By Alok Sharma
Having received many adjectives including Paltu Chacha', 'Paltu Putra’, 'Paltu Ram’, Chameleon and many others, undoubtedly the astute politician Nitish Kumar stands tall as the longest serving chief minister of Bihar when he logs in for the record ninth time. This time with the support of Bhartiya Janta Party after Kumar hurriedly severed ties with RJD and left the Lalu-brigade shocked and surprised. While the social media reacted critically at the JD-U chief's latest move, creative brains swung into action drawing referencing from the corporate world, cinema and cricket to make their points. Like one X user in his post "Tejashwi jitni class tak padha hai Nitish ji utni baar shapat le chuke hai (The count of Nitish's oath ceremony is equal to the classes read by Tejashwi).”
In his previous terms as chief minister Kumar has smoothly hobnobbed with both Bharatiya Janata party and Rashtriya Janata Dal and have formed governments with the support of other parties and somehow managed the chief ministerial berth for himself. However, political figures often navigate complex situations, alliances, and policy changes, which can sometimes lead to perceptions of adaptability. Now the question is - is it fair to term Nitish Kumar as opportunist when he got support from different parties in forming his government, aren’t those political parties also not party in this opportunism? After all, Nitish Kumar could stake a claim to the chief minister’s post only with outside support. Then why single him out?
For a politician, the ultimate aim is to be in power, and certainly Nitish Kumar is a very clever player of this game. He must be a true believer of ‘Love your job, but do not fall in love with your company’, and that is why he does not mind changing companies but never let the job go, which he loves most. Kumar is known for his “very practical” approach to politics. He has been involved in coalition politics and has formed alliances with different political parties at various points in his career, depending on the prevailing political dynamics of the time. So far, he has been very successful in sailing his ship. And in this political landscape of political experiments we have seen opposing parties coming together to form the government. Some hot examples are BJP-PDP in J&K, SP and BJP in Uttar Pradesh, Shiv Sena-NCP in Maharashtra and some others.
Nitish Kumar too had his share of forming and running coalition governments notably with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar. These alliances have been built and broken over the time. In 2015 before the Legislative Assembly elections, Kumar weaved a Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Indian National Congress. The alliance was successful in securing a majority in the elections, and Kumar continued as the Chief Minister.
However, in 2017, Kumar resigned as Chief Minister, citing differences with the RJD, and rejoined the NDA. He formed a new government with the BJP's support, and he continued as the Chief Minister. In the 2020 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections, Kumar again contested as the leader of the NDA, which included the JD(U) and the BJP. The NDA emerged as the largest coalition and Nitish Kumar continued as the Chief Minister. And mind you these coalitions were brewed with political parties against which Kumar has not only fought elections but also spoken against at various forums, yet he could cajole them when he needed them to retain his chief ministerial berth. Criticism of public figures is a natural part of democratic societies, and individuals are entitled to express their views on a leader's policies and decisions. But what is noteworthy is that, we may love him, we may hate him, but we must give the credit of constructing political ties to him.
Nitish Kumar as Chief Minister
1st term (2000) - 7 days with support of NDA
2nd term (2005 – 2010)
3rd term (2010 – 2014)
4th term (2015)
5th term (2015 - 2017)
6th Term (2017 - 2020)
7th term (2020 - 2022)
8th Term (2022 - 2024)
9th Term (2024 - Present)
How ambitious is Nitish Kumar?
By and large Kumar has been primarily focussing on state-level politics, serving as the Chief Minister of Bihar. His ambitions seem to be centered around governance and development within the state. He has been involved in coalition politics, forming alliances with various parties based on the prevailing political scenario. His ambitions may involve maintaining and strengthening political alliances to ensure stability and support for his government.
In national politics too he did have stints as Union Minister for Railways, Agriculture, and Surface Transport but perhaps the ground has been never ripe for him to throw his hat in the race for the Prime Minister’s job. Though there have been occasional speculations and discussions about his potential role in national politics. In his short stint as Railway Minister, he is credited to bring in widespread reforms, such as internet ticket booking facility in 2002, opening a record number of railway ticket booking counters and introducing the tatkal scheme for instant booking.
Criticism
Despite serving (still continuing) as the longest chief minister, Kumar had his share of criticism which includes switching political alliances at whims and fancies, discrepancies in his development claims, accusations of corruption, social development policies etc. Some of the controversies are explained below: -
Kumar has been known for his shifts in political alliances, which have led to both praise and criticism. Notably, his decision to end the alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2013, only to rejoin later, drew attention and sparked debates.
While Kumar has been credited with improving law and order in Bihar during his tenure, there have been instances of criticism regarding the state's security situation. Some opponents have raised concerns about crime rates and the administration's response to certain incidents.
Despite his focus on development, there have been debates and criticisms regarding the actual impact of development programs in Bihar. Some political opponents have questioned the efficacy of certain initiatives and the overall progress made under Nitish Kumar's leadership.
Like many politicians, Nitish Kumar has faced allegations of corruption, either directly or through members of his government. However, it's essential to distinguish between allegations and proven instances of corruption, as legal processes are typically involved in such matters.
Kumar's government faced criticism over its handling of reservation policies, with certain groups expressing dissatisfaction with the implementation or modification of reservation quotas.
Achievements
But there have also been some bright spots under his rule and people do give credit to him for infrastructure development, education reforms, improvement of healthcare facilities, law and order, social welfare programs, economic development, and prohibition policy.
Kumar's tenure as Chief Minister has witnessed significant efforts in infrastructure development. The government has focused on improving roads, bridges, and connectivity in Bihar to facilitate economic growth and ease of travel.
He has emphasized education reforms in Bihar, aiming to enhance the quality of education and increase enrollment rates. The state has seen initiatives to improve school infrastructure, provide scholarships, and promote education for girls.
The Nitish Kumar-led government has worked on improving healthcare facilities in Bihar. Initiatives include the establishment and upgrading of hospitals, as well as efforts to address health-related challenges, such as malnutrition.
One of Nitish Kumar's significant achievements has been the improvement in law and order in Bihar. The state has seen a decline in crime rates, and the government has implemented measures to strengthen the police force and ensure public safety. He brought the Arms Act, and special courts were set up to expedite the process of conviction of those held under this act. Bringing of the Arms Act and its stringent implementation brought dual benefits for the Government; first, it became easy for the police to arrest a criminal and second, the use of lethal weapons became prohibited.
To improve law and order situation in the state and also to deal with the Maoist challenge in the state, he recruited retired army officials and soldiers to create a special wing of Police called Special Auxiliary Police (SAP). It brought some kind of economic engagement for the retired military personnels, and at the same time, made available professionally trained commandos for the Bihar Police at low budgetary expense.
Kumar has introduced various social welfare programs to address the needs of marginalized communities. These programs aim to uplift disadvantaged sections of society by providing financial assistance, job opportunities, and other support.
Implementation of a statewide prohibition policy in Bihar, banning the sale and consumption of alcohol, is considered a significant move by Nitish Kumar. The policy aims to address social issues related to alcohol abuse and promote a healthier and safer environment.
Efforts have been made to boost economic development in Bihar under Nitish Kumar's leadership. The government has focused on promoting industries, attracting investments, and creating employment opportunities.
Kumar has shown a commitment to social inclusion and empowerment, with initiatives targeting the welfare of women, minorities, and other marginalized groups. This includes schemes to empower women through education and employment opportunities.
Brief profile
Born on 1 March 1951 in Bakhtiarpur, Bihar to an ayurvedic practitioner Kaviraj Ram Lakhan Singh and Parmeshwari Devi, Kumar belongs to Kurmi agricultural caste. Later he completed engineering in Electrical Engineering from erstwhile Bihar College of Engineering in 1972 and joined the Bihar State Electricity Board, only to jump into politics a few years later. Kumar fought his first state assembly election in 1985 and won the seat from Harnaut. Initially Kumar supported Lalu Prasad Yadav who was leader of opposition in Bihar State Assembly, however, in 1996 Kumar came close to BJP after winning his first Lok Sabha election from Barh.
In 1977 Kumar, for the first time, contested the State Assembly Elections on a Janata Party ticket from Harnaut but lost. Again in 1980 he fought state assembly elections for the Janta Party (secular) from Harnaut and lost. He first tasted success during 1985 State Assembly Elections when he won Harnaut seat and the rest they say is history!
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