Bihar’s Nitish Kumar joins non-NDA CMs in skipping Niti Aayog meet, sparks political buzz | India News

NEW DELHI: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who’s a key NDA ally, was amongst a number of opposition-ruled state leaders who skipped the tenth Niti Aayog governing council assembly in New Delhi on Saturday. His absence has fueled political hypothesis, particularly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming go to to Bihar forward of the meeting elections due this 12 months.The high-level assembly, chaired by PM Modi at Bharat Mandapam, targeted on the theme ‘Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat@2047’ and introduced collectively chief ministers, lieutenant governors, and Union ministers to chart out growth methods.However, Nitish Kumar’s absence stood out, particularly since he heads a authorities aligned with the BJP.Among the states that skipped the assembly had been Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal, Bihar, and Puducherry, Niti Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam stated, in accordance with PTI.Nitish Kumar’s resolution to skip the high-level assembly has sparked political hypothesis, with Congress and RJD leaders calling it “unfortunate” and suggesting it could carry a deeper political message.Senior Congress chief Tariq Anwar known as the transfer “significant,” noting that “his decision to skip it sends a major political message,” particularly when the assembly was chaired by the Prime Minister himself, in accordance with IANS.RJD chief Manoj Jha stated that Kumar’s absence from the assembly means that “others are deciding his priorities these days.”Speaking to PTI, Jha stated, “The NITI Aayog meeting is happening at a critical juncture. We heard that Bihar CM is not attending, his priorities are set by other people these days. The GDP size is a myth if it is not reflected in every home, the development would be hollow.”“We also hope for ‘nafrat-mukt’ (hatred-free) Bharat… The situation is Bihar is like there is no pilot, and auto-pilot has gone defunct,” Jha additional added.There has been no official clarification for Nitish Kumar’s absence, and the precise purpose for his lacking the assembly stays unclear.This isn’t the primary time Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has skipped a Niti Aayog assembly. He was absent from the 2023 Governing Council assembly as nicely. In 2024, he once more selected to not attend, with Bihar being represented as a substitute by deputy chief ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha.The council is the apex physique of the Niti Ayog, which incorporates chief ministers, lieutenant governors of all states and Union territories together with a number of Union ministers. This was the primary main assembly of the PM with chief ministers of all states and lieutenant governors after US President Donald Trump introduced reciprocal tariffs and Operation Sindoor.Despite the absence of some states, the assembly went forward with participation from a number of state heads.PM Modi started the Niti Aayog assembly by advocating for joint growth initiatives between the Centre and states. He confused the significance of growing cities which might be ready for the longer term, contemplating India’s rising urbanisation.“India is getting rapidly urbanised. We should work towards future-ready cities. Growth, innovation, and sustainability should be the engines of urban development,” the Prime Minister stated.Highlighting the theme of “Team India,” PM Modi added, “We have to increase the speed of development. If the Centre and all States come together and work as a team, no goal is impossible.”The Prime Minister inspired states to boost tourism, recommending that every state ought to set up one internationally recognised vacationer vacation spot.“One State: One Global Destination should be our mantra. It will not only elevate that location but also lead to the development of surrounding areas,” he added.The Niti Aayog governing council assembly is a platform for the Centre and states/UTs to debate the way to work collectively to attain the aim of a developed India by 2047. It focuses on constructing consensus on how every state can contribute to the nation’s total progress.