Nitish Kumar

Nitish Kumar (born 1 March 1951) is an Indian politician serving as the Chief Minister of Bihar, one of India's most populous states. He has served as CM multiple times since 2000 and is known for transforming Bihar from one of India's most lawless states to a model of governance and development. He is the national president of the Janata Dal (United) party. Born in Bakhtiarpur, Patna district, Nitish Kumar comes from a political family — his father was a freedom fighter and a member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly. He entered active politics in the 1970s and was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1977 from the Janata Party. He held several ministerial positions at the central government level, including Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Railways, and Minister of Surface Transport. Nitish Kumar became Chief Minister of Bihar for the first time in 2000 but resigned after just seven days due to a dispute with his ally. He returned as CM in 2005 and has largely dominated Bihar's politics since then. His tenure has been marked by significant improvements in law and order, infrastructure development, education, and healthcare. The "Bihar Model" of development, focusing on roads, electricity, and water supply, has been widely studied and praised. Under his leadership, Bihar's crime rate dropped dramatically, roads were built at record pace, and the state's education system improved. He has been particularly credited with empowering women through schemes like free bicycles for girl students and 50% reservation for women in local bodies. However, his frequent political alliances — switching between the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led Mahagathbandhan — have earned him the nickname "Paltu Kumar" (turncoat Kumar). Despite controversies over his shifting alliances, Nitish Kumar remains one of India's most experienced and longest-serving chief ministers.