Samrat Chaudhary to be Bihar CM as Nitish Kumar resigns, Rage over wage in Noida, more

India Today

Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary is set to become the next Chief Minister following the resignation of the outgoing Chief Minister, who moves to the Rajya Sabha.

Transcript

00:01Hello and welcome. There is a Samrat change happening in the state of Bihar.

00:07The first BJP chief minister has now been selected by the NDA. His name is Samrat Chaudhary

00:14and he's somebody who has a very interesting background. He's been in different political

00:19parties, part of different alliances, but his name is now going down in history as the first

00:24BJP chief minister. How exactly did this entire regime change happen? Why did Nitish Kumar agree

00:31to go to Rajya Sabha? And what happens to the deputy chief ministers now? Is that a position

00:38that RJD and other allies are going to go for? That's going to be the main focus here on 5

00:43Life today. And also in the second half of the program, we take a look at what's happening with

00:48the NOIDA protest. They have escalated further, spreading across in other communities as well.

00:55We'll take you through all of that. First up, the top headlines at this hour.

01:00Samrat Chaudhary has been elected as the new chief minister of Bihar. Nitish Kumar has resigned

01:04as Bihar chief minister. Sources tell us the new cabinet could see two deputy chief ministers

01:10from the JGU. Sources say that Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Anir Shah are not expected

01:15at the oath ceremony. All eyes now at the big announcement. Bihar's new chief minister

01:20could be actually taking oath as early as tomorrow.

01:29Tensions flared in NOIDA sector 80 as workers protesting low wages clashed with police,

01:35with some incidents of stone pelting reported even on day two. Police moved in to disperse the crowd

01:40and cleared the area, even as workers demanded a minimum monthly wage of 20,000 rupees.

01:46Household helps have now joined the protest, adding to the pressure. Amid the unrest, now

01:51Uttar Pradesh government has announced a 3,000 wage hike, set up a committee to address workers'

01:57concern as well.

01:59Prime Minister Modi has reached out to the opposition, urging support for the Women's Reservation

02:04Bill, calling it a collective step towards empowerment. In a key meeting inside parliament,

02:08the Prime Minister met Malik Hargan Kharge to seek backing. The response, however, remains

02:14guarded. The India block there set to meet tomorrow to finalise its strategy. The big

02:20question now, whether will it be consensus and why is the BJP government pushing for Women's

02:26Reservation Bill now in middle of an election with this special session?

02:33A major infrastructure push in North India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated

02:38the Delhi Deradun Expressway, reducing travel time to around two hours. What earlier took

02:43close to six hours will now be cut down sharply by four, making the access to hills much faster.

02:49Built at a cost of 12,000 crores, the expressway is expected to significantly improve the connectivity

02:54and ease travel.

02:58A teenage sensation could be on the brink of history. Just 15 years old, Vaibhav Suryvanshree

03:05is being tipped for a possible India call-up for the Ireland tour. If selected, he could become

03:12one of the youngest ever to play international cricket for India. Big talent, big moment and

03:18all eyes now on the selectors if they'll make it happen.

03:25All right, the big story of the day is coming to us from Bihar. Nitish era has ended and Bihar's

03:31new Samrat has risen. In a significant political development, Samrat Chaudhary has been chosen

03:37as the leader of the BJP Legislative Party in Bihar. His name was proposed by senior leaders

03:42like Vijay Sinha, Mangal Pandey, Dilip Jaiswal, Renu Devi as well, signalling a sort of rare

03:49unified show of strength within the party. Sources also suggest that this decision follows intense

03:56backroom consults, with the BJP leadership backing Samrat Chaudhary as a face of the new Bihar

04:03to take it forward. Now, where does he come from? What's his biography looking like? Well,

04:09hailing from Lakhanpur, near Tarapur in Munger, Chaudhary's political roots, they run deep. He

04:16entered politics back in 1990s with the Rashtraya Janta Dal, under Lalupasad Yadav. Politics,

04:22in fact, runs in the family. His father, Shakuni Chaudhary, was a seasoned regional player as well,

04:28who represented Tarapur multiple times across parties, even the Congress. But Samrat Chaudhary's

04:35own journeys anything but linear. A classic case of ghat ghat ka paani, really. From Ravri

04:41Devi led RGT government to shifting equations post 2005, he aligned with the JDU. That was when

04:48Jitin Ram Manji was finally finding his political home in BJP in 2017, where he rose swiftly through

04:55the ranks. Samrat Chaudhary is an OBC leader from the Khuri community. His elevation is being seen

05:01as a very calculated move. A blend of organisational muscle, caste calculus, also political legacy.

05:10However, his rise hasn't been without controversy. Time and again, questions have been raised over his

05:16academic credentials, including claims about PFC degree from a reportedly non-existent institution.

05:23Political strategist Prashant Kishore, last year during the Assembly polls, also alleged discrepancies

05:27in past legal claims related to age in a 1995 murder case, even calling for resignation and

05:34investigation. So from strategy roots to social equations, from controversy to consolidation,

05:42the message is loud and clear. BJP has beat its bet and all eyes now are on Bihar's new Samrat,

05:51Samrat Chaudhary. Samrat Chaudhary has even responded to Nitish Kumar's wishes with a note of respect

05:57and reassurance. This is his first tweet as the elected Chief Minister of Bihar. He says he has

06:02full confidence that under Nitish Kumar's guidance, Bihar will continue to move steadily on the path

06:08of development. He has also praised Nitish Kumar's tenure, calling his model of governance as

06:13inspiration. So here we are from one OBC CM to another. That seems to be the mantra in Bihar.

06:22From Nitish Kumar to Samrat Chaudhary, the shift has happened. If anybody asks now,

06:27Bihar may Kaaba, it's a famous song that goes around in Bihar. Well, the answer there,

06:33despite all these changes, despite all these new turnarounds and, you know, Hava, which seems

06:40to be turning around, there is one king in Bihar and that is caste. Caste remains to be king.

06:48So Bihar may Kaaba, that's the story coming in from Bihar.

06:57Bihar, that's the story coming in Bihar.

07:09की सरकार बना तब भी कुप मुकशमंस्तरी के तोर पर विक्त विवाग के तोर

07:15पर काम करने का मौका मिला हुआ है फिर दोजार पचीस में कि दिहार की जंता

07:22ने दो सो दो सीटे दे कर आदमियम मोदी जी और नीतीजी के विचारदारा को

07:30to have worked on the equip of the people that designed the entire team and the crew

07:42to work on the team.

07:46Today, I will go for the Pardahan Minister to, the Green Minister to, the Rastri Adhrak

07:56जी को का कि अदनिय네 संगटन महामंतेरी बिल संतोज जी को सिवरा सुंख्यवान जी को हमारे पाटी के अत्यक संजे

08:05सराभगी जी को जरूर अस्वस्त करता हूं कि जो भिचाषधारा है भारतिये जनता पाटी के

08:19foreign

08:20foreign

08:22foreign

08:27foreign

08:31foreign

08:33foreign

08:39foreign

09:03Nithish Kumar Ji has given the dream of Bihar,

09:09we will make Bihar and make Bihar and make Bihar a big city.

09:33What will happen next is that he will be going in for the NDA legislative meeting

09:38where he is in all likelihood going to be elected as the leader as well.

09:42Ongoing Chief Minister Nithish Kumar has already given in his resignation

09:46and departed the CM residence to attend the NDA meeting.

09:51That meeting will happen, those names will be exchanged or assured formality at the moment

09:57and then soon we will have details of oath taking

10:00and then the critical question of what happens to the position of Deputy Chief Minister.

10:05Let's get into perspective with our reporters now.

10:08Joining me now live from Patna Vidhan Sabha is Mariya Shaqeel.

10:11Also with us from Bihar, Lok Bhavan is Rohit Singh.

10:15Mariya Rohit, Mariya I will come to you first.

10:18There are three questions.

10:19Number one question, why was Samrat Chaudhary chosen?

10:23Number two, who will become Deputy Chief Minister now?

10:28If he is from the OBC, did the other Deputy Chief Minister go to an upper caste now?

10:34And number three, what is the game plan for Nithish Kumar?

10:37What happens? How will this go?

10:40And you know, how is he going to sit in Rajya Sabha?

10:43How exactly is the game plan there?

10:46Mariya?

10:49Well, I think all that has been pretty much on the table.

10:52All these questions that you have asked have been answered by the leadership on all the sides.

10:57First, why Samrat Chaudhary?

11:00Samrat Chaudhary, because he has served under Nithish Kumar, has been his deputy.

11:05The BJP is sending a message of continuity, be it, you know, in terms of continuity of governance.

11:12So Samrat understands Nithish Kumar's style of functioning and hence he will be continuing with that same style of functioning.

11:20As far as the caste combination is concerned, that is also being carried forward.

11:24He is from the Kushwaha community. Nithish Kumar comes from the Khoiri or the Kurmi community and hence there is

11:30a continuity also in the OBC politics from JDU to the BJP.

11:36Coming to the second question that you asked, Sonal, with regards to the Deputy Chief Ministers, it will be the

11:41same formula.

11:42When Nithish Kumar was the Chief Minister, the BJP had two Deputy Chief Ministers.

11:47Now that the BJP gets the Chief Minister's chair, the two Deputy Chief Ministers will be from the JDU.

11:53Coming to the question of Nithish Kumar, Nithish Kumar has already been, has taken oath as a member of the

12:00Rajya Sabha.

12:01His politics shifts to the centre, but because he is the National President of the JDU, he continues to be

12:08in Bihar to mentor the party.

12:10And as far as this government in Bihar of Samrat Chaudhary, because he will be sown in as the Chief

12:15Minister tomorrow,

12:17will be concerned, will have the endorsement and support of Nithish Kumar.

12:21Nithish Kumar leaves behind huge shoes. It will be difficult for any Chief Minister to fill in immediately.

12:28Hence, Samrat Chaudhary will have to carve his own space, carve his own space in the politics of Bihar.

12:34But because the transition is happening within few months of the big mandate that the JDU BJP got only in

12:41the month of October, November last year.

12:43Hence, Samrat Chaudhary has four and a half years to prove his capability, prove his credibility and prove that he

12:50can govern a huge state such as Bihar

12:53and also one of the most treacherous states in terms of alliances and also the caste arithmetic.

12:58He understands the caste arithmetic. He understands it because he comes from a political background.

13:04His father has been in politics. He has seen politics from the very moment that he was born.

13:10So, perhaps he understands all those equations, but it will be a beginning of a new chapter in Bihar, end

13:17of a defining chapter of Nithish Kumar.

13:19Samrat Chaudhary will start his own politics, but I think for the initial few months or perhaps a year and

13:24a half,

13:24we should expect more continuity rather than any kind of disruption.

13:29Right. Rohit, I want to come to you as well. But, Maria, one question.

13:33Have we really got a convincing answer about what happens to Nithish Kumar?

13:37I mean, we know politics, right? No politician gives up power like that.

13:41So, is there something has come in exchange? Nobody will willingly give away the seat of a Chief Minister.

13:48I mean, look at Prime Minister Modi's own journey, right?

13:51After several times of being the Chief Minister, etc. One goes on to become the Prime Minister.

13:56One takes up, you know, other positions. Who takes up Rajya Sabha? What's happened there?

14:04Okay. So, Sonal, look, Nithish Kumar never made his Prime Ministerial ambitions clear.

14:10He had never spelt it out. In all his years, when he was, you know, 21 years, he governed the

14:16state of Bihar.

14:16He never spoke about, you know, graduating or perhaps moving to the center.

14:20He believed that as far as his role as the Chief Minister of Bihar is concerned, that was perhaps paramount.

14:27Because of the last few months in which his health conditions started deteriorating,

14:32he understood that he has to give up the Chief Minister's chair.

14:36Remember, Sonal, 2025 mandate was seen as Nithish Kumar's farewell election.

14:42The people of Bihar almost gave a bye-bye mandate to Nithish Kumar, thanking him for what all he has

14:48done for the state, its women, its youth in all these years.

14:53Nithish Kumar moves to the center.

14:55But let's be clear that, yes, it's because of his health condition that he had to make that choice.

15:00He has already been a member of the Lok Sabha, member of the State Legislature Assembly and also the State

15:07Legislative Council.

15:07Now it is the Rajas Sabha that he has chosen.

15:11Yes, it is because of the health condition that he has to take that decision.

15:14But imagine his popularity.

15:17The man peaked, was at its peak of his popularity in 2010.

15:222025 mandate, which is 15 years later, Nithish Kumar won the same mandate.

15:26So he is exiting on a high, a high that no other leader in Bihar politics had seen.

15:32And he has opted for this and he has chosen his timing.

15:36Right, right.

15:37Rohit Singh is also with us.

15:39Rohit, I want to understand a more local sort of flavor from you.

15:43A lot of times for people who are just waking up to this phenomenon called Samrat Chaudhary,

15:48why is he always seen in this saffron turban?

15:51What's the story behind that?

15:57Well, see, there's a story behind that saffron turban or Muretha that we call in Bihar,

16:02is that from being the biggest adversary, critic of Nithish Kumar to being the most trusted lieutenant of Nithish Kumar.

16:11That's Samrat Chaudhary over the last two years.

16:15Way back in 2022, when Nithish Kumar had switched sides to RJD,

16:21that is when, after his mother also passed away, Samrat Chaudhary's mother,

16:26he started wearing that saffron Muretha.

16:29And he had vowed that unless and until he dislodges Nithish Kumar as the chief minister of Bihar,

16:34he will not take out that turban.

16:36But things changed in 2024, Lok Sabha elections happened, Nithish Kumar came back to NDA,

16:41and finally Samrat Chaudhary went to Ayodhya and he shaved his hair and also removed that turban.

16:47So remember, in the last two years from being the biggest critic of Nithish Kumar,

16:52what not he has said about Nithish Kumar we all know, but we now cannot speak that in front of

16:57the cameras.

16:58But the thing is that in the last two years, he from being the biggest critic to being the most

17:04trusted lieutenant of Nithish Kumar.

17:06And what we also know is that Nithish Kumar had also vetoed for Samrat Chaudhary to be his successor here.

17:14And also one thing which I am reminded of at this point of time is seven months back, Amit Shah

17:20in one of the rallies in Munger,

17:23that's the constituency of Samrat Chaudhary, Amit Shah has said,

17:30I hope you remember that comment that was made by Amit Shah.

17:37And today it seems after six, seven months, Amit Shah has also fulfilled his promise.

17:42And today Samrat Chaudhary is the Bada Admi of Bihar, chief minister designate.

17:47Tomorrow he'll be taking oath as the chief minister of Bihar.

17:50So a lot of interesting stories doing the round as far as Samrat Chaudhary is concerned.

17:56Because remember, he is not an original BJP leader.

17:59He is not an original RSS background.

18:02He comes from Lalu School of Politics.

18:05Way back in 1990 when he started his politics, he was with the RJD for almost 10-15 years.

18:12Then after 2005, he switched sides to Janta Dal United, came with Nithish Kumar.

18:16And it's only in 2018 that he joined BJP.

18:19So originally he is from the Lalu School of Politics.

18:22Lot of controversy also doing the rounds with him as you were also mentioning

18:26regarding some murder cases, his educational qualification.

18:30But despite all that, it was Samrat Chaudhary.

18:34In fact, Prime Minister Darendra Modi and Amit Shah also in fact is supporting him, backing him.

18:40Because in the last seven years, one has to say that Samrat Chaudhary has made a phenomenal rise in BJP.

18:48Meteoric rise in BJP in the last seven years.

18:51And he has become the face of the BJP in Bihar.

18:55And that is why we are seeing that in the last two years when he was working with Nithish Kumar,

18:59working in tandem with him, walking around him, protecting Nithish Kumar.

19:04You could see Samrat Chaudhary everywhere where Nithish Kumar was present.

19:09So that is why, that is you see the way Samrat Chaudhary was getting groomed also.

19:13He was getting all that training from Nithish Kumar.

19:16And now two years down the line, he is the Bara Admi.

19:18He has become Bara Admi.

19:20Amit Shah has fulfilled his promise.

19:23And Samrat Chaudhary is all set to become the next Chief Minister of Bihar tomorrow

19:27when that swearing-in ceremony will take place at the Lok Bhavan in Patna.

19:32Sonal.

19:33How interesting.

19:34Love the story, Rohit.

19:36Rohit and Maria, please stay back with us.

19:38We've got a quick spot analysis of Samrat Chaudhary as well.

19:41And I've got some more questions.

19:42I'll come back to you right after that.

19:43But let's, you know, give our viewers a little more details about the new Chief Minister-to-be of Bihar.

19:50Samrat Chaudhary has been elected, as we told you now, a big political call that signals a clear shift in

19:55strategy.

19:56So what really worked in his favour?

19:58Let's point out some strengths.

20:00Now he's a prominent OBC face, remember, from the community with strong administrative and organisational experience.

20:07He's more aggressive political style.

20:09Also marks a sort of departure from Nithish Kumar's approach, right?

20:13But there were concerns as well.

20:16His past in the RJD, in the JDU, as we were telling you, the resistance from sections from BJP's old

20:21guard.

20:22All of that happened.

20:22But the opportunities outweighed the risks here.

20:25Vikar Chaudhary is seen as a key, you know, person to consolidating the non-Yadav OBC vote.

20:32And potentially cutting into Nitish, the Kurmi Koiri base over there as well.

20:37The challenge is, well, they are as well.

20:40Managing internal factionism and balancing caste equations, especially with upper caste groups.

20:45For now, BJP has made its choice.

20:48The big question, can Samrat Chaudhary actually deliver on those expectations?

20:52More wishes are coming in for him as well.

20:55These are some of the reactions occurring across body lines.

21:01I will give up to Nitish Kumar, so I will give up to Nitish Kumar.

21:07He gave up a new love and made the mind of Delhi to go.

21:13He gave up a mare of Samrat Chaudhary.

21:16And in the Vidhan Mandala, BJP has been blessed.

21:22foreign

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21:36। । । । । । ।

22:10। । । । ।

22:45। । ।

23:07। ।

23:08।

23:10All right. So there are two stories unfolding in Bihar as we speak. Let's unpack that with the reporters. Back

23:15with Maria and Rohit who are with us. There is one story of Nitish Kumar's departure, the legacy that he

23:21leaves behind. One of him leaving and the other one of this new Samrath entry taking place.

23:26Maria, I'm going back to the Nitish Kumar question.

23:28There were murmurs that his son might now be getting one of the positions of Deputy Chief Minister.

23:34Now, we made to understand that that's not really happening at this point.

23:38What exactly is the story there?

23:40And also give our viewers a debrief on how new his son actually is to politics.

23:48So, he joined the politics or took membership of the JDU formally only after his father

23:56declared that he will be, you know, contesting as a Rajya Sabha candidate

24:01and then he went to Delhi to take oath.

24:04Only then Nishant joined politics.

24:06So, it's been a matter of just a few weeks, I would say, less than a month sooner.

24:12Nishant is unlikely to be among the cabinet ministers who will be sown in tomorrow

24:17is what sources in the JDU are telling us.

24:19That's because I think he is very, very fresh in politics,

24:23not prepared at all.

24:26What sources are also saying that Nitish Kumar did not really want his son to join politics.

24:32He had always opposed dynastic politics and that has been Nitish Kumar's brand.

24:37But Sonal, you know, today is a very overwhelming day for several people in Bihar.

24:43I would say the entire, all the Biharis, even those who may be working outside Bihar.

24:48Because Nitish Kumar came to define Bihari identity, the sub-nationalism that we speak about.

24:56He was the architect of that.

24:58He was someone who defined Bihari Asmita or Bihari pride to all Biharis outside Bihar.

25:04Because when Bihar became synonymous with Jangal Raj, became synonymous with misgovernance,

25:11and Biharis were ridiculed until 2005, 2008, 2009, in that period,

25:17Nitish Kumar, as a silent Bihari who came with a background and his education as he was,

25:23you know, from an engineering background, engineer by profession,

25:28actually came to redefine Bihar politics.

25:30He spoke about governance. He spoke about Bihar's Bihar model of government.

25:35And more so, you know, we are talking about 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha

25:40and in the state assemblies.

25:42Imagine in 2006, within months of him arriving as the chief minister of Bihar,

25:49Nitish Kumar implemented 50% reservation for women in Panchayat in Bihar.

25:54So that was the transformation that Nitish brought with him.

25:58And then he ensured that women's safety became one of the most important aspect of his governance.

26:05That's why when Nitish Kumar gives up the chief minister's chair,

26:10and that has already happened, and is the beginning of a new chapter in Bihar politics,

26:15you realize that Nitish, who was synonymous with Bihar, came to define Bihar,

26:20the idea of a Bihari, had changed the entire language and dynamics of Bihar politics.

26:27And how Biharis are seen outside Bihar, and when you speak to any of them,

26:32they will realize, they will have personal anecdotes with the chief minister.

26:35When I spoke to Nitish a few months ago, or I met him, you know, just in the run-up

26:40to the elections,

26:41and during the course of the election, there was something that he said,

26:44and you remember those words.

26:45In fact, Sonal, I'll tell you this anecdote, what a prominent Bihari bureaucrat told me,

26:51that when that announcement was made of 1,000 rupees in the hands of each and every woman

26:57in the run-up to elections, it was Nitish who had said that the model should be one in which

27:03it should generate income.

27:04He had said, his exact words were,

27:09So that was the sense of government and governance that Nitish gave to Bihar.

27:13So that's why when I say, it's huge shoes, almost very, very difficult it will be for Samrat Chaudhary.

27:19He'll have to carve a completely new politics and language in Bihar.

27:22In fact, Maya, as you make that point about old shows being filled by this young leader,

27:26we are actually getting the first visual of the two of them together.

27:29We have now on our screen what's happening inside the assembly, the Bihar assembly.

27:34The legislative party there has chosen Samrat Chaudhary as their new legislative leader.

27:39You see, the viewers are seeing a back view,

27:42but I can already tell that Nitish Kumar is there on the right,

27:45and then you see Samrat Chaudhary there standing on the left side,

27:49and you actually have the picture of a legacy and a beton for the chief ministership actually being passed on.

27:56Let me get a quick word from Rohit before we let him go as well.

27:58Rohit, very quickly, I want to come to you.

28:00The seamless way in which the entire thing has been carried out by the NDA government.

28:06We saw a glimpse of that in Maharashtra as well,

28:09when the same, you know, pattern had happened,

28:12where a smaller regional player had been the chief minister, BJP had deputy position,

28:17and then after some time it overturned as well.

28:19In this case as well, we've not heard of any major sort of issues that happened.

28:24This entire smooth transition, what's the recipe for that?

28:32See, BJP in the last two elections, we can say, has not been a, you can say,

28:39a younger player or you can say the smaller player as far as NDA is concerned.

28:442020, when the assembly elections took place,

28:47Nitish Kumar was reduced to party number three in Bihar.

28:50It was RJD, which was the single largest party, followed by the BJP.

28:54And then Nitish Kumar's JD was reduced with 43 seats to the third number.

28:59So BJP became the elder brother in NDA way back in 2020.

29:03But despite that, the BJP did not have a leader like Nitish Kumar,

29:09who could match Nitish Kumar.

29:11And that is why, that time you remember,

29:13JP Nadda and the Prime Minister Modi had promised that

29:16whatever happens in the election, Nitish Kumar will be the chief minister.

29:20And that time also the BJP fulfilled its promise.

29:24And Nitish, despite being the party number three in Bihar,

29:29Nitish Kumar became the chief minister.

29:31This time around also, in 2025, when the elections took place,

29:34the biggest and the single largest party in Bihar is BJP, with 89 MLAs.

29:40BJP, JDU is the second, in fact, with 85 MLAs.

29:44But still, this time around also, same thing happened,

29:47that before elections, BJP had promised that whatever happens,

29:51Nitish Kumar will be the chief minister.

29:52Because there were a lot of reports and rumours being floated

29:55that Nitish Kumar will not become the chief minister after elections.

29:59And something like what happened to Eknat Shinde will be happening,

30:02what happened in Maharashtra could be replicated in Bihar also.

30:06But to avoid any kind of controversy, then BJP took, in fact,

30:11did not do anything at that point of time

30:14and continued with Nitish Kumar as the chief minister.

30:17But very interesting, 25 se 30, 5 se Nitish.

30:21That was the slogan that was given ahead of the assembly elections.

30:26But before that five years could end,

30:29we are seeing that within five years, Nitish Kumar has been replaced.

30:33The promise was of keeping Nitish Kumar as the chief minister

30:36for five years between 25 to 30.

30:38But within five years, Nitish Kumar has been replaced by Samrat Chaudhary.

30:42And clearly goes on to show it's the,

30:44we can say, the deteriorating health condition of Nitish Kumar.

30:47And this is very symbolic.

30:49You have Nitish Kumar put his hand like an elder brother,

30:53like a mentor around Samrat Chaudhary over there,

30:56patting him in the back.

30:58And he's saying something in Bihari.

30:59I'm trying to understand that.

31:00If we say that again, perhaps we'll be able to get a better view.

31:39I'm trying to understand that.

31:44of the baton for the chief minister's position being passed on,

31:48this time not within the party,

31:49but from one alliance partner to the other.

31:53Bihar now clearly has a new chief minister.

31:57And for the first time, it is the BJP.

32:01It looked like a sudden street explosion in Noida,

32:04but it was anything but that.

32:06It has been an eruption that has been brewing in the background for weeks.

32:11And in many workers' mind, ears as well.

32:14Bent up anger over wages, overtime and dignity at work.

32:18The viral visuals of buses burning,

32:20stones flying, police firing tear gas,

32:23were only the surface.

32:24The real story runs from Faridabad factory belts

32:28to Noida's industrial clusters.

32:31And now, it has also reached the homes and kitchens

32:34of gated colonies in Noida,

32:37Cleo County being just many saying the beginning.

32:41Over the next few minutes,

32:43we will give you a timeline

32:44of how exactly did these labor protests unfold

32:48and why even office goers like you and me

32:51could be impacted next.

32:53Let's start.

32:54The first spark came from Faridabad,

32:56Haryana's industrial belt last week.

32:59Factory workers there began protesting over stagnant wages,

33:02inflation hitting food, rent and fuel,

33:04war-related inflation, remember?

33:06Long hours without fare over time.

33:09That pressure was working up the population.

33:12And Haryana then, because of those protests,

33:15then announced a sharp wage increase.

33:17It reported around 35% in certain categories.

33:20Now, that instantly became the benchmark

33:23for workers across NCR.

33:24The message spread fast.

33:27If Haryana can revise wages, why not UP?

33:29This comparison became the emotional trigger

33:32for Noida workers.

33:35Noida workers who were already simmering with anger

33:38and were very unhappy about their salaries.

33:41Workers in Noida space too,

33:43in garment industries, hosiery industries,

33:46electronics, packaging units,

33:48they were constantly having their grievances as well.

33:50They spoke about eight-hour shifts,

33:52routinely stretching much longer,

33:54overtime either delayed or underpaid,

33:56weak weekly off enforcement,

33:59delayed salaries, rising rents and living costs,

34:02and poor workplace safety.

34:03A key flashpoint was anxiety around the rollout

34:07of the new Labour Code practices as well

34:10from the 1st of April.

34:11So, you see how all of that fit in.

34:14Workers and unions feared that effective shift expansion

34:17up to 12 hours, more flexible,

34:19you know, duty roster without proportional pay protection

34:23would all come on to be a mick burden on them

34:26in a society which was already facing war-related inflation.

34:31But important fact check here at this point,

34:33there is no verified government order

34:35saying that all workers must now do 12-hour work shifts

34:38or that it has been escalated to 30,000.

34:41But workers say the fear

34:42was that employees would use the new flexible provisions

34:45to stretch hours

34:47and also normalise longer shifts.

34:49That fear became the major mobilising factor on the ground

34:54which resulted to everything from April 10th to 12th.

34:57You only know about the arson yesterday,

34:59but the story goes beyond that.

35:01Last week, small protests began inside factories.

35:04Wage demands hardened from 18,000 to 20,000 monthly

35:08in many units.

35:09Workers began coordinating across industrial pockets as well.

35:12This was a crucial shift.

35:14A workplace grievance became a sort of networked labour mobilisation

35:18running across the state.

35:20And then came April 13th.

35:23NOIDA had a manic Monday.

35:26Thousands of workers gathered in NOIDA phase 2,

35:28especially around the hosiery complexes.

35:30They began to wage protest, escalated as well.

35:34It started with a mild police barricading and lathe charge,

35:38but then again attempts and response by the police

35:41meant the tempers went up real high

35:44and that meant vehicles were torched later.

35:47We all saw those visuals.

35:48Stones were thrown, roads were blocked, tear gas was fired.

35:52Remember, this was already the fourth day of the unrest

35:55and police used what they called was minimum force

35:59to restore order.

36:00But we all saw the visuals over there.

36:02Police on its part has gone out to say that,

36:04you know, senior officials and administrative officials

36:07are making their persistent efforts to counsel workers.

36:10They're urging peace.

36:11They're also saying there's conspiracy behind all of this.

36:14There seems to be some Pakistan angle

36:16that police is talking about.

36:18But that aside, what exactly are the facts

36:20that they stand today?

36:22Over 300 arrests have been reported.

36:25Seven FIRs have been registered.

36:27Police deployment massively increased.

36:30Today being Ambedkar Jainty

36:31and a lot of colleges, schools and offices being shut

36:34meant that we did not see a lot of action

36:36on the road, thankfully.

36:37But the police commissioner there, Lakshmi Singh,

36:40confirmed that large-scale detention

36:41and heightened security measures are already in place.

36:45Now, what's happening?

36:47Government has moved in to sort of contain the damage.

36:50The Uttar Pradesh government has moved quickly,

36:52understanding the intensity of these protests,

36:54also understanding what Haryana has already done.

36:57The interim wage hike has already been roughly increased

37:00to 21% effective retrospectively

37:03from the 1st of April, remember.

37:05Higher-level committee has also been formed

37:07for hearing any other grievances that might be there.

37:11For Gautam Budhnagar, specifically,

37:13unskilled wages revised upwards,

37:15semi-unskilled and skilled category also raised.

37:19Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath

37:20has also appealed for calm.

37:22He has said that wages must be paid on time,

37:24overtime must be compensated,

37:26weekly holidays must be insured

37:28and women workers must be treated safely

37:30and with dignity.

37:32But many workers on ground still are not buying it.

37:37They are saying it's too little too late.

37:39Their demand has remained closer

37:41to 18,000 to 20,000 minimum pay at the moment.

37:46But today, the protest has taken a slightly different turn

37:49and one that should worry you and me.

37:50Because now there is a hidden social spillover that has happened.

37:54The spillover started in Faridabad, in Haryana,

37:57came to Noida, to UP,

37:59and came from workers, skilled, unskilled,

38:02and now it is spreading to domestic workers.

38:05The anger is no longer confined to factory floors.

38:10Societies like Cleo County,

38:11you see in those pictures over there,

38:12domestic workers, drivers,

38:14housekeeping staff and support staffs

38:16were also watching this entire protest very closely

38:19because now they are saying they face similar pain.

38:22Stagnant wages despite inflation,

38:24longer work expectations,

38:26little social security,

38:28informal hiring with weak protection.

38:30All of this was a conversation

38:32that meant that at least one of the prominent societies

38:35in Noida, Cleo County,

38:36there at well, we saw the protest.

38:39It also reflects, for you and me,

38:42a wider urban truth.

38:43India's invisible workforce

38:45is feeling squeezed at every level.

38:49The war is not helping either.

38:51And this is not just a law and order story, remember.

38:54This is the cost of living crisis,

38:57meeting labor insecurity

38:58in India's richest urban corridors.

39:03Noida became the flashpoint

39:04because NCR workers are already

39:05sort of comparing states.

39:07Inflation has eaten into their home pay.

39:09Labor distrust is already high.

39:11Viral mobilization has also angered the people.

39:14But the bottom line here is what?

39:17Noida protests went viral

39:18because the visuals were dramatic.

39:20They had to take the extreme step

39:21to call for action

39:23and get a word

39:24and get the attention of the administration.

39:25But the real story

39:26is economic stress boiling over in plain sight.

39:31This may not be the end of the protests,

39:33as many are saying.

39:33This may be the beginning

39:35of a larger urban labor reckoning

39:37that might just unfold across NCR.

39:40The police and politicians are watching closely

39:43and we need to see what unfolds next.

39:55Rage over wages.

39:56Violent protest.

39:58Noida is on the boil

40:00and at the center of the storm

40:01are the workers.

40:03A fresh protest broke out

40:04in Noida's sector 80

40:06with workers agitating over low wages.

40:09Clashing with police

40:11and some resorting to stone pelting

40:13for the second straight day.

40:16Police moved in

40:17to disperse the crowd,

40:19chasing away protesters

40:20and eventually clearing the area.

40:23However,

40:24protests in other parts of Noida

40:26were relatively mild,

40:27unlike Monday,

40:28which witnessed arson

40:30and vandalism

40:31and large traffic gridlock.

40:36Noida is in various areas

40:38and the factories

40:39are very large.

40:40They are doing the production.

40:41They are doing the production.

40:42They are doing the production.

41:03The workers fighting for better wages

41:05shared their pride with India today.

41:14and they arebn

41:31Meanwhile, household helps from Noida high-rises also joined the stir, demanding a pay hike.

41:39Amit Desh, the Uttar Pradesh government has announced relief for the workers.

41:42The Yogi government has hiked basic wages by 3,000 rupees.

42:15Meanwhile, politics continues over the stir.

42:18The Samajwadi party has called it a failure of the Yogi government.

42:47The government, and the U.P. cops on the other hand, is invested in the government.

42:51Investigating a possible role of anti-social elements.

42:55Police have claimed that the protests were systematically planned using social media handles,

43:01dedicated WhatsApp groups, and even a suspected call center-like setup to coordinate protests.

43:07Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had also warned about this on Monday.

43:25While the vandalism and torching of vehicles have brought a bad name to the protest,

43:29the workers think the demands are genuine.

43:32Vita Shetosh Mishra and Himanshu Mishra, Bureau Report, India Today.

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