NEW DELHI: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s two-day visit to Delhi ended unexpectedly early on Saturday, December 30, as he failed to secure meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi or BJP President JP Nadda.
The Chief Minister returned to Patna the same evening claiming that the trip was a routine visit for a medical check-up.
Kumar’s visit began with a condolence meeting at the residence of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, where he paid respects to Singh’s family.
On the second day, speculation was rife about his possible meetings with PM Modi and JP Nadda, though the agenda of the discussions remained undisclosed.
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The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) wasted no time in targeting the Janata Dal (United) (JDU) over the meetings which did not materialise, suggesting that Nitish Kumar’s presence was not deemed significant by the BJP leadership.
Back in Bihar, Chief Minister Kumar’s absence coincided with mounting protests over alleged irregularities in the 70th Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) examination.
Protesters, primarily students and aspirants, are demanding the cancellation of the exams, citing widespread reports of misconduct.
The protesting candidates are calling for a direct meeting with CM Kumar, expressing dissatisfaction with discussions held with BPSC officials.
Nitish Kumar’s silence on the BPSC controversy and his absence from the state have drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders.
They accused the Chief Minister of prioritizing political engagements in Delhi over urgent governance issues in Bihar.
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Nitish Kumar’s Delhi visit has also reignited speculation about his political alliances, given his history of switching sides between the RJD and BJP to remain the chief minister of Bihar.
Opposition parties are claiming that in the coming time the BJP could potentially break ties with the JDU to oust Kumar from power.
In response to these allegations, JDU spokesperson Abhishek Jha firmly reiterated that Nitish Kumar will remain the face of the NDA in Bihar and that the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections will be contested under his leadership.
