Nitish Kumar would embark on his next yatra, his 16th such march and 15th in his capacity as the Bihar Chief Minister, later this week.
Named Samriddhi (prosperity) yatra, the march would kick off on January 16, a day after what is considered the inauspicious month of kharmas would draw to a close.
JD (U) chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said: “Undertaking yatra in the chilling winter shows commitment of Nitish Kumar towards the state. This is also the reason he has been in the saddle of the state for 20 years. He had recorded historic victory in the 2025 polls with NDA winning 202 of 243 seats at a time when people had started writing him off. Nitish’s social and political capital is unmatched.
His upcoming yatra is a way to take stock of the government welfare schemes. This also ensures that government officials do not turn complacent.”
Bihar Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit has asked district magistrates of all 38 districts in the state to prepare for the upcoming yatra.
Kumar had embarked on his first march – Nyay Yatra – in July 2005. Vikas Yatra, his first after becoming the CM, took place in January 2009. His last such march was Pragati Yatra, in December 2024.
Like all his previous yatras, the January 16 march is likely to begin from West Champaran during which he is expected to review key projects of the government, mainly in health, education, agriculture, road construction and social sectors. The CM would also launch new schemes and mark completion of the existing ones. He would also meet public during the political trip, which would be attended by senior IAS and IPS officers.
RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari said: “The CM has been holding yatras for a while. It is part of his politics. We will allow the government time. We respect the mandate but would do our job as the Opposition at the right time.”
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Notably, Leader of Opposition and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has decided not to issue any statement for a while. This is part of the RJD’s strategy to allow the new government some time before the Opposition engages in any criticism.
Bhojpuri actor Pandey quits JSP
Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) Monday received a setback with Bhojpuri singer Ritesh Pandey deciding to quit the party. Pandey had contested unsuccessfully from Kargahar (Rohtas), the home constituency of JSP founder Kishor, and was one of the few candidates of the party to have garnered over 15,000 votes.
Pandey posted on X: “As a responsible Indian, I had decided to join the Jan Suraj Party and participated in the grand festival of democracy… Working as an active member of a political party is very tough, so I’m resigning from Jan Suraj Party’s membership…”
Meanwhile, another JSP leader, former Union minister RCP Singh, who recently attended a meeting in which Bihar CM Nitish Kumar also participated, told reporters: “Nitish Kumar and I have known each other for 25 years now. No one can claim to know Nitish Kumar as much as I have known him. There is no difference between him and I.”
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Singh also supported the demand of Bharat Ratna for Nitish.
JD (U), however, has not responded to Singh’s overtures. Singh’s daughter Lata Singh had contested unsuccessfully from Asthawan as a JSP nominee.
