In a surprising turn of events, the cancellation of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s proposed visit to Varanasi on December 24, aimed at launching his 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign, has stirred speculation. JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar alleges the BJP government in UP denied permission for the public meeting in Varanasi – PM Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency. Actor-turned-politician Ravi Kishan had challenged Kumar to contest from the holy city. The Bihar CM was slated to extend his campaign to Maharashtra, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and Gujarat from UP.
The deadlock over AIIMS-Darbhanga’s location seems to have broken. The Centre reportedly agreed to establish the premier institute in Shobhna village, a site previously rejected for being low-lying. Bihar’s water resources minister, Sanjay Kumar Jha, mentions the state may need to spend more than the Centre on the project. The project gained traction after a meeting between Bihar’s additional chief secretary of health, Pratayaya Amrit, and Union health secretary Sudhanshu Pant in New Delhi. This will be the second health facility after AIIMS Patna.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), led by Lalu Prasad, faces criticism following recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on RJD leader Amit Kumar alias Bachcha Rai’s residence. The raids are connected to the Bihar 2016 merit scam, and Rai, currently on bail, saw Rs 3 crore in cash seized. The ED also filed a case against Rai for illegal construction on land confiscated by the agency in 2018. Rai is known to be close to Lalu Prasad and his family.
