Nitish Kumar and Atal Bihari Vajpayee Relation: In Indian politics, alliances come and go, ideologies change and friends become enemies. But in the heart of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, there is one personality for whom his reverence has never diminished, and that is Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee. When the country is celebrating Atal ji’s birth anniversary on 25th December, those memories have once again become fresh in Nitish Kumar’s mind, which are not just of politics, but of unwavering trust and fatherly affection.
When Atal’s trust created ‘Good Governance Babu’
Nitish Kumar may be considered an expert player of coalition politics today, but the credit for honing his administrative skills goes to Atal Bihari Vajpayee. When Nitish became active in central politics in the late 90s, Atal ji had recognized his talent. This was the reason why he handed over the responsibility of huge ministries like Agriculture, Railways and Surface Transport to Nitish.
Nitish often recalls that working in Atal ji’s cabinet was like learning in a school. There, not only orders were given, but there was an atmosphere of communication and respect.
Those 7 days and the spirit of not giving up
The most emotional turning point in Nitish Kumar’s political life came in the year 2000. After the Bihar Assembly elections, due to Atal ji’s unwavering faith, Nitish took oath as the Chief Minister for the first time. However, due to lack of majority this government fell in just 7 days.
That defeat could have broken any leader, but Nitish says that at that time only Atal ji consoled him. That 7-day failure laid the foundation of ‘good governance’ of 2005. Nitish believes that it was the blessings of Atal ji that he could erase the tag of ‘Jungle Raj’ in Bihar and walk on the path of development.
When Atal ji also became emotional
The relationship between Nitish and Atal Bihari was not just about the chair. In 1999, when a tragic train accident occurred in Gasal, West Bengal, Nitish Kumar resigned on moral grounds. Atal did not want to lose his favorite minister, he tried to reject the resignation, but Nitish remained adamant on his point. This incident shows that for both the leaders, political correctness and moral values were above position.
No matter what the alliance is, ‘Atal’ devotion is unwavering.
There were many ups and downs in Nitish Kumar’s politics. They stayed with BJP, then separated, then came together again. But one thing that never changed was his loyalty towards Atal ji. Even today, when Nitish Kumar visits the ‘Sadaiv Atal’ memorial and bows his head, the same old reverence is visible on his face.
There is a discussion in political circles that even today Nitish compares the current politics with the era of Atal-Advani. For him, Atal ji was not only a Prime Minister but also a shield who taught him to respect small parties in coalition politics.
legacy of memories
In today’s era where bitterness is increasing in politics, this relationship between Nitish and Atal ji reminds us how to maintain respect for each other even in the midst of mutual differences. For Nitish, Atal Bihari Vajpayee is like a torch in whose light he gave a new direction to Bihar.
