From Sushasan Babu to Paltu Ram, Many Faces Of Nitish Kumar

OutlookIndia

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has come a long way. From his days in student politics and friendship with Lalu Yadav to his journey from Sushasan Babu to Paltu Ram, Nitish Kumar has seen it all.  In the 1970s, a young Nitish, inspired by leaders like JP Narayan, Lohia, and Karpoori Thakur, joined the Chhatra Sangharsh Samiti during JP’s call for Sampoorna Kranti. Arrested during the Emergency, he emerged determined to change Bihar’s fate. He began his electoral journey in Harnaut, won his first assembly seat in 1985 alongside Lalu Yadav, and soon became a prominent face of Bihar’s socialist politics.  Their alliance didn’t last long. In 1994, Nitish broke away to form the Samata Party, charting his own political course. As Railway Minister in the late 1990s, he introduced reforms like Tatkal ticketing and digital booking, earning praise for his practical governance style.  When he became Chief Minister in 2005, Bihar saw a turnaround, better roads, improved law and order, and renewed hope. The man once mocked for leading a chaotic state was now called Sushasan Babu. But over the years, things started to slip. Development slowed, unemployment rose, and corruption grew. Many young people today are unhappy and see him as a leader who has lost his old spark.  His recent outbursts, failed projects, and shifting alliances have only added to the criticism. Yet, Nitish Kumar has always been known for surprising comebacks. As Bihar heads into another election, the big question remains, Can he win back the trust of the people and his image as a reformer, or is this the end of his long political story?  Produced by: Divya   Editor: Madiha Shakeel   #NitishKumar #Bihar #biharelection2025 #BiharPolitics #biharvidhansabhaelection2025 #NitishKumarCM

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00:00Did you know that before Nitish Kumar was mamified as Paltu Ram due to his shifting political allegiance

00:05He was hailed as Sushasan Babu of the unruly Bihar.

00:16It was in the 1970s that a young Nitish Kumar, inspired by the stalwarts of Indian politics like Ramanuvar Lohia, J.P. Narayan and Karpuri Thakur, plunged into Bihar's unrest.

00:26He joined the Chhatra Sanghar Samiti for J.P. Narayan's 1974 Sampoon Kranty.

00:31Arrested during the emergency, he emerged resilient, contesting Harnaut in 1977 and winning in 1985 with Janata Dal alongside Lalu Yadav.

00:41However, the alliance with Lalu did not last long.

00:44In 1994, Nitish Kumar broke away and formed the Samatha Party, determined to chart his own course.

00:50The party later emerged into Janata Dal United, JDU, in 2003.

00:53A man of socialist inclinations, Kumar, as the Union Railway Minister in 1998, introduced pragmatic reforms, including Tadkal and a digitized ticketing system.

01:04In the year 2000, he returned to his home state as Chief Minister, but his first term was short-lived.

01:10In 2005, he returned to power in alliance with the BJP and ended Lalu's 15 years of Jungle Raj.

01:16It was then that Bihar's GDP rose from 77,000 crore rupees in 2004-2005 to 4.01 lakh crore rupees in 2014 and 2015.

01:26He added over 11,500 kilometers of road, doubling state's network, and upgraded thousands of schools, including higher secondary facilities, in over 3,000 panchayats.

01:36And he appointed over 100,000 teachers.

01:38Key crimes like Dacoiti fell up to 80% and for the first time in decades, people began to believe Bihar could change.

01:45But by his third term, anti-incumbency sentiments were strong among the people of Bihar, especially due to no land reforms, scant private investments, and unchecked migration.

01:56Multidimensional poverty in Bihar currently lingers at 26.59%, which is highest in India.

02:03Crimes rebounded, 4,736 riots, 2,930 murders in 2022 alone.

02:11Critics have long accused him of compromising his secular and socialist principles in a bid to stay in power.

02:17Because the alliances kept changing.

02:20In 2013, JDU left the NDA over differences with BJP.

02:24In 2017, Nitish returned to the NDA alliance with the BJP.

02:28In 2022, he exited again to form the Mahagat Bandhan.

02:32In 2024, he rejoined the NDA, taking his ninth oath as chief minister.

02:36JDU's vote share fell from 16.8% in 2019 Lok Sabha to 15.4% in 2020 Assembly.

02:44In the Assembly in 2022, the reformer lost his temper and became a viral soundbite meme overnight.

02:51He shouted at Tejasvi Yadha.

02:53He apologized the next day, but the clip never disappeared.

03:20In 2023, at least five new bridges collapsed into the rivers.

03:24The 2024 CAG report revealed that 44,823 crore deficit and a public debt of over 39.6% of the GSTP.

03:35Per capita income remained at lowest in India at 60,180 rupees.

03:40Damn paper leaks, peak unemployment, shifty political alliances and crumbling infrastructure

03:45now marked Nitish Kumar's journey from Sushasan Babu to Palturam of Indian politics.

03:51As the Bihar Assembly elections approach, Nitish Kumar faces scrutiny over his decade-long tenure as chief minister.

03:57With JDU's vote share falling and his growing unpopularity amongst the dissatisfied youth of the state,

04:03can he really reclaim his reformer image or will NDA's dominance eclipse him?

04:07Comment and share your opinions on the same.

04:10Stay tuned to Outlook India.

04:13Coming from today

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