Bihar, India

The Janata Dal (United) party, a key ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling coalition, has passed a resolution demanding that the central government grant special category status or a special financial package for the state of Bihar. This was a key outcome of the party's national executive meeting held in Delhi on Saturday (June 29).

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Bihar has been demanding special category status (SCS) from the central government for many years to address its economic and developmental challenges. A recent survey revealed that nearly a third of Bihar's population lives below the poverty line. The state's per capita income of around Rs 60,000 or $719 is among the lowest in the country

Notably, JD(U) holds 12 seats in the newly elected lower house of the parliament. This helps the ruling BJP maintain power in the central government. 

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Ever since JD(U) led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar joined the NDA alliance, the party has been stressing Bihar's economic difficulties and the need for more central assistance and providing much-needed financial resources.

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In addition to the demand for special status, the JD(U) also sought the inclusion of increased reservations for Other Backward Classes, Extremely Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.

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This comes despite a recent Patna High Court decision that struck down Bihar's amendments passed by the state legislature in 2023 to increase the quota from 50 per cent to 65 per cent quota for backward classes in educational institutions and government jobs. 

Sanjay Jha named new JD(U) working president

The national executive meeting also saw the election of Sanjay Jha, a Rajya Sabha MP, as the new JD(U) working president. During the meeting, the party JDU national spokesperson KC Tyagi reaffirmed that Nitish Kumar will not leave the NDA alliance. The JD(U) also plans to field candidates in the 2024 Jharkhand elections, as per reports. 

(With inputs from agencies)