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Nitish Kumar

About Nitish Kumar

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Who is Nitish Kumar?

Born on March 1,1951, Nitish Kumar is an Indian politician serving as the Chief Minister (CM) of Bihar since February 22, 2015. On August 10, 2022, he took oath as the CM of Bihar for the eighth time in 22 years.
 
A member of the Janata Dal (United) party, Kumar has been in office since 2005. Prior to that, he was the Union Railway Minister from 2001 to 2004 in the Atal Bihar Vajpayee government. 
 
He had also held the agriculture portfolio in the central government in two phases — from 19 March 1998 to 5 August 1999, and from 27 May 2000 to 21 July 2001. He was the Union Minister of Surface Transport from 22 November 1999 to 3 March 2000.
Education
 
Nitish Kumar earned a degree in electrical engineering from Bihar College of Engineering in 1972. He joined the Bihar State Electricity Board and later moved into politics.
 
Political career
 
Nitish Kumar used to work closely with Ram Manohar Lohia, S N Sinha, Karpuri Thakur and V P Singh. Kumar also took part in Jayaprakash Narayan's movement between 1974 and 1977 and later joined the Janata party headed by Satyendra Narain Sinha. 
 
In 1985, Kumar fought and won his first election to the state assembly from Harnaut. He later switched his loyalty to BJP in 1996 after winning his first Lok Sabha seat from Barh.
 
Nitish Kumar's popularity peaked when he was awarded the post of Minister of Railways in the United Front government in 1996 and was subsequently made the leader of Lok Sabha.
 
He had served as Bihar CM for little over seven days in March 2000, after which he was elected in 2005 when he served a full term. However, after corruption allegations were levelled against his deputy Tejashwi Yadav in 2015, Nitish resigned only to be sworn in as Chief Minister merely 12 hours later joining hands with the BJP to form a government in the state.
 
Equation with BJP
 
Nitish Kumar has had an on-again, off-again relationship with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government and he has also been critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the past. In 2013, Kumar had severed JD(U)’s 17-year-old alliance with the BJP, but he re-joined the NDA in 2017 after ending the grand alliance with the RJD and Congress.
 
Kumar ended his alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) NDA on August 9, 2022 and submitted his resignation as the chief minister heading the NDA coalition and rejoined hands with RJD on a day of rapidly changing political developments in Bihar.

Latest Updates on Nitish Kumar

In Bihar Nitish Kumar has reaped a huge dividend from the votes of women over the years, especially from low-income groups

Updated On: 03 Jan 2025 | 10:36 PM IST

Nitish Kumar was asked about Lalu Yadav's 'our doors are open' remark, where the latter offered his former ally to join hands with INDIA bloc again

Updated On: 02 Jan 2025 | 6:38 PM IST

According to details of assets of the CM and his cabinet colleagues uploaded on the Bihar government website on December 31, Kumar has Rs 21,052 in cash and nearly Rs 60,811.56 in different banks

Updated On: 01 Jan 2025 | 3:47 PM IST

Former deputy CM, in an apparent reference to the IPAC founder and his party, said the protesters were "misled" into marching towards Gandhi Maidan

Updated On: 30 Dec 2024 | 12:17 PM IST

The candidates have been protesting for more than a week seeking the cancellation of the 70th Integrated Combined Competitive (Preliminary) Examination (CCE), 2024

Updated On: 28 Dec 2024 | 9:55 PM IST

From political continuity - and shifts - to landmark ceremonies, 2024 saw power struggles, protests, and symbolic moments

Updated On: 28 Dec 2024 | 1:24 AM IST

Prashant Kishor flayed the recent police lathi-charge on protesting students and called upon the NDA government to take urgent steps

Updated On: 27 Dec 2024 | 11:07 AM IST

Sources said NDA leaders discussed the Congress' recent political attack on the ruling alliance and emphasised to speak in a united voice to counter fake narrative

Updated On: 25 Dec 2024 | 11:39 PM IST

Union minister Giriraj Singh on Wednesday said the highest civilian honour, Bharat Ratna, should be conferred upon Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and former CM of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik.

Updated On: 25 Dec 2024 | 4:33 PM IST

Kumar also handed over the management of a pond constructed under the Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali scheme to JEEViKA Didis' (women associated with self-help groups under the JEEViKA project)

Updated On: 24 Dec 2024 | 10:15 PM IST

The septuagenarian, renowned for his uncanny ability to shift political allegiances at will while maintaining his grip on power, abandoned the INDIA bloc he had diligently helped form

Updated On: 24 Dec 2024 | 10:19 AM IST

The cryptic response had led to furious speculation that the BJP could insist on not projecting Kumar in the 2025 polls

Updated On: 22 Dec 2024 | 6:58 PM IST

Jaiswal's sentiments were echoed by Raju Tiwari, state president of the LJP (RV), who said, "There is no doubt that the NDA will contest the upcoming assembly polls under Nitish Kumar's leadership

Updated On: 20 Dec 2024 | 7:32 PM IST

Kejriwal has had links with an organisation known for its stand against reservation, joined hands with the Congress after swearing to never ally with it, hates people from Bihar and poorvanchal

Updated On: 20 Dec 2024 | 3:39 PM IST

Bihar BJP president Dilip Jaiswal on Wednesday asserted that the NDA will contest the 2025 assembly polls in the state under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Updated On: 18 Dec 2024 | 11:42 PM IST

While CM Nitish Kumar is seeking to consolidate his party's woman vote base, Tejashwi Yadav is trying an image makeover for the RJD

Updated On: 16 Dec 2024 | 12:36 AM IST

He has announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the immediate family members of the deceased. (he) also directed officials of the state's social welfare and labour departments to ensure that the

Updated On: 15 Dec 2024 | 3:41 PM IST

Leader of the opposition in the assembly also accused Kumar of failing to communicate with job aspirants who staged protests

Updated On: 14 Dec 2024 | 12:49 PM IST

BJP and JD(U) leaders have called RJD President Lalu Prasad's remark offensive and derogatory to women, as well as an insult to Bihar's dignity

Updated On: 10 Dec 2024 | 4:57 PM IST

The RJD leader questioned the government's priorities, stating that billions of rupees are being spent on propaganda

Updated On: 10 Dec 2024 | 10:56 AM IST