Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) seeks ‘special category’ status for Bihar from Modi 3.0 govt

JD(U) seeks special category status or a special financial package from the central govt for Bihar. 

Earlier on Friday, the JD(U) took to its official X handle and posted a video of Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Minister for Water Resources & Parliamentary Affairs and quoted him as saying, “A meeting of the National Executive has been organised in Delhi to review the current political scenario and preparations for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections-2025.”

A day before, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said JD(U) and BJP will keep working together for good governance in Bihar. PM Narendra Modi said this after meeting with JD(U) MPs in Delhi on Thursday.

Also Read: Blow to Nitish Kumar! Patna HC annuls Bihar govt’s 65% reservation hike in jobs, education

"Had a great meeting with @Jduonline MPs. Our Parties have a long history of working together and fighting poor governance, corruption and criminalisation in Bihar. The leadership of @NitishKumar Ji has taken Bihar on the path of development. We will keep working together for good governance," PM Modi had said in a post on X and shared pictures from the meeting.

Nitish Kumar returned to the NDA and took oath as Bihar CM with the BJP's support after leaving the alliance and joining the Rashtriya Janata Dal-led 'Mahagathbandhan' in August 2022. Kumar's JDU contested the Lok Sabha elections 2024 in alliance with the BJP.

Bihar is expected to vote for its 243-member legislative assembly in October 2025.

Also Read: Another bridge collapses in Bihar’s Madhubani, ‘5th in 9 days’, says Tejashwi Yadav

What is the ‘special status category’?

The special status category, initiated in 1969 based on the Fifth Finance Commission's recommendations, aimed to support economically and infrastructurally backward states with hilly terrains and strategic international borders.

In 2023, former Union minister Giridhari Yadav informed Parliament that the National Development Council (NDC) had previously granted Special Category Status for plan assistance to states distinguished by specific features requiring special attention.

These features requiring special consideration included:

(i) Challenging hilly terrain

(ii) Low population density and/or significant tribal population

(iii) Strategic positioning along international borders

(iv) Economic and infrastructural underdevelopment

(v) Financial insolvency of state finances

Also Read: Not given up demand for special status: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

Earlier, Bihar minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary, stated under the special status category receive 90 percent of funding from the Centre for sponsored schemes. In contrast, other states outside this category receive 60 to 70 percent funding from the Centre, with the remainder sourced from their own finances.

(With inputs from PTI)