIMIM and Mayawatis BSP.

    The RLSP drew a blank though its leader was declared the “Chief Ministerial candidate”.

    Kushwaha and Kumar are understood to have agreed upon a mutually beneficial realignment.

    The RLSP chief badly needs an opportunity to come out of political wilderness.

    The chief minister, who has been outperformed by the BJP in elections, is now busy consolidating his grip over the “Luv Kush” combination, a colloquial term for OBC Kurmis and Koeris who have stood by Kumars side in the worst of times.

  • Bihar CM Nitish Kumar gets first dose of Covid-19 vaccine on 70th birthday

    By ANI
    PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday, who turned 70 on Monday, took first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in Patna and assured the people of the state that his government will provide vaccination free of cost.

    “Vaccination will be absolutely free in the entire Bihar state. Such facility will be made available even at private hospitals, it will be facilitated by the state government,” Nitish Kumar said on Monday.

    Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the first dose of Covaxin, India’s homegrown coronavirus vaccine developed by biotechnology firm Bharat Biotech and Indian Council of Medical Research, addressing the hesitancy over the COVID-19 vaccine.

    PM Modi took the first dose of the vaccine at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi.

    “Took my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at AIIMS,” PM Modi tweeted with his picture of receiving the jab.

    “Remarkable how our doctors and scientists have worked in quick time to strengthen the global fight against COVID-19,” the Prime Minister added.  

  • Bihar ruling party JDU to contest in Assam and West Bengal polls, finalises on candidates

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Nitish Kumar-headed JD(U) has finalised the seats on which its candidates will contest the upcoming assembly elections both in Assam and West Bengal.

    The JD(U) is entering the polls alone and is set to face its ally, the ruling party BJP in Assam.

    Meanwhile, the saffron party is in a head-to-head battle with the ruling party TMC in West Bengal. 

    The announcement to contest in the Assam and West Bengal Assembly elections was made soon after its six MLAs in Arunachal Pradesh defected to the BJP. 

    Speaking to The New Indian Express, in-charge of north east states of JD(U), Sanjay Verma said that his party will go to the polls alone and concentrate not only on the Hindi-speaking belts in Assam and West Bengal but also in the minority-dominated areas with Nitish Kumar’s model of good governance.

    “The number of seats have been finalised for Assam and West Bengal. 32 seats in Assam and 22 seats in West Bengal will be contested by the JD(U) candidates. The names of candidates have also been finalised,” Verma said.

    Shravan Kumar, Bihar minister of Rural development and a close political aide of CM Nitish Kumar along with party MLC Gulam Rasul Baliyavi are scheduled to visit Guwahati on March 5.

    “They will address the party’s first meeting at Loharighat block maidan in Moregaon in Assam — about 120 km from Guwahati on March 6 and chair the meeting of party leaders on March 7 at Guwahati”, Verma said.

    He added, “As the railway minister, Nitish Kumar had constructed two railway lines of 120 km and 65 km in the areas of Morigaon and Navgaon,which the poor and working class people of that areas still remembers, even today, the said rail line is a life line for the poor peoples and labourers who travel for livelihood,” Verma said.

    He claimed that the people living in 32 constituencies, including Loharighat, Samaguri, Ruphar and others, are impressed with the performances of the Bihar CM. “Our party has face of CM Nitish Kumar and his model of good governance that has been widely acknowledged,” he said.

    The Har Ghar Jal Nal yojna, the success of Prohibition of liquor and many other development works started under the 7-Resolves part-I and II are the examples on which electorates in Assam and West Bengal will endorse the party candidates,” Verma said.

    He said that Nitish Kumar still owes a deep influence and trust among the labourers working in Assam’s tea garden and Bihari labourers will have a chance to vote their choice of leader in the northeastern state.

    On being asked, if the JD(U) would give a friendly fight to the BJP candidates in both the states, Verma said that the party is going to contest the polls on its own political ideologies without considering friendly or unfriendly fights.

    “Our USP is works of development with justice to all, good governance, women empowerment and others that will decide the results,” he claimed.

  • CM Nitish Kumar fumes over criticisms of liquor prohibition in Bihar

    By PTI
    PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday bristled at questions being raised against his highly touted alcohol prohibition drive following some recent instances of violation of the liquor ban. Addressing a function here as part of Bihar Police Week-2021, Kumar also noted with concern the attack by liquor smugglers on a police party in Sitamarhi district, which claimed the life of a sub-inspector.

    He stressed that a full-fledged team should be constituted to conduct anti-liquor drives instead of “ikka- dukka” (a handful) of personnel carrying out such raids.

    He also reiterated that stern action will be taken against police and excise department officials if they are found to be violating the prohibition themselves or lax in enforcing the ban that came into force nearly five years ago. “Altogether 619 personnel and officials are facing departmental action on these counts. FIRs have been lodged against 348, while 186 have been dismissed from service,” Kumar said.

    In an indirect reference to doubts cast on submissions by leaders of the Congress-RJD combine in the assembly, recently, over the efficacy of imposing a ban on sale and consumption of liquor, the chief minister said, “There are always some instances of transgression. But on this very basis, some people have started questioning the huge step we took.”

    Asserting that the ban on alcohol was in the interests of society, he invoked Mahatma Gandhi and cited studies conducted by the WHO to highlight the ill effects of liquor consumption. Defending the stringency of the law which brooks no exceptions, the chief minister also dismissed as “bogus” the demand, from some quarters, for leniency towards declared alcoholics.

    “They can go to de-addiction centres” was the curt remark of Kumar who also recalled the promise made by him to the state’s women ahead of the 2015 assembly polls which led him to the drastic move upon return to power.

    Kumar also spoke about his commitment to improve the police force and pointed towards the personnel now getting better training and equipment, in addition to the improved gender ratio that has followed his government’s decision to provide 35 per cent reservations to women.