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Time of India
7 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Nitish, Shah to lay stone for Sita temple at Punaura Dham tomorrow
1 2 3 4 5 Patna: Union home minister Amit Shah , who will reach Patna on Thursday evening, along with CM Nitish Kumar , will lay the foundation stone for Mata Sita temple at Punaura Dham in Sitamarhi on Aug 8 in presence of more than one lakh people and saints, said local MP Devesh Chandra Thakur. Prior to this deputy CM Samrat Choudhary and development commissioner Pratyaya Amrit on Wednesday reviewed the preparations for the foundation stone-laying ceremony. Sitamarhi MP Thakur said he had also invited people from Janakpur in neighbouring Nepal to take part in the grand ceremony. "Deputy CM Choudhary, tourism minister Raju Singh, BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal and the officials of district and police administration reviewed the preparations on Wednesday," Thakur told this newspaper over phone, adding it was he who had first demanded a grand temple at Punaura Dham, considered the birthplace of Mata Janaki. Jaiswal said apart from Shah and Nitish, many central and state ministers will be present on this occasion. Deputy CM Choudhary said preparations are going on in full swing to make the "bhoomi pujan and foundation stone-laying for the Janaki temple corridor" a grand ceremony. "Necessary guidelines were given to the officials," he said. Earlier, chief secretary Amritlal Meena and DGP Vinay Kumar had visited the Punaura Dham on Tuesday to take stock of the preparations. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Flexible MBA by SRM—Apply Now! SRM Online Apply Now Undo The foundation stone-laying ceremony is also being considered politically important as the state assembly elections are due in Oct-Nov. Nitish himself shared the proposed temple design on social media in June, saying that a trust has been formed to expedite the construction work. The state cabinet has sanctioned over Rs 882 crore for the proposed 156-foot-tall main temple structure — five feet less than 161-feet Ram temple in Ayodhya — with wide walkways and ample green cover to be spread over 67 acres, as the govt has plans to develop the place as a centre of religious tourism with road connectivity from the UP city. The project will include Sita and Luv-Kush vatikas (gardens), exhibition centre, cafeteria, children's play area, parking, and other religious and cultural structures. Architect Chandrakant Sompura, famous for the design of Ram temple in Ayodhya, has also designed the Sita temple. Makrana stone will be used in the temple and its sanctum sanctorum. The central govt has already undertaken a project to connect Ayodhya's Ram Mandir and Maa Janaki temple. The Ram-Janaki Marg will connect Ayodhya with Bhithamore in Sitamarhi district near Nepal border.
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Bihar polls: Why Nitish Kumar's caste survey was a political masterstroke
NEW DELHI: For over two decades, Nitish Kumar has defied political gravity, fractured mandates and bitter rivals in Bihar to serve as the chief minister of the state. Nitish has remained the pivot around which Bihar's politics has revolved in the last 20 years. This despite the fact that his party Janata Dal (United) has never won a full majority in the state assembly. Nitish Kumar has alternated between the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) camps at least six times since 1999 earning the dubious distinction of being called the "Paltu Kumar" of Bihar politics. Nitish was with the BJP-led NDA from 1999 to 2013 before switching to the UPA in 2015. In 2017, he returned to the NDA, only to realign with the UPA again in 2022. A year later, he joined the INDIA bloc, but by 2024, he had once again rejoined the NDA. Ironically, despite these political manoeuvres, Nitish is still courted by every major political force in Bihar. The question then arises: what makes Nitish Kumar indispensable? Nitish Kumar belongs to the Kurmi caste, which makes up only 3 per cent of Bihar's population. In the initial stages of his political career, Nitish backed heavily on 'Luv-Kush' (Kurmi-Kushwaha) support and was recognised as their undisputed leader. Nitish also focussed on development agenda and gained popularity with several of his pro-women policies like prohibition. But over a period of time, Nitish realised that to have an edge over either the RJD or the BJP, he needed to broaden his support base. So, the JD(U) chief made a conscious effort to weave his support base around the entire EBC community by modelling his politics on Karpoori Thakur's ideals and putting a special focus on the economically weaker section. Nitish gradually placed himself as the "poster boy" of the Extremely Backward Class, which constitutes the largest portion of the population in Bihar. By announcing the caste survey in 2023, Nitish rebooted his politics and claimed his "social justice" credentials. Also through the survey, Nitish formally proclaimed his vote bank, making sure that he or his party cannot be pushed to the margins. Political analyst Kumar Vijay, who has followed politics in Bihar closely for several years, believes that the caste survey was undertaken to project Nitish Kumar as the leader of largest chunk of Bihar's population. "I firmly believe the caste survey was meant to project Nitish Kumar as the leader of the largest segment of Bihar's population and not just a Luv-Kush exercise was also a reminder to the RJD that Nitish commands a broader voter base — around 36 per cent — compared to Lalu Prasad Yadav's MY (Muslim-Yadav) support base, which accounts for about 32 per cent," Vijay said. "Building a voter base across 122 castes is not easy. Nitish has introduced several schemes and programs targeting these communities to consolidate his position," he added. Further, Vijay said that it would be interesting to see how the Muslim voters within the EBS community will vote in the upcoming elections. "Interestingly, Nitish has also been the only NDA leader with some traction among Muslim voters. However, with the recent passage of the new Waqf laws, it remains to be seen how this development might impact his support among the community," he said. The caste survey found out that there were 122 castes among the EBCs in the state. If the 10 percent Muslim EBCs are discounted, 26 percent is believed to be the strong supporters of Nitish. How the numbers add up Now, let's analyse how JD(U) performed in the 2020 assembly elections. Even though it was the party's worst performance since 2000, JD(U) still managed to secure 32.83% of the vote in the 115 seats it contested, even when both his ally, the BJP, and the opposition, led by the RJD, weren't exactly in his corner. This shows Nitish Kumar's loyal voter base that has largely stuck with him. If the Luv-Kush voters (about 7% Kurmis and Koeris) are combined with the 26% non-Muslim EBCs, the math adds up to 33%. Since 2004, Nitish has filled the lacunae of a leader in the EBC community by starting a host of schemes especially targeting the EBCs, such as the Student Credit Card scheme, scholarship schemes from primary classes, school uniforms, free textbooks, vocational training, and housing and employment schemes. Challenges ahead However, in these elections, Nitish Kumar appears to be facing a challenge in the form of Chirag Paswan. Union minister Chirag has recently announced that his party, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), will contest all 243 seats in Bihar. This could be a serious matter of concern for Nitish, as the LJP's vote bank, like that of the JDU, also lies among the EBCs and Scheduled Castes. This election will serve as a litmus test for Nitish's hold over the EBC vote bank and his projection as their poster boy — more so, in light of his reported health issues, which the opposition has repeatedly raised.
Mint
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Former foes RCP Singh & Prashant Kishor unite: A real challenge to Nitish Kumar or just optics ahead of Bihar Elections?
Bihar Elections 2025: Former Union minister Ramchandra Prasad Singh, popularly known as RCP Singh, on Sunday joined hands with his long-time detractor Prashant Kishor. Singh merged his Aap Sabki Awaaz Party (ASAP) with the Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) – months ahead of Bihar Assembly elections 2025. The merger means political foes turning friends. RCP Singh and Kishor were known to be fierce rivals during their stints in the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United). On Sunday, however, the two leaders showered praises on each other. 'I was fascinated by how the JSP has been speaking about issues that concern the common man. We are committed to work towards making Bihar beautiful and prosperous,' Singh said as he donned the JSP's yellow scarf while being into the party by Kishor in Patna. How will the merger impact the political landscape in poll bound Bihar? Singh, former national president of JD(U), is a known OBC Kurmi face from Nalanda – considered Nitish Kumar's fortress. Singh, expert said, may help the JSP consolidate a section of the Kurmi community – known as a core voter base of Nitish – in its favour. Kishor's party may get a boost among Kurmis, but not much, they said. More than a mass leader Singh is known for his organisational skills as a strategist. 'From the optics perspective, both RCP and Kishor, former Nitish aides, would come as a stronger force in targetting the JD-U chief ahead of elections. They would try to send out a message on how two former aides of Nitish Kumar have gone against him,' said Amitabh Tiwari, political strategist and founder of VoteVibe, a newly-founded firm at the forefront of political reasearch and sentiment analysis. The Kurmi, along with sister-caste Koeri, which makes up approximately 7-8 8 per cent of Bihar's electorate, is a significant voting bloc, particularly in districts like Nalanda, Arwal, and Jehanabad of the state's Magadh region. Apart form Nitish Kumar and his JD-U, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) depends on Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) to garner the support of the Kurmi-Koeri (Luv-Kush) vote base. The 243-member Bihar assembly is voting by October-November to elect a new government. Reacting to this new Alliance, former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav has dropped strong hints that the BJP could be 'orchestrating the merger behind the scenes. "Both of them were in JD(U), one a national vice president, the other a national president. Who is getting all this done and how it is happening, people of Bihar know everything," Tejashwi said while interacting with the journalists in Patna. "If two rebels of JD(U) have come together, then everyone understands whose game this is. We don't need to say much. People are watching everything," he said. RCP Singh is a 1984-batch IAS officer who first came in touch with Nitish in 2001 when the JD (U) chief was Union Minister of Railways Minister. When Nitish became Bihar CM in 2005, RCP Singh was transferred to Bihar next year as a civil servant. Later, Singh went on to be known one of the most powerful bureaucrat in Bihar and a key Nitish aide. In 2010, Singh took voluntary retirement from the civil services and formally joined the JD(U) where he went on to be known as an organisational man who functioned from behind the scene. In 2018, Kishor, the political strategist-turned-politician, joined the JD(U) as its national vice-president. It is said that Kishor's joining didn't go well with RCP Singh as he felt insecure. RCP Singh however continued to call the shots in the JD(U) A 'cold war' ensued between Kishor and RCP Singh. Kishor quit the JD(U) in January 2020 and eventually launched his political party Jan Suraaj Party in October 2024 RCP Singh, however, rose to become the JD(U) national president. In July 2021, RCP Singh recommended himself for the lone Union Cabinet berth from the party's quota in the second Narendra Modi government. This perhaps upset Lalan Singh, the defacto number 2 in JD(U) RCP Singh resigned from Union Cabinet in 2022 and later from the JD(U) after he was overlooked for renomination to the Rajya Sabha. HE joined the BJP in May 2023. Nitish returned to the NDA in January 2024. Singh floated his Aap Sabki Awaaz Party last November. After joining forces the two new friends in Bihar are expected to escalate their attack on Nitish Kumar. Kishor had planned to launch a signature campaign in Nalanda, protesting the state government's alleged failure to deliver on its promise of ₹ 2 lakh to 94 lakh poor families. However, he was barred from entering the village.
Mint
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Former foes RCP Singh & Prashant Kishor unite: A real challenge to Nitish Kumar or just optics ahead of Bihar Election?
Bihar Elections 2025: Former Union minister Ramchandra Prasad Singh, popularly known as RCP Singh, on Sunday joined hands with his long-time detractor Prashant Kishor. Singh merged his Aap Sabki Awaaz Party (ASAP) with the Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) – months ahead of Bihar Assembly elections 2025. The merger means political foes turning friends. RCP Singh and Kishor were known to be fierce rivals during their stints in the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (Uinted). On Sunday, however, the two leaders showered praises on each other. 'I was fascinated by how the JSP has been speaking about issues that concern the common man. We are committed to work towards making Bihar beautiful and prosperous,' Singh said as he donned the JSP's yellow scarf while being into the party by Kishor in Patna. How will the merger impact the political landscape in poll bound Bihar? Singh, former national president of JD(U), is a known OBC Kurmi face from Nalanda – considered Nitish Kumar's fortress. Singh, expert said, may help the JSP consolidate a section of the Kurmi community – known as a core voter base of Nitish – in its favour. Kishor's party may get a boost among Kurmis, but not much, they said. More than a mass leader Singh is known for his organisational skills as a strategist. 'From the optics perspective, both RCP and Kishor, former Nitish aides, would come as a stronger force in targetting the JD-U chief ahead of elections. They would try to send out a message on how two former aides of Nitish Kumar have gone against him,' said Amitabh Tiwari, political strategist and founder of VoteVibe, a newly-founded firm at the forefront of political reasearch and sentiment analysis. The Kurmi, along with sister-caste Koeri, which makes up approximately 7-8 8 per cent of Bihar's electorate, is a significant voting bloc, particularly in districts like Nalanda, Arwal, and Jehanabad of the state's Magadh region. Apart form Nitish Kumar and his JD-U, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) depends on Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) to garner the support of the Kurmi-Koeri (Luv-Kush) vote base. The 243-member Bihar assembly is voting by October-November to elect a new government. Reacting to this new alliance, former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav has dropped strong hints that the BJP could be 'orchestrating the merger behind the scenes. "Both of them were in JD(U), one a national vice president, the other a national president. Who is getting all this done and how it is happening, people of Bihar know everything," Tejashwi said while interacting with the journalists in Patna. "If two rebels of JD(U) have come together, then everyone understands whose game this is. We don't need to say much. People are watching everything," he said. RCP Singh is a 1984-batch IAS officer with 28 years of administrative experience. He first came in touch with Nitish in 2001 when the JD (U) chief was Union Minister of Railways Minister between 2001 and 2004. When Nitish became Bihar CM in 2005, RCP Singh was transferred to Bihar next year as a civil servant. Later, Singh went on to be known one of the most powerful bureaucrat in Bihar and a key Nitish aide. In 2010, Singh took voluntary retirement from the civil services and formally joined the JD(U) where he went on to be known as an organisational man who functioned from behind the scene. In 2018, Kishor, the political strategist-turned-politician joined the JD(U) as its national vice-president. It is said that Kishor's joining didn't go well with RCP Singh as he felt insecure. RCP Singh however continued to call the shots in the JD(U) A 'cold war' ensued between Kishor and RSP Singh. Kishor quit the JD(U) in January 2020 and eventually launched his political party Jan Suraaj Party in October 2024 RCP Singh, however, rose to become the JD(U) national president. In July 2021, RCP Singh recommended himself for the lone Union Cabinet berth from the party's quota in the second Narendra Modi government. This perhaps upset Lalan Singh, the defacto number 2 in JD(U) RCP Singh resigned from Union Cabinet in 2022 and later from the JD(U) after he was overlooked for renomination to the Rajya Sabha. RCP had been a Rajya Sabha member since 2010. Singh joined the BJP in May 2023. Nitish returned to the NDA in January 2024. Singh floated his Aap Sabki Awaaz Party last November. After joining forces the two new friends in Bihar are expected to escalate their attack on Nitish Kumar. Kishor had planned to launch a signature campaign in Nalanda, protesting the state government's alleged failure to deliver on its promise of ₹ 2 lakh to 94 lakh poor families. However, he was barred from entering the village. 'As for impact on ground, I do not see that happening much. No matter what the perceptions says, Nitish Kumar is arguably the tallest Kurmi leader in Bihar as of now,' Tiwari said.
Indian Express
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Ex-Nitish aide RCP Singh buries hatchet with Prashant Kishor, merges outfit with Jan Suraaj
With the Bihar Assembly elections barely five months away, former political foes are turning friends in the state now. On Sunday, ex-Union minister Ramchandra Prasad Singh, popularly known as RCP Singh, joined hands with his long-time detractor Prashant Kishor and merged his little-known Aap Sabki Awaaz Party with the latter's Jan Suraaj Party (JSP). Seen to be fierce rivals during their stints in the Nitish Kumar-led JD(U), the two leaders were all praise for each other on Sunday. 'I was fascinated by how the JSP has been speaking about issues that concern the common man… We are committed to work towards making Bihar beautiful and prosperous,' Singh said as he donned the JSP's yellow scarf and was welcomed into the party by Kishor himself in Patna. Singh, an OBC Kurmi face from Nalanda, had also been the former national president of the JD(U). He is likely to help the JSP consolidate a section of the Kurmi community – known as a core voter base of Nitish – in its favour. 'RCP Singh's induction is likely to boost the JSP's prospects among the Kurmis but our biggest gain would be his organisational skills at a time when Kishor is trying to cobble up a social combination from all possible communities,' JSP sources said. Currently, the ruling NDA is seen to largely rely on Nitish and Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) to garner the support of the Kurmi-Koeri (Luv-Kush) voter base, which collectively make up 7% of the electorate in Bihar. On his part, Kishor said Singh would not be just a worker but a key leader of the party. Asked if Singh would be the JSP's chief ministerial candidate, he quipped, 'At least now you have started believing that we can form the government. It is good to see our CM candidate is being discussed.' Saying that Singh, a former bureaucrat, brought with him years of experience in administration as well as politics, Kishor went on to recall how he had worked with the former 'much before' RJD chief Lalu Prasad and Kumar came together ahead of the 2015 Assembly polls. 'Nitish always said he abhorred the three Cs – crime, corruption and communalism. Now, he is not the same person… but we still respect Nitish Kumar, the idea. RCP Singh is a great addition not just to the JSP but also to the great common cause that binds us together,' he said. Reminded that Singh had earlier said that Kishor 'had not contributed anything to Bihar', the JSP founder said, 'RCP Singh was right in saying that as I started contributing to the state only from May 2022, when I started the Jan Suraaj campaign.' A 1984-batch IAS officer with 28 years of administrative experience, Singh first came into contact with Nitish during the latter's stint as Railways Minister between 2001 and 2004. As Nitish assumed the CM's chair in 2005, Singh was brought to Bihar the following year as a civil servant. Once considered as a key Nitish aide and the most powerful bureaucrat in Bihar, Singh took voluntary retirement from the IAS and formally joined the JD(U) in 2010, and was seen as its key organisational man, who was credited with expanding the party at the grassroots level. While many saw Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh as Nitish's No. 2, RCP Singh was said to be 'running the show' from behind the scenes. As Kishor joined the JD(U) as its national vice-president, a hitherto non-existent post, in 2018, RCP Singh seemingly saw his authority being challenged. However, despite being up the party's pecking order in comparison to senior leaders like Lalan Singh and then general secretary K C Tyagi, Kishor felt 'suffocated' as RCP Singh continued to call the shots. Though both Kishor and RCP Singh never publicly criticised each other, the 'cold war' between them was no secret within party circles. Eventually, Kishor quit the JD(U) in January 2020 to launch the 'Bihar ki Baat', an initiative which failed to take off due to the Covid-19 pandemic. RCP Singh rose further to become the JD(U) national president and in July 2021, recommended himself for the lone Union Cabinet berth from the party's quota in the second Narendra Modi government, seemingly upsetting Lalan Singh. RCP Singh's rivalry with Lalan Singh and his proximity to the BJP led him to resign first as the party's national president in August 2021, and a year later, from the Union Cabinet and the JD(U) after he was overlooked for renomination to the Rajya Sabha. He had been a Rajya Sabha member since 2010. After lying low for a few months, Singh went on to join the BJP in May 2023 but seemingly lost relevance after Nitish returned to the NDA in January last year. After being denied any key role even after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, he went on to float his Aap Sabki Awaaz Party last November. However, his party remained a non-starter.
