JDU Meeting: Nitish Kumar pushes for special category status for Bihar

The Janata Dal (United) held its national executive meeting in Delhi on Saturday. Sources told India Today that party leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar resolved to advocate for special category status for the state.

The push for special category status for Bihar is significant now because Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP relies on support from Kumar’s JD(U). The JD(U) holds 12 seats in the newly elected Lok Sabha, which helps the BJP maintain power at the Centre.

Key decisions and demands were made during the meeting chaired by Nitish Kumar. The event was attended by all party MPs, including Union ministers and JD(U) leaders. Sanjay Jha, the party's Rajya Sabha MP, was elected as the JD(U) working president.

JD(U) insiders told India Today that the party has decided to push for special category status for Bihar, a long-standing demand, from the central government. This demand was emphasized in the political proposal presented during the meeting. The party may also seek a special financial package for the state.

This follows a resolution passed by the Bihar Cabinet last year, demanding special status for the state.

Bihar’s leaders, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, have consistently sought special category status due to the state's economic difficulties. This status would enhance Bihar's share of tax revenues from the central government.

The JD(U) has also asked the central government to include the increased reservations for Other Backward Classes, Extremely Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes in the Ninth Schedule. This comes despite the Patna High Court's decision to overturn Bihar's 65 percent quota for backward classes based on the state's first-ever caste survey.

The national executive reaffirmed its confidence in Nitish Kumar's leadership and committed to contesting the upcoming assembly elections under his guidance. Bihar's legislative assembly elections are scheduled for October 2025. The JD(U) also plans to field candidates in the 2024 Jharkhand elections and is gearing up for a strong campaign.

The executive emphasized the importance of maintaining communication between ministers and party workers to ensure that information about their programs reaches the grassroots level.

The political proposal praised Nitish Kumar for the party's success in the recent Lok Sabha elections. The meeting also applauded PM Modi for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)'s victory in the same elections.

The gathering signified a crucial move in the party's drive to reinforce its structure and get ready for upcoming elections, emphasizing Bihar's progress and expanding the party's influence nationally.