Nitish Kumar

In February 2026, Nitish referred to former Chief Minister and opposition leader Rabri Devi as 'yeh jo ladki hai' ('this girl'), prompting several days of protests and a demand for an apology from the RJD.

State of the evidence

remarks and parliamentary disorder documented

Legal status — source text

no judicial proceedings

Attribution

personal responsibility for his remarks

BPSC examination candidates staged prolonged protests over irregularities and delays. Police used water cannons and baton charges in December 2024, followed by another charge described as 'mild' in May 2025 near the Chief Minister's official residence.

State of the evidence

protests and uses of force documented

Legal status — source text

no personal proceedings

Attribution

institutional political responsibility; no evidence that he personally ordered the charges

In January 2024, having helped establish the opposition INDIA bloc, Nitish again broke with the RJD and Congress to join the NDA led by Narendra Modi.

State of the evidence

alliance change documented

Legal status — source text

no judicial proceedings

Attribution

direct political responsibility

The total prohibition introduced by Nitish in 2016 became one of his most controversial policies. Criticism focused on arrests, overloaded courts, the black market and a series of deaths linked to adulterated alcohol, particularly in Saran in 2022.

State of the evidence

legislation, deaths and effects on the judicial system documented

Legal status — source text

no personal proceedings

Attribution

political responsibility as architect and defender of prohibition

Following the caste survey, the Nitish government raised reservations in public employment and education from 50% to 65%, or 75% including the EWS quota. Patna High Court struck down the measures.

State of the evidence

legislation and High Court judgment documented

Legal status — source text

Patna High Court struck down the increase to 65% in June 2024, finding that it violated the right to equality

Attribution

public policy responsibility, without criminal wrongdoing

During the presentation of the caste survey report, Nitish explicitly mimed the role of an educated woman in preventing pregnancy, drawing criticism from the opposition and the National Commission for Women.

State of the evidence

remarks and apology documented

Legal status — source text

no judicial proceedings

Attribution

personal responsibility for his remarks

Nitish sharply attacked former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi in the Assembly, claiming that Manjhi had become Chief Minister through his own 'foolishness' and that he had been forced to take back the position following complaints.

State of the evidence

public statement documented

Legal status — source text

no judicial proceedings

Attribution

personal responsibility for his remarks

In June 2023, a substantial section of the Aguwani-Sultanganj bridge collapsed following an earlier incident at the same structure, triggering controversy over construction quality and project supervision.

State of the evidence

collapse and administrative investigation documented

Legal status — source text

no personal proceedings

Attribution

institutional government responsibility; execution attributable to contractor and technical bodies

In August 2022, Nitish left the BJP alliance, resigned as Chief Minister and formed a new government hours later with the RJD, Congress and left-wing parties.

State of the evidence

alliance change documented

Legal status — source text

no judicial proceedings

Attribution

direct political responsibility

The Muzaffarpur shelter home scandal revealed widespread sexual abuse and repeated oversight failures while the NGO received public funding. The opposition held the Nitish government responsible for the failure of institutional protection.

State of the evidence

abuse, administrative failings and convictions of responsible individuals documented

Legal status — source text

prosecutions against shelter officials and various agents; no personal criminal involvement by Nitish

Attribution

institutional responsibility as Chief Minister; assaults must not be attributed to him

In July 2017, while his deputy Tejashwi Yadav was implicated in the IRCTC case, Nitish resigned, citing the impossibility of governing without clarification, then formed a new government with the BJP the following day.

State of the evidence

political split documented

Legal status — source text

no personal proceedings

Attribution

direct political responsibility for changing alliances

Following the JD(U)'s defeat in the 2014 national elections, Nitish resigned and selected Jitan Ram Manjhi as Chief Minister. Months later, the JD(U) sought to replace Manjhi with Nitish, triggering a public struggle in which Manjhi claimed he had been used as an interim leader and a Dalit figurehead.

State of the evidence

appointment, internal conflict, expulsion and Nitish's return documented

Attribution

direct political responsibility for the appointment and subsequent return to office

In June 2013, Nitish Kumar ended the 17-year JD(U)-BJP alliance following Narendra Modi's appointment as the BJP's campaign chief, considering, among other things, that the party's direction had changed.

State of the evidence

alliance split documented

Legal status — source text

no judicial proceedings

Attribution

direct political responsibility