Bihar to give another ‘chakravarti’ to country in 2024, says education minister

PATNA: The chorus to project Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar as the opposition’s prime ministerial candidate for the next general election grew louder on Friday with state education minister Chandra Shekhar saying that Bihar would give another “chakravarti” to the country in 2024.
While praising the works and vision of Nitish Kumar during an education department’s event at the S K Memorial Hall here, Shekhar said Bihar has been famous for giving many chakravarti kings – right from Yayati to Ashoka the great – to the country, but over the time the state stopped producing such kings.
“This Bihar will give another ‘chakravarti’ to the country in 2024,” the minister said hinting towards Nitish’s elevation as the opposition’s PM candidate, amidst applause from the audience. Nitish was present on the dais when the minister made this statement.
Lauding Nitish for his concern for the backward states like Bihar and Jharkhand, the education minister, who belongs to Lalu Prasad’s party RJD, said: “Our CM always remains concerned about the issues of poor and backward states as well as problems of the poor and people belonging to the weaker sections of the society.”
Shekhar also pointed out that the head of the Government of India (PM Narendra Modi) was supposed to grant the status of special category state for Bihar and other backward states. He (Modi) was supposed to provide special package for their proper development, but he failed to do so. “On the other hand, our CM Nitish Kumar has taken a resolve that when he will get an opportunity to serve the nation, he would grant the status of special category state to Bihar and all other backward states,” the minister said.
However, while interacting with media here on August 12, Nitish had categorically said that he was not in the PM’s race. But, senior JD(U) leaders like Upendra Kushwaha has regularly been asserting that the Bihar CM has all qualities and qualifications to become the PM. “He (Nitish) is a PM material,” Kushwaha often says.