Nitish Kumar’s Cryptic Response to Bihar’s Special Status Denial

Patna July 23 2024 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar offered a cryptic response after the central government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, rejected Bihar’s demand for special status. Kumar, the Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)] chief, whose party is a crucial ally of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) with 12 Lok Sabha MPs, was questioned about the Union government’s statement in Parliament.

In response, Kumar remarked, “You will get to know all things slowly, and slowly (sab kuchh dhire dhire jaan jaaiyega),” to a group of journalists at the Bihar Assembly. With a smile, Kumar refrained from further elaboration and proceeded to enter the House.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fell short of a majority, securing 240 seats, and depended on allies like JD(U) and TDP to reach the 272-seat requirement for government formation. Following the electoral victory, JD(U) held a national executive meeting where a resolution reiterated the demand for special status for Bihar.

Despite the special status snub, JD(U) leaders, including two Union ministers, maintain that the resolution also called for a “special package and other types of help” and that Bihar could still benefit significantly from the Modi government.

While Bihar’s special status request was denied, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced substantial financial assistance for the state during the Union Budget 2024 presentation. The budget includes a proposal of ₹26,000 crore for various road projects in Bihar, with additional financial aid through multilateral development agencies.

Sitharaman also outlined plans for projects to develop airports, medical colleges, and sports infrastructure in Bihar, as part of the government’s “Purvodaya” initiative aimed at the holistic development of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh.