“the case for Special Status for Bihar is ….”, Big Blow To Nitish Kumar?

The Narendra Modi government on Monday has ruled out special status to Bihar, a core and long-standing demand of Nitish Kumar whose support is critical for the NDA government at the centre. In a written reply to Jhanjharpur Lok Sabha MP Ramprit Mandal, Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary cited the Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) report 2012 while claiming the special category status is not made out for the state of Bihar.

“The Special Category Status for plan assistance was granted in the past by the National Development Council (NDC) to some States that were characterised by a number of features necessitating special consideration…The decision was taken based on an integrated consideration of all the factors listed above and the peculiar situation of the State. Earlier, the request of Bihar for Special Category Status was considered by an Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) which submitted its Report on 30th March 2012. The IMG came to the finding that based on existing NDC criteria, the case for Special Category Status for Bihar is not made out," the response from Chaudhary to the Lok Sabha read.


Nitish Kumar in 2023 had dumped Congress and RJD, went back to the folds of NDA, and continued as the chief minister of Bihar. One of the first things he had vouched for after that was special status for the state, a demand he had made several times in the past, non-fulfilment of what he had even attributed as one of the many reasons to break apart from BJP in 2022. RJD has hit back at Nitish Kumar on Monday, demanded his resignation. “Nitish Kumar had promised that he will get the special status done for the state. Now he must resign. The centre has to approve the special status category to Bihar”, said Lalu Prasad Yadav, RJD supremo and former chief minister.

A special status ensures more central support to a backward state to expedite its growth. Few Northeastern states, Jammu and Kashmir (now a Union Territory) and hilly states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have been granted the special status so far. Like Bihar, Andhra Pradesh too have been demanding for the special status that will allow more financial support from the Centre in the Union government's schemes and several concessions in taxes.


BJP won 240 seats in the recent Lok Sabha election, even after being the single largest party, it lacked the majority to form the government. It is dependent on Nitish Kumar’s JDU and Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP. Two parties together account for 28 seats, crucial in the NDA 293 strength. LJP, another key ally of NDA from Bihar had echoed similar demands like the JD(U). "We have been raising this demand of special category status for Bihar and if there is any technical issue, then a special package should be given" Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader and Union minister Chirag Paswan had said on Sunday.

During the all-party meeting ahead of the monsoon session on Sunday JD(U) had reiterated their demand for special status, the opposition is calling the denial a day later by BJP to its own ally, a blow to Nitish Kumar. Kumar was the first to call for the opposition meeting against the BJP in June 2023 but later dumped the INDIA bloc. He won 15 out of 40 Lok Sabha seats and without his support, NDA could have been on a sticky ground at 278, merely five more than the majority mark. "Nitish Kumar and JDU leaders must enjoy the fruits of power at the Centre and continue their drama politics on special status," the RJD posted on X.