Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
The next assembly elections in Bihar are still a year and a half away, but the chessboard has already been cast before the Lok Sabha elections. The NDA could not capture all the 40 seats in Bihar, but this time there are slogans of crossing 200 for the assembly elections. As soon as Nitish Kumar joined the NDA, speculation started that the next deal would be on the issue of special status to Bihar. Meanwhile, with a new government at the center and the occasion of the Union Budget, the question is, has the time come when a big order will be placed from Delhi for Bihar? Will Bihar get special status now? As is the age-old desire and demand of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. It is certain that Nitish Kumar will become an unforgettable personality in the history of Bihar.
Special state status has been an old pillar of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s politics. He has been raising his voice for this for almost two decades. But his wish could not be fulfilled. However, Nitish is well aware that his demand is unlikely to be met sooner or later. So, he and the people of Bihar as a whole have higher expectations this time than ever. Because when Jharkhand became a separate state in the year 2000, Bihar was left only to be proud of its cultural heritage. The basis of Bihar’s economic prosperity was taken away from him. But this was a political compulsion. Migration from the state once again began to increase due to backwardness, poverty and horrors of floods.
When did you raise the demand for special status?
It was the period after 2000 in Bihar when a large section of the state’s population preferred Nitish Kumar’s politics over RJD and Lalu Prasad Yadav. His vision held new hope for the future of Bihar. Then Nitish Kumar gave the slogan of good governance and prosperity. In this context the 2005 assembly election can be considered as the most revolutionary election. Then Bihar Election Inspector KJ Rao changed the electoral picture of the state. He used EVMs for the first time in the Bihar assembly elections and deployed Rapid Action Force at every booth. He traveled on a motorcycle on footpaths and inspected booths in every village and arranged security during polling. Result- Change of power in Bihar. Lalu Prasad Yadav left and Nitish Kumar came to power.
When Nitish became CM for the first time in 2005
After becoming the chief minister, Nitish Kumar officially raised the demand for special status. He argued in the assembly – Bihar only experienced poverty and backwardness after the creation of Jharkhand, so the loss could be compensated by giving special status to the state and put it on the path of development. This address of Nitish Kumar became the biggest base of his popularity across the state. With this demand he became known as the biggest hero of Bihar. The people of the state began to dream that if Nitish Kumar’s demands were accepted, the transformation of the state would be certain.
When Chief Minister Nitish Kumar raised this demand, there was a UPA government at the Centre. Dr. Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister. In Bihar, Nitish Kumar formed the government in alliance with the BJP. Nitish Kumar regretted that his demands were ignored during the UPA government.
Nitish’s second term and special demand
After this, Nitish Kumar once again got the reins of Bihar in the 2010 assembly elections. Now UPA II was ruling at the centre. Manmohan Singh became the Prime Minister again. Nitish Kumar remained firm on the demand for special status. In November 2012, he made a big announcement of his demand at Gandhi Maidan in Patna. After this, in March 2013, at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, he also attacked the Manmohan Singh government at the Center regarding his demand. He alleged that the Raghuram Rajan Committee for Economic Reforms was constituted in 2007 itself on our demand, but even after the publication of the report in 2013, the central government did nothing.
Nitish has raised demands in the Modi government as well
Nitish Kumar’s complaint about Bihar’s demand for special status is not only with the UPA government. Even after the change of power at the Center in 2014, he has repeated his demand several times. Nitish Kumar had complained that even in May 2017, he had written to the central government about granting special status. After this, last year in 2023, a formal proposal to grant special state status was also passed in the Bihar cabinet. Then in his letter he appealed to the central government to grant special state status to the people of Bihar immediately.
Tejashwi Yadav also with Nitish’s demands
Bihar’s demand for special status is an issue in which Nitish Kumar is not alone. If he is the leader of this campaign, all the political forces in the state are reluctantly ready to support him. This has become an emotional issue for the state. This demand is being made for the last 19 years. In Bihar, Nitish Kumar and his party JDU have formed a power coalition with RJD twice. During this period Tejaswi and his entire party have fully supported special status and expressed solidarity. Even the BJP unit in Bihar is already with Nitish’s demand.
In such a situation, former deputy CM of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav has started taunting saying that if Bihar is a kingmaker then Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should seek special state status from the Centre. On the other hand, leaders in Bihar are busy creating atmosphere. Special status slogans are being raised from every platform. All of Bihar believes that the iron is hot, this is the time to demand special status for Bihar.
