Nitish favourite to lead Bihar again, survey shows

August 15th, 2009 PATNA - Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar hoisted the national flag here on India's 63rd Independence Day Saturday and promised better infrastructure and more measures to curb corruption. Speaking at the Gandhi Maidan here, Nitish Kumar reiterated that he would make all efforts to make Bihar a developed state by providing education and healthcare facilities to all and improving road connectivity.

May 18th, 2009 PATNA - Putting all speculations to rest, Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Monday said his party had no intention of joining the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA). Nitish Kumar asserted that the JD-U continues to part of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

May 16th, 2009 PATNA - Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Saturday said the Congress has been given the mandate by people to rule the country and it should not forget the promise of a special status to his state. 'I am very pleased with the election results.

May 15th, 2009 PATNA - Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar on Friday made it clear that whichever coalition gave his state special status could hope for support from him in forming the next government in the Centre. Speaking at a book release function here, Kumar said that the Prime Minister, Dr.Manmohan Singh, had so far refused to give Bihar a special status.

May 15th, 2009 PATNA - Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced Friday that the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) would support any party in New Delhi that grants special status to his state for economic development. 'I am clear about extending support to any party or alliance that will grant the special category status to Bihar,' Nitish Kumar told reporters here after the release of the book 'Special Category Status - A Case for Bihar'.

May 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Responding to the demand of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar that he will support that coalition which gives 'Special Status' to his state, the Congress has asked Kumar to clarify what he means by 'Special Status'. "Mr. Nitish Kumar needs to tell us what he means by 'Special Status' for Bihar.

May 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was very much part of their National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader said he was willing to support any party that would grant his state a special status. 'Nitish Kumar hasn't asked for anything unusual.

May 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Congress party removed its Media Chairman Veerappa Moily from the post, a day after he made strong remarks against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar - emerging as Indian politics' most-wanted. Moily has been replaced by AICC General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi, who had been holding the charge earlier.

May 5th, 2009 PATNA - With the Congress tactically wooing him, Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Nitish Kumar denied Tuesday for the second time in as many days any move to join the Congress-led UPA and asserted he would never leave the NDA. A day after saying there was no truth in Congress leader Sheila Dikshit's statement that the JD-U leader could switch over to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) after the polls, Nitish Kumar had to ward off overtures from Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

May 2nd, 2009 PATNA - Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Saturday maintained that he was not in the running for the prime minister's post, a day after a senior Janta Dal-United (JD-U) leader suggested his name as a possible candidate for the top job. 'I am not in the race for the prime minister's post,' Nitish Kumar told reporters here before leaving for campaigning.

April 24th, 2009 PATNA - Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal- United leader Nitish Kumar on Friday said the RJD-LJP alliance would be uprooted from Bihar after general elections. "The RJD-LJP alliance would face a rout in the state in the general elections.

April 22nd, 2009 PATNA - Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar were engaged in a war of words on Wednesday hours after Maoists struck in four places in Bihar and Jharkhand. "The entire Nitish Kumar Government is a failure in Bihar.

April 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With the first phase of elections only days away, it's a common sight to see people discussing politics at tea stalls or at street corners. At one such tea stall in south Delhi, there was a heated debate about politicians and their winning prospects - especially in Bihar.

April 12th, 2009 PATNA - Janata Dal-United (JDU) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday blamed the Congress for starting criminalisation of politics in the country. "If there is criminalisation of politics in the country, it is because of the Congress since that party started this trend," Nitish Kumar told reporters here.

April 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Lal Krishna Advani downplayed the possibility of Janata Dal (United) parting ways with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after the general polls. Advani reacted to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's comment in an interview with a news channel that his party had kept the options open and it was only after the elections that he would decide whom he would form an alliance with.