Bihar chief minister and JD(U) stalwart Nitish Kumar is not particularly known for celebrating his birthday, but on Friday, when he turned 62, the socialist leader was greeted by a unusually varied bouquet of sweet tidings, making him freshly the cynosure of all political attention.
The Centre’s favourable turnaround on Mr Kumar’s longstanding demand of for special category state status for Bihar, victory for the JD(U)’s rookie candidate Manju Kumari in the Kalyanpur Assembly bypoll, an Opposition legislator wishing him luck for becoming prime minister, and a bunch of schoolgirls insisting on being photographed with him were part of what made his day.
Mr Kumar’s close aides said he was especially happy about the UPA government’s indication about finally having a sympathetic look at his seven-year-old demand for special category state status for Bihar. “He was also glad that the record paddy production in Bihar during 2011-12 and the current fiscal was mentioned in Union finance minister P. Chidambaram’s budget speech,” said a JD(U) leader.
In the Assembly, both the treasury and Opposition benches showered their greetings on Mr Kumar on his birthday. Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi of the BJP wished him a long and happy life “to lead Bihar and the NDA”. When JD(U) legislator Neeta Chaudhary asked for his permission for five hand-pumps to be installed in each legislator’s constituency like last year as a birthday gift, a beaming Mr Kumar said some announcements will be made for the legislators soon. While Opposition leaders such as the RJD’s Abdul Bari Siddiqui and Samrat Chaudhary wished Kumar a happy, healthy life ahead, RJD MLC Nawal Kishore Yadav went ahead to wish the CM good luck to become prime minister. “Nobody from Bihar has become PM so far. May he (Kumar) become PM,” he said.
Some schoolgirls from Begusarai who met Mr Kumar insisted on being photographed with him. Ignoring the security personnel’s unwillingness, he obliged the girls, who also complained to him about the deficiencies in school infrastructure.