Nitish Kumar (Politician) Age, Caste, Wife, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Nickname(s)	• Munna [1]NDTV • Sushasan Babu [2]The Times of India
Profession(s)	Politician, Social Worker, Agriculturist, Engineer
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)	5' 8" (173 cm)
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Grey
Politics
Political Party	Janata Dal (United)
Political Journey	• 1971: Became a member of Ram Manohar Lohia's youth wing, Samajwadi Yuvajan Sabha • 1974: Joined the JP movement, arrested under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act • 1975: Arrested during the infamous Emergency • 1985: Became the member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly • 1987: Became state president of Lok Dal • 1989: Appointed as Secretary General of Janata Dal, Bihar. Elected as a Member of Parliament for the first time • 1990: Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Cooperation • 1995: Started the Samata party along with George Fernandes • 1999: Union Minister for Surface Transport • 2000: Union Minister of Agriculture. He also became the Chief Minister of Bihar for the 1st time for only 8 days as he couldn't prove majority • 2001: Union Minister for Railways • 2005: Sworn in as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the 2nd time with BJP's support • 2010: Sworn in as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the 3rd time. • 2014: Broke up with the long time partner BJP, after which his party was defeated badly in Lok Sabha elections and he resigned as CM. • 2015: Sworn in as the Chief Minister for the 4th time. The same year he was sworn in as the Chief minister of Bihar for the 5th time and the government was, in fact, a coalition government, which was popularly termed as Mahagathbandhan that includes Rashtriya Janata Dal, Indian National Congress, and Janata Dal (United) • 2017: Broke up with the Mahagathbandhan and sworn in as Chief Minister on 27 July 2015 for a record 6th time with BJP's support • 2022: On 9 August, he ended his alliance with the BJP in Bihar and tendered his resignation as the Chief Minister of Bihar to Governor Phagu Chauhan following which he staked claim to form the government by submitting a letter of support of 160 MLAs. [3]The Hindu • 2022: On 10 August, he took oath as Bihar CM for a record eight-time. [4]Business Line • 2024: On 28 January, he took oath as Bihar CM for the ninth time. [5]Hindustan Times
Awards, Honours, Achievements	• 2017: Anuvrat Puraskar by Shwetambar Terapanthi Mahasabha (Jain organisation) for enforcing total prohibition on liquor in Bihar • 2013: JP Memorial Award, Nagpur's Manav Mandir • 2012: Ranked 77th in Foreign Policy Magazine' top 100 global thinkers • 2011: XLRI, Jamshedpur Sir Jehangir Ghandy Medal for Industrial & Social Peace • 2010: "MSN Indian of the Year" • 2010: NDTV Indian of the Year – Politics • 2010: Forbes' "India's Person of the Year" • 2010: CNN-IBN "Indian of the Year Award" – Politics • 2009: NDTV Indian of the Year – Politics • 2009: Economics Times "Business Reformer of the Year" • 2009: Polio Eradication Championship Award by Rotary International • 2008: CNN-IBN Great Indian of the Year – Politics • 2007: The Best Chief Minister, according to the CNN-IBN and Hindustan Times State of the Nation Poll
Personal Life
Date of Birth	1 March 1951 (Thursday)
Age (as of 2024)	73 Years
Birthplace	Bakhtiarpur, Bihar, India
Zodiac sign	Pisces
Signature
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Bakhtiarpur, Bihar, India
School	• Shree Ganesh High School, Bakhtiarpur, Patna, Bihar • Patna Science College, Patna
College/University	Bihar College of Engineering, Patna
Educational Qualification	B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Bihar College of Engineering (1972) [6]Hindustan Times
Caste	OBC (Kurmi) [7]The Print
Address	Village - Hakikatpur, PO - Bakhtiarpur, District - Patna, Bihar (permanent)
Food Habit	Vegetarian [8]The Quint
Hobbies	Reading books, Watching films
Controversies	• After he sacked his Excise Minister Jamshed Ashraf in 2010, Ashraf alleged him in a scandal involving evasion of taxes on liquor that has led to revenue losses worth Rs. 500 crores. [9]The Times of India • Nitish Kumar broke his alliance with BJP before 2014 general elections after Narendra Modi was chosen as the NDA's Prime Minister candidate. [10]The Economic Times • His alliance with his long time opposition RJD of Lalu Prasad Yadav and Congress in 2015 Bihar elections was highly criticized. [11]The Hindu BusinessLine • He landed in a controversy after a video of him meeting a "tantrik" went viral during 2015 Bihar elections. [12]The Hindu • Nitish Kumar lost temper in Assembly and blamed himself for appointing Bihar's CM, Jitan Ram Manjhi in 2014, and the incident created controversy. [13]The Hindu • Nitish Kumar blamed for breaking the alliance with RJD and INC and with in 24 hours and formed the government in Bihar with the support of BJP and NDA in 2024. [14]The Economic Times • While responding to the opposition's attack on his government's "failures" on reservation and special status for Bihar on 24 July 2024, he lost his cool at an RJD MLA and asking, "You are a woman, don't you know anything?" The comment attracted a heavy attack from the opposition, calling him a habitual offender when it came to comments against women. [15]NDTV
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Widower
Marriage Date	22 February 1973
Family
Wife/Spouse	Late Manju Kumari Sinha (teacher- m.1973-till her death in 2007)
Children	Son- Nishant Kumar (he considers himself an apolitical person and wants to lead a spiritual life) [16]The Telegraph
Parents	Father- Kaviraj Ram Lakhan Singh (freedom fighter, ayurvedist) Mother- Parmeshwari Devi (homemaker)
Siblings	Brother- Satish Kumar (Elder) Sisters- 3 • Usha Devi (Elder) • Indu Devi (Younger) • Prabha Devi (Younger)
Favourites
Politician	Jaiprakash Narayan
Actor	Aamir Khan
Style Quotient
Car Collection	Tata Tiago
Money Factor
Assets/Properties [17]My Neta	Movable Assets • Cash: Rs. 47,566 • Deposits in Banks: Rs. 65332 • Motor Vehicles: Rs. 11,32,753 • Jewellery: Rs. 51,700 • Other assets: Rs. 362,675 Immovable Assets • Residential Buildings: Rs. 40,00,000
Net Worth (approx.)	In 2017, his net worth was approximately calculated at Rs. 56.6 Lakhs [18]My Neta

Some Lesser Known Facts About Nitish Kumar

• His father, Kaviraj Ram Lakhan Singh, was interested in politics. He was well-known as a freedom fighter and worked closely with Anurag Narayan Sinha, who was deeply committed to Gandhian principles. Nitish’s mother belonged to Nepal.

• Before India gained independence, Kaviraj Ram volunteered with the Indian National Congress and joined the freedom movement. In 1952, Nitish Kumar’s father wanted to contest for the Vidhan Sabha (state legislature), but he was not given the chance. When the same thing happened again in 1957, Kaviraj Ram then joined the Janata Party.

• Growing up in this political environment, Nitish Kumar was inclined towards politics. He did not feel comfortable in the engineering job he initially took up in Bihar State Electricity Board for some time, and later, shifted to politics.

• According to some media sources, Nitish Kumar’s wedding was arranged with a dowry of Rs. 22,000. His father, Kaviraj Ram Lakhan Singh, received this money when they agreed to the marriage. When Nitish found out, he became upset and insisted that the dowry should be returned right away. His family then returned the dowry. The couple had a court marriage. ^[19]NDTV
  

  An old picture of Nitish Kumar with his late wife, Manju

• He was an activist of the J.P. Movement from 1974 to 1977. He was detained in 1974 under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (M.I.S.A). In 1975, he was again detained during the Emergency.
  

  A politician while addressing a rally during the JP Movement in the 1970s

• When he was young, he was highly influenced by the Indian politicians Jayaprakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia, Karpoori Thakur, S N Sinha, and V.P. Singh.
  

  Jayaprakash Narayan in 1974 with then-student leader Nitish Kumar (right)

• Soon, he then joined the Janata party headed by Satyendra Narain Sinha.

• As a member of the Indian delegation, Nitish Kumar visited Singapore, Thailand, Havana (Cuba), and Moscow (Russia) for the World Youth Festival in 1978. He then travelled to Australia and France as a member of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the IPU Conference.

• In 1985, he was first elected to the Bihar Legislative Assembly as an independent candidate. Initially, he supported Lalu Prasad Yadav as the leader of the opposition in the Bihar Assembly in 1989. However, Kumar changed sides and started supporting the BJP in 1996 after winning his first Lok Sabha seat from Barh.
  

  Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav in the 1980s

• In 1994, the Janata Dal party faced challenges when Nitish Kumar and George Fernandes left to form the Samata Party. However, it faced bigger problems when Lalu Prasad Yadav decided to form the Rashtriya Janata Dal in 1997. Another split happened before Rabri Devi took power, which left only two important leaders in the Janata Dal i.e. Sharad Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan.
  

  Nitish Kumar with George Fernandes

• In the 1998 Parliamentary elections, when the Samata Party and Janata Dal were weakened by the formation of RJD, Kumar merged both parties to form Janata Dal (United).

• His work as the Union minister for railways from 1998 to 2004 was highly appreciated as he improved the condition of the railways during his tenure.
  

  An old picture of Nitish Kumar

• During his tenure as Railway Minister, he visited France, Switzerland, and the UK. As the Agriculture Minister, he attended the Regional Conference of FAO in Yokohama, Japan.

• In the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, the Rashtriya Janata Dal suffered a lapse after the BJP and JD(U) alliance. Despite fighting alongside the Congress, RJD’s image was degraded due to Lalu Prasad Yadav‘s involvement in the Fodder Scam which led Congress to contest solo in the 2000 assembly elections.

• In August 1999, he resigned after the Gaisal train disaster and took responsibility for the mishappening. During his time as Railway Minister, he made significant changes, like introducing internet ticket booking in 2002 and opening many ticket booking counters. He
  also started the Tatkal scheme for instant booking.
  

  A picture of the Gaisal train disaster

• In March 2000, Nitish became the Chief Minister of Bihar for the first time, with support from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government at the centre. Meanwhile, he also took charge as the Minister of Agriculture for the second time. From 2001 to May 2004, he served as the Union Minister for Railways once again.
  

  Nitish Kumar with senior BJP leaders LK Advani, Mamata Banerjee, Jayalalitha

• In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, he contested from two constituencies; won from Nalanda but lost in the Barh constituency.

• According to Nitish Kumar, when he became the Chief Minister of Bihar, he faced many challenges including a poor law and order situation marked by organized criminal gangs and rampant kidnapping, as well as the persistent threat of left-wing extremism in certain backward areas of Bihar. To address these issues, Kumar implemented the Arms Act and established special courts for quick convictions.

• Thereafter, Kumar formed the Special Auxiliary Police (SAP), comprised of retired army officials and soldiers, to tackle the Maoist revolts in Bihar. This initiative not only provided economic opportunities for retired military personnel but also equipped Bihar Police with professionally trained commandos at a low budget.
  

  A picture of the Special Auxiliary Police (SAP) rally in Bihar

• After winning the 2005 Bihar Assembly elections, Nitish took oath as the chief minister. He then introduced the Special Vigilance Unit (SVU) in Bihar to investigate high-level corruption cases. For example, the successful prosecution of officials like former Director General of Police Narayan Mishra in 2007. ^[20]Hindustan Times

• Thereafter, Kumar started reforms in the state’s police recruitment process to assure justice and clearness. He implemented measures like the “Carbon Copy system” in written examinations to prevent interference and partiality.

• On 14 May 2007, his wife, Manju Kumari Sinha, died in New Delhi. She was suffering from pneumonia. ^[21]Hindustan Times
  

  Nitish Kumar paying tribute to his wife Manju Sinha through her statue

• During his tenure as the Chief Minister of Bihar, Kumar reformed prison rules in Bihar such as installing mobile phone jammers to catch criminal activities operated from within prisons and implementing the ‘All India Prison Reforms’ program issued by the Supreme Court of India.

• In 2010, Nitish’s party won again, along with its supporter, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and he resumed his role as Chief Minister.
  

  Nitish Kumar with the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at an NDA program in Ludhiana in 2010

• His government established an ‘Anti-Terrorist Squad’ after the Bodhgaya blasts in 2013, which reportedly improved the law and order situation in Bihar. Meanwhile, Kumar also focused on empowering the Extremely Backward Castes (EBCs) through political representation and reservation policies.
  

  An ATS team screening the crime scene after Bodh Gaya, Patna, blasts

• There are 2 biographies written on him: “Single Man: The Life And Times of Nitish Kumar of Bihar” by Sankarshan Thakur and “Nitish Kumar and The Rise of Bihar” by Arun Sinha.
  

  The cover of the book titled ‘Nitish Kumar and The Rise of Bihar’ by Arun Sinha

• His only son, Nishant is a graduate of Birla Institute of Technology (BIT), Mesra, and reportedly, Nishant is 3 times richer than Nitish Kumar.
  

  Nitish Kumar with his son

• Nitish briefly served a fourth term as a Chief Minister in 2015. On 26 July 2017, he resigned as the Chief Minister of Bihar after breaking the alliance with RJD and INC. The next day, within 24 hours after resigning from the post of the Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the 6th time with the support of the BJP and the NDA.
  

  Nitish Kumar with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017

• On 8 December 2020, his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar after the demise of Ram Vilas Paswan. As a result, Nitish resigned on 16 August 2020 but later returned as Chief Minister with new deputies Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi.

• On 9 August 2022, Nitish ended his alliance with the BJP. He resigned as chief minister and cut his ties with the NDA. He then rejoined the Mahagathbandhan, which included RJD, INC, CPI, and others, to form a new governing coalition. He was sworn in as the chief minister for the eighth time on 10 August 2022, marking 22 years in office.

• In 2022, his father’s, Kaviraj Ram Lakhan Singh’s, statue was unveiled in Bihar to honour his contributions to the independence of India.
  

  Nitish Kumar while offering flowers to his father’s statue

• On 28 January 2024, Nitish resigned again and dissolved the Mahagathbandhan alliance with RJD and Congress. He rejoined the BJP-led NDA alliance and became Chief Minister of Bihar for the ninth time in 24 years on the same day.
  

  Nitish Kumar while swearing as the Chief Minister of Bihar in 2024

• He introduced the “Jankari Scheme,” the electronic version of the RTI Act in Bihar during his tenure as a chief minister.

• Nitish Kumar gets a lot of criticism for frequently changing his alliances in politics just to stay as chief minister. Because of this, people call him “Paltu Ram,” meaning someone who changes sides often. Another thing people criticize him for is never running in any elections throughout his career. ^[22]The Week

• He likes eating chuda-dahi, practising daily yoga, and maintaining a simple dinner. During campaign days, he opts for homemade rotis, vegetables, curd, pickles, tea, and bhunja/poha, with a total sleep duration of five to six hours per night.
  

  Nitish Kumar while enjoying ‘chuda-dahi’ on Makar Sankranti

• He is a teetotaler and non-smoker. He is known in his party for his mild manners and soft speaking style. ^[23]Nitish Kumar; Bridging Bihar