In this screenshot via Bihar Vidhan Sabha, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar speaks in the Bihar Legislative Council during the Budget session, in Patna, on March 20, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Bihar Vidhan Sabha via PTI
In his over three-decades-long active political journey Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been hitting headlines in newspapers more for his political mannerisms, etiquettes and also volte-face but of late, Mr Kumar, 74, hit news headlines and political discussions more for his verbal and non-verbalisms.
On March 20 while participating in State Legislature proceedings, Mr Kumar most recently drew attention from media persons when he urged Assembly Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav to ban legislators from bringing their mobile phones in the House. Later, Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, said in his post on social media that “there was provision done for the legislators to ask supplementary questions looking at their mobile phones or, tablets to make the House paperless in view of environment protection”.
Also read | An unusual Nitish Kumar
Not only this, Mr Kumar rose on his chair in the House even to say that the “whole world will be perished in next 10 years” with the use of mobile phones and he had “quit using mobile phones since 2019”. However, when Mr Kumar was “enlightening the House with his knowledge on mobile phone” (as quipped by an Opposition MLA), a woman government servant sitting in official corridor space, a few steps away from Mr Kumar, inside the House was caught on camera while talking incessantly on her mobile phone.
Later in the day, inside the legislative Council, Mr Kumar kept slamming Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi while asking her what was she before her husband made her the Chief Minister of the State? Earlier too, Mr Kumar had launched sharp verbal attack on Ms Devi in the Council prompting her younger son and Leader of Opposition in State Assembly Tejashwi Yadav to allege that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has made “lewd gestures” towards Ms Devi and other woman legislator asking them why they were wearing bindis on their forehead. “I’ve asked for the footage”, Mr Yadav said.
In the evening on the same day, Mr Kumar reached a sports complex in Patna to officially inaugurate Sepaktakraw World Cup match between several countries and sparked controversy in a video which immediately went viral on social media. When the national anthem was played and all persons were standing in honour of the anthem, Mr Kumar was seen (in the video) pestering his Principal Secretary Mr Deepak Kumar who visibly tried to stop Mr Kumar for his uncalled for gestures but, Mr Kumar, later, started greeting people with his hearty laugh and folded hands. The officials and a ministerial colleague were seen embarrassed.Earlier on January 30 too, Mr Kumar was seen in a video which too had gone viral on social media, clapping after paying floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi in Patna observed as martyrdom day.
“At least please do not insult the national anthem, chief minister sir. You already have insulted the youth, students, women and the elderly person. Sometimes you clap on Mahatma Gandhi’s martyr day and sometime you do the same with the national anthem”, requested Opposition RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav in another post mocking at the Chief Minister.
“Chief minister Nitish Kumar has lost his mental balance and has slipped into amnesia”, Mr Yadav and other Opposition leaders have often been alleging these days in public.
Earlier on January 18 this year while interacting with a group of Jeevika Didis in course of his Pragati Yatra in Begusarai, Mr Kumar courted controversy with his “sexist” remark asking “had the girls earlier been wearing clothes…there was nothing in the past [he was apparently referring to the previous RJD regime before November 2005]”.
In November 2024, in an event in Darbhanga, Mr Kumar had made attempt to touch feet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in full public view inviting sharp criticism from Opposition leaders who called him a “helpless CM”. He, earlier, had repeated the same with a government official at a function.
Nitish’s son Nishant in the spotlight
However, of late, the buzz in political circle and beyond has put Mr Kumar and his apolitical son, Nishant Kumar, an engineering graduate in spotlight.
First, some posters welcoming Nishant Kumar in Bihar’s politics were put up outside gate of ruling Janata Dal(United) headquarters at Beer Chand Patel Marg (road) in Patna and then a day after Holi, a colourful picture of Nishant Kumar standing in the middle with party working president Sanjay Kumar Jha and Vijay Kumar Chaudhury, a ministerial colleague who is close to Mr Kumar, appeared on social media indicating his possible political foray in coming days. Party leaders said, top JD-U leaders were seen making beeline to meet Nishant Kumar at The Holi Milan Samaroh (Holi meet function) organized at CM’s official residence 1, Anne Marg.
Second buzz making rounds in the State is that Nishant Kumar, 49, is going to marry in coming days. Nishant Kumar had, earlier told media that he has immersed himself in spirituality. After his marriage he may enter into politics, has been the common refrain in Bihar politics today, though, no official or party confirmation has come yet on this.
Published – March 21, 2025 11:05 am IST
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