115-577: Upendra Kumar Singh , commonly known as Upendra Kushwaha (born 6 February 1960) is an Indian politician, and a former Member of Bihar Legislative Council and Bihar Legislative Assembly . He has also served as Minister of State for Human Resources and Development in the Government of India . Kushwaha is a former Member of Parliament (MP) from the Karakat constituency in Rohtas district , Bihar , and
230-529: A belt of moist deciduous forest . As well as trees, this consists of brush, grasses and reeds. Bihar lies completely in the Subtropical region of the Temperate Zone, and its climatic type is humid subtropical . Its temperature is subtropical in general, with hot summers and cold winters. Bihar has an average daily high temperature of only 26 °C with a yearly average of 26 °C. The climate
345-400: A caste troika consisting the three communities, Kushwaha , Kurmi and Yadav also led an anti-upper caste agitation in the state of Bihar, pushing them to the prominence in the state's politics. However, the tipping point of this Backward Caste unity came in 1995 Bihar Legislative Assembly election , when the dominant OBC castes, who were at the forefront in the collective struggle against
460-590: A former member of the Rajya Sabha . He was the leader of Rashtriya Samata Party (RSP), his own party, which merged into Janata Dal (United) (JDU) in 2009. Later, he formed Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), which also merged with JD(U) in 2021. On 20 February 2023, Kushwaha resigned from all positions in Janata Dal (United) and formed his own party called Rashtriya Lok Morcha due to his political problems with JD(U) and Nitish Kumar . Kushwaha contested
575-473: A lecturer in the politics department of Samata College. He added 'Kushwaha' to his name at the suggestion of Nitish Kumar : the surname is associated with caste identity and was supposed to improve his political standing. Kushwaha had worked with Karpoori Thakur and Jay Prakash Narayan and, like the other significant leaders of the 1990s such as Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan , Kushwaha had socialist leanings. His father Muneshwar Singh
690-493: A march towards Bihar's Raj Bhavan , pressing for educational reforms but Bihar Police initiated a lathi charge to stop them from reaching their destination. In this incident, Kushwaha was injured and was admitted into Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH). According to General Secretary of RLSP, Satyanand Prasad Dangi and former MP Bhudeo Choudhary also received serious injuries. Soon after this incident, Maharashtra leader Chhagan Bhujbal met Kushwaha at PMCH and criticised
805-507: A merger of his trusted aides in JDU and those in his social-reform organisation "Mahatma Phule Samata Parishad". Kushwaha had called a meeting of his aides in JDU and members of Mahatma Phule Samata Parishad in Patna on 19 and 20 February, planning to merge them to form his new political entity. Soon after formation of Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal, Kushwaha announced the launch of "Virasat Bachao Yatra",
920-400: A minor presence, along with the other extreme leftist parties. Nitish Kumar has been chief minister of Bihar for 13 years between 2005 and 2020. In contrast to prior governments, which emphasised divisions of caste and religion, his political platform was based on economic development, reduction of crime and corruption, and greater social equality. Since 2010, the government confiscated
1035-698: A notice from Election Commission of India , he said his intention was not the provoking of violence. In September 2020, prior to the Bihar Legislative Assembly election, Upendra Kushwaha's party RLSP left the RJD-and Congress-led coalition that was formed during the 2019 Lok Sabha election to counter the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar. Kushwaha announced the formation of an alliance called
1150-536: A number of constituencies, including Dinara and Saffron. Kushwaha left Janata Dal (United) on two occasions but after the split of 2013, he lost much support and the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party suffered massive election defeats, most notably in the 2019 Lok Sabha election and the 2020 assembly election . The decline of support of the Kushwaha caste also resulted in setbacks for JD(U), which
1265-653: A rise in substance abuse. Bihar generally ranks among the weakest in health outcomes in comparison to other Indian states because it lacks adequate health care facilities. While the National Health Mission , the Clinical Establishments Act of 2010 , and the formation of the Empowered Action Group (EAG) provide federal funds to expand and improve healthcare services, Bihar's ability to fully utilise this funding
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#17327838471651380-464: A statewide tour that included important places in Bihar and connecting with ground-level political workers to gain support against the Nitish Kumar government. The yatra, in its first phase, started from Bhitiharwa Village of West Champaran district and covered Muzaffarpur , Sitamarhi , Bajpatti, Madhubani , Araria , Madhepura , Samastipur and Saran district . The second phase of this tour
1495-544: A total area of 94,163 km (36,357 sq mi), with an average elevation above sea level of 173 feet (53 m). It is land locked by Nepal in the north, Jharkhand in the south West Bengal in the east and Uttar Pradesh to the west. It has three parts on the basis of physical and structural conditions: the Southern Plateau , the Shivalik Region , and Bihar's Gangetic Plain . Furthermore,
1610-562: A vast tract stretching from Punjab to Odisha . The Nanda dynasty was replaced by the Maurya Empire , India's first empire. The Maurya Empire and the religion of Buddhism arose in the region that now makes up modern Bihar. The Mauryan Empire, which originated from Magadha in 325 BCE, was founded by Chandragupta Maurya , who was born in Magadha. It had its capital at Pataliputra (modern Patna ). Mauryan Emperor Ashoka , who
1725-413: A visit to Bhojpur . The attackers belonged to an organisation called "Kushvanshi Sena" and had ideological conflict with Kushwaha. The Sena members said they showed black flags to the convoy and Kushwaha's supporters and political activists assaulted them. Kushwaha resigned from JDU and announced the formation of a new party called Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal on 20 February 2023. This party was formed after
1840-478: Is a state in Eastern India . It is the third largest state by population , the 12th largest by area , and the 15th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Bengal to the east, and Jharkhand to the south. Bihar is split by the river Ganges , which flows from west to east. On 15 November 2000, southern Bihar was ceded to form
1955-604: Is a permanent body and not subject to dissolution. But as nearly as possible, one-third of the members thereof retire as soon as may be on the expiration of every second year. Members are now elected or nominated for six years and one-third of them retire every second year. The presiding officers of Vidhan Parishad are now known as Chairman and Deputy Chairman. Members of the upper house, the Legislative Council are indirectly elected through an electoral college. There are 27 Committees which are, at present, functional in
2070-462: Is administratively divided into nine divisions and 38 districts. For the administration of urban areas, Bihar has 19 municipal corporations , 89 nagar parishads (city councils), and 154 nagar panchayats (town councils). (6,550 sq mi) (4,766 sq mi) (6,620 sq mi) (2,661 sq mi) (3,353 sq mi) (2,277 sq mi) (3,864 sq mi) (2,158 sq mi) (3,807 sq mi) Note : * Population data obtained from
2185-502: Is growing paddy (rice) and cattle domestication. Kushwaha's reference to Kheer was said to be the implicit indication of an alliance between two influential backward castes. This statement came at a convention organised in Shri Krishna Memorial Hall , Patna, to commemorate B. P. Mandal , on the occasion of his anniversary. Referring to public and political workers gathered there, he said: kheer can be prepared with
2300-622: Is the 18th Tiger Reserve of India , ranked fourth in terms of the density of its tiger population. It has a diverse landscape and biodiversity in addition to sheltering protected carnivores. Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary in Bhagalpur region is a reserve for the endangered South Asian river dolphin . Other species in Bihar include leopard , bear , hyena , bison , chital and barking deer . Crocodilians including gharials and muggers as well as Gangetic turtles can be found in
2415-553: Is the official language of the state and is spoken natively by 25.54% of the total population. At 8.42%, Urdu is the second official language in 15 districts of the state. However, the majority of the people speak one of the Bihari languages , most of which were classified as dialects of Hindi during the census. The major ones are Bhojpuri (24.86%), Maithili (12.55%) and Magahi (10.87%) Angika and Bajjika , two other Bihari languages, are classified under other dialects of Hindi in
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#17327838471652530-484: Is the principal holder of the country's pyrite reserves and possesses 95% of all known resources. In May 2022, a gold mine was found in the district of Jamui . It accounts for more than 44% of the country's gold reserve, approximately 223 million tons. At the 2011 census , Bihar was the third most populous state of India with a total population of 104,099,452. It was also India's most densely populated state , with 1,106 persons per square kilometre. The sex ratio
2645-476: Is very warm, but has only a very few tropical and humid months. Several months of the year it is warm to hot at temperatures continuously above 25 °C, sometimes up to 29 °C. Due to less rain the best time for travelling is from October to April. The most rainy days occur from May to September. Bihar has a nature conservation area of 6,845 km (2,643 sq mi), which is 7.27% of its geographical area. The sub-Himalayan foothill of Someshwar and
2760-477: The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), Kushwaha said he would remain in JDU, working towards strengthening it. Despite the anti-coalition statements made by Kushwaha, JDU did not try to warn him or oust him from the party. Nitish Kumar left the decision whether to stay in the JDU or resign to Kushwaha. Kumar, in a statement to media, asked Kushwaha to settle the dispute, if any, through conciliation within
2875-924: The Bihar Provincial Kisan Sabha (BPKS), to mobilise peasant grievances against the zamindari attacks on their occupancy rights. The movement intensified and spread from Bihar across the rest of India, culminating in the formation of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) at the Lucknow session of the Indian National Congress in April ;1936, where Saraswati was elected as its first president. Following independence, Bihari migrant workers have faced violence and prejudice in many parts of India, such as Maharashtra , Punjab , and Assam . Decades following
2990-630: The Grand Democratic Secular Front (GDSF) in partnership with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The GDSF contested all 243 seats in the Bihar Assembly against three more political fronts: the NDA , which included JD (U) and BJP ; UPA (locally known as Grand Alliance or Mahagathbandhan ), which included RJD, Congress and Vikassheel Insaan Party; and an alliance of small parties that was led by Jan Adhikar Party . Kushwaha cited
3105-701: The Pala Empire , the Karnat dynasty came into power in the Mithila region in the 11th century and they were succeeded by the Oiniwar dynasty in the 14th century. Aside from Mithila, there were other small kingdoms in medieval Bihar. The area around Bodh Gaya and much of Magadha came under the Buddhist Pithipatis of Bodh Gaya . The Khayaravala dynasty were present in the southwestern portions of
3220-559: The Permanent Settlement of 1793 by the British East India Company . The state government has, however, made significant strides in developing the state. Improved governance has led to an economic revival in the state through increased investment in infrastructure, better healthcare facilities, greater emphasis on education, and a reduction in crime and corruption. The name Bihar is derived from
3335-829: The Sanskrit and Pali word vihāra ( Devanagari : विहार), meaning "abode" and usually referred to a Buddhist monastery. The region roughly encompassing the present state had many Buddhist vihāras, the abodes of Buddhist monks in the ancient and medieval periods. Chirand , on the northern bank of the Ganga River , in Saran district , has an archaeological record from the Neolithic age ( c. 2500–1345 BCE ) . Regions of Bihar – such as Magadha , Mithila , and Anga – are mentioned in religious texts and epics of ancient India . Mithila gained prominence after
3450-520: The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) between Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Hindustani Awam Morcha , Rashtriya Lok Samta Party , Janata Dal (United) (JDU) and Indian National Congress (INC). There are many other political formations. The Communist Party of India had a strong presence in Bihar at one time, which has since weakened. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) and CPM and All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) have
3565-612: The Vajjika League which had its capital in the city of Vaishali , which is also in Mithila. Vajji had a republican form of government where the head of state was elected from the rajas. Based on the information found in texts pertaining to Jainism and Buddhism, Vajji was established as a republic by the sixth century BCE, before the birth of Gautama Buddha in 563 BCE, making it the first known republic in India. The Haryanka dynasty , founded in 684 BCE, ruled Magadha from
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3680-631: The bicameral Bihar Legislature of the state of Bihar in India . A new Province of Bihar and Odisha was created by the Government of India on 12 December 1911. The Legislative Council with a total of 43 members belonging to different categories was formed in 1912. The first sitting of the Council was convened on 20 January 1913 at Patna College Bankipore . In 1920 Bihar and Orissa declared governor province, as per Government of India Act 1919 . As per Government of India Act 1935 Bihar and Orissa
3795-503: The 'land reforms', which could have helped Backward Castes and the Scheduled Castes ". The upper backwards relied on the political parties of Lok Dal and later Janata Dal for increasing their political representation. The year of 1989-90 saw the implementation of Mandal Commission 's recommendation by Vishwanath Pratap Singh 's government, which reserved 27% per cent seats in government jobs and educational institutions for
3910-423: The 1960s saw the rise of political instability in the state with dwindling power of Indian National Congress and rise of parties like Samyukta Socialist Party . The leaders belonging to Backward Castes became vocal for their political rights. The toppling of Mahamaya Prasad Sinha government by Jagdeo Prasad hastened the end of dominance of Forward Caste backed Indian National Congress in the state. Bihar covers
4025-683: The 2014 Lok Sabha election in alliance with the BJP and won the three seats it was allotted. In reward, he was made Union Minister in Narendra Modi 's first cabinet. When Nitish Kumar, who contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election alone without being part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), returned to the NDA, Kushwaha was overlooked by NDA leadership as they focused more on Nitish. Despite performing poorly in
4140-475: The 2019 Lok Sabha and 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, in the latter of which Kushwaha formed his GDSF, Kumar invited Kushwaha to merge his RLSP into JDU. This was done because JDU observed a shifting away of voters away from Kushwaha's caste, and in more than 12 seats in some parts of Bihar, RSLP candidates led a defeat of JDU candidates. In 2021, Kushwaha merged his RLSP into JDU and Kumar appointed him Parliamentary Board chairman. Kushwaha, however, later said Kumar
4255-617: The 2019 Lok Sabha election in the Karakat and Ujiyarpur constituencies. Kushwaha failed to win the seats. The grand alliance of parties under the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav failed to win any seats in Bihar in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. During the 2019 Lok Sabha election , Upendra Kushwaha's speech, in which he referred to the newly formed alliance of his party and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) as " Kheer " sparked controversy. According to political analysts, RLSP represented Kushwahas, who are also called Koeris in Bihar, while RJD represents Yadavs . The traditional occupation of these castes
4370-468: The 2023 census, 81.99% of Bihar's population practised Hinduism , while 17.70% followed Islam . Christianity (0.05%), Buddhism (0.08%), and Sikhism (0.01%) are religious minorities in Bihar . Most of Bihar's population belongs to Indo-Aryan-speaking ethnic groups. It also attracted Punjabi Hindu refugees during the Partition of British India in 1947. Languages of Bihar from 2011 census Hindi
4485-414: The BJP's key leadership for remaining silent on the issue of conducting a nationwide "caste-based census", which according to Kushwaha, while he was serving as Union Minister as a BJP ally, the BJP's senior leaders promised to conduct. Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) organised Kisan Choupals against the 2020 Farm Bills . These village-level conferences were aimed at making farmers aware of
4600-981: The Council. Besides, there are three Financial Committees consisting of the members of the two Houses of the State Legislature. Keys: BJP (7) JD(U) (8) RJD (9) INC (1) CPI-ML (1) HAM (1) Keys: BJP (7) RJD (6) JD(U) (5) INC (1) RLJP (1) IND (4) Keys: JD(U) (3) BJP (2) Independent (1) Vacant1 (1) Keys: BJP (2) JD(U) (1) CPI (1) INC (1) Independent (1) Keys: BJP (6) JD(U) (6) Bihar Bihar ( / b ɪ ˈ h ɑːr / ; Hindi: [bɪˈɦaːr] )
4715-932: The Dun ranges in the Champaran district have belts of moist deciduous forests, mixed with shrubs, grass and reeds. High rainfall (above 1,600 mm [63 in]) promotes forests of Sal ( Shorea robusta ) in these areas. Other important trees are Sal Cedrela Toona, Khair , and Semal. Deciduous forests also occur in the Saharsa and Purnia districts, with common trees including Shorea robusta ( sal ), Diospyros melanoxylon ( kendu ), Boswellia serrata ( salai ), Terminalia tomentose ( asan ), Terminalia bellerica ( bahera ), Terminalia arjuna ( arjun ), Pterocarpus marsupium ( paisar ), and Madhuca indica ( mahua ). Valmiki National Park covers about 800 km (309 sq mi) of forest and
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4830-600: The Forward Castes, were divided into two rival political camps. While one of these camps was led by Yadavs under Janata Dal , the other camp was led by Koeri and Kurmis, who assembled under the Samata Party . According to Sanjay Kumar, this was the election in which the caste divide in the state was most evident not between the Forward and Backward Castes, but rather between two groups of Backward Castes itself. It
4945-606: The Governor is the head of the government of Bihar, and is appointed by the President of India . The Chief minister is the executive head of the government who, with its cabinet ministers, makes all important policy decisions. The political party or coalition of political parties having a majority in the Bihar Legislative Assembly forms the government. The Chief Secretary is the head of the bureaucracy of
5060-401: The JDU leadership but the party's national president Lalan Singh said in a press statement that Kushwaha is no longer the "president of parliamentary board of the JDU", the position to which Kushwaha was appointed after merging his party RLSP into the ruling JDU. Amidst a political crisis in the state, in which Kushwaha was important factor, Kushawa's convoy of vehicles was attacked during
5175-532: The Koeri and Kurmi communities as a counter to which BJP had earlier selected Keshav Prasad Maurya as its Uttar Pradesh chief. The BJP was sure Nitish, who was now a BJP ally and had gained a considerable reputation in Bihar due to his development model, would be popular. Kushwaha then joined United Progressive Alliance (locally known as Mahagathbandhan ), which included Rashtriya Janata Dal , Hindustani Awam Morcha , and Vikassheel Insaan Party . He contested
5290-704: The Lok Sabha election of 2024 from Karakat constituency and finished at a distant third position. However, he was elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha in August 2024. Upendra Kumar Singh was born to Muneshwar Singh and Muneshwari Devi on 6 February 1960 in Vaishali , Bihar, into a middle-class family. He graduated from Patna Science College and then gained a Master of Arts (MA) in Political Science from BR Ambedkar Bihar University , Muzaffarpur. Singh worked as
5405-513: The NDA candidate led to victory of Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation politician Raja Ram Singh Kushwaha from the Karakat seat. The loss of Upendra Kushwaha also affected caste equation in the whole Shahabad region as the Koeri people voted against BJP and Rajput candidates in the constituencies in the vicinity of Karakat. It was reported that there was palpable anger amongst
5520-451: The NDA government of Bihar for the lathi charge. He also said the government had plotted to kill Kushwaha. Pappu Yadav , who also met Kushwaha in PMCH, also supported these allegations. candidate Bihar Legislative Council Official Opposition (20) Other opposition (6) Vacant (1) Bihar Legislative Council also known as Bihar Vidhan Parishad is the upper house of
5635-417: The NDA leadership due to diminishing importance as an ally. Kushwaha's RLSP left the NDA alliance because it was not given appropriate seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The NDA leadership was sceptical of Kushwaha's influence on members of the Koeri caste and believed they could win elections in Bihar without his support. According to political analysts of Bihar, Nitish Kumar holds considerable influence on
5750-618: The Son, Budhi Gandak , Chandan, Orhani and Phalgu . Bihar has some small hills, such as the Rajgir hills in center, Kaimur Range in south-west and Shivalik Range in North. Bihar has a forest area of 6,764.14 km , which is 7.1 per cent of its geographical area. The sub-Himalayan foothills of Shivalik ranges , primary Someshwar and Dun mountain, in West Champaran district are clad in
5865-423: The area of improvement of education by sanctioning a number of Kendriya Vidyalayas across the country in his capacity. Two of those were sanctioned in his native state of Bihar. Kushwaha sanctioned the funds required for setting up of KVs for ensuring quality education and even announced that his party will put pressure on the Government of Bihar through protests, to expedite the process of establishment of KVs, if
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#17327838471655980-464: The area that is now Bihar was considered the centre of political and cultural power and as a haven of learning. From Magadha arose India's first empire, the Maurya empire , as well as one of the world's most widely adhered-to religions: Buddhism . Magadha empires, notably under the Maurya and Gupta dynasties, unified large parts of South Asia under a central rule. Another region of Bihar, Mithila ,
6095-588: The census. Maithili is a recognised regional language of India under the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India. Proponents have called for Bhojpuri, Magahi, Angika, and Bajjika to receive the same status. Smaller communities of Bengali and Surjapuri speakers are found in some parts of the state, especially in the eastern districts and urban areas. Under the Constitution of India ,
6210-520: The city of Rajgriha (modern Rajgir ). The two well-known kings from this dynasty were Bimbisara and his son Ajatashatru , who imprisoned his father to ascend the throne. Ajatashatru founded the city of Pataliputra which later became the capital of Magadha. He declared war and conquered the Vajjika League . The Haryanka dynasty was followed by the Shishunaga dynasty . Later, the Nanda dynasty ruled
6325-553: The development of lower as well as higher educational institutions. Kushwaha has demanded quality education in Indian villages. According to him, 90% of those who are in need of education live in villages, where there has been severe degradation in quality of government schools. He also lauded the Central Board of Secondary Education for maintaining a decent quality of education across the country. In 2016, Kushwaha inaugurated
6440-888: The diwani rights (rights to administer and collect tax revenue) for Bihar, Bengal , and Odisha . The rich resources of fertile land, water, and skilled labour had attracted the foreign imperialists, particularly the Dutch and British, in the 18th century. A number of agriculture-based industries had been started in Bihar by foreign entrepreneurs. Bihar remained a part of the Bengal Presidency of British India until 1912, when Bihar and Orissa were carved out as separate provinces. Farmers in Champaran had revolted against indigo cultivation in 1914 (at Pipra ) and 1916 (Turkaulia). In April 1917, Mahatma Gandhi visited Champaran, where Raj Kumar Shukla had drawn his attention to
6555-498: The economy. Saini supported Kushwaha and demanded organisations working for the welfare of OBCs should speak against the under-representation of OBCs in some of the key institutions. In 2022, when he was serving as the Parliamentary Board president of Janata Dal (United), Kushwaha accused the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) of plotting to destroy the caste-based reservation for Other Backward Castes . He also criticised
6670-412: The election from Karakat Lok Sabha constituency . Singh denied the proposal of Bharatiya Janata Party and decided to contest as independent candidate from Karakat; he was later expelled by BJP for contesting against National Democratic Alliance candidate Kushwaha. However, Singh continued his electoral campaigns with large number of stage shows involving musical concerts of Bhojpuri singers and actors. It
6785-706: The establishment of the Videha Kingdom. During the late Vedic period ( c. 1100 –500 BCE), Videha became one of the major political and cultural centers of South Asia, along with Kuru and Pañcāla. The kings of the Videha Kingdom were called Janakas . Sita , a daughter of one of the Janaks of Mithila is mentioned as the consort of Lord Rama , in the Hindu epic Ramayana , written by Valmiki . The Videha Kingdom later became incorporated into
6900-513: The exploitation of the peasants by European indigo planters. The Champaran Satyagraha that followed received support from many Bihari nationalists, such as Rajendra Prasad , Shri Krishna Sinha and Anugrah Narayan Sinha . In the northern and central regions of Bihar, the Kisan Sabha (peasant movement) was an important consequence of the independence movement. It began in 1929 under the leadership of Swami Sahajanand Saraswati who formed
7015-412: The independence in 1947 were full of violent conflicts between the landless section of Bihari society and the landed elite who controlled the government at various level. This was an outcome of the failed land reform drive and improper implementation of the land ceiling laws that were passed by Indian National Congress government in the 1950s. Landed castes like Rajput and Bhumihar became suspicious of
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#17327838471657130-403: The interest of big farmers and the corporations, and were detrimental to small and marginal farmers. In 2016, the Government of Bihar under Nitish Kumar passed a bill in the Bihar Legislative Assembly to ban the consumption of alcohol in the state. Severe punishment were imposed on those found guilty. In 2022, Kushwaha in a press statement spoke against the state government's liquor policy. He
7245-473: The invasion of Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji , during which many of the viharas were destroyed along with the universities of Nalanda and Vikramashila . Some historians believe that thousands of Buddhist monks were massacred during the 12th century. D. N. Jha suggests, instead, that these incidents were the result of Buddhist–Brahmin skirmishes in a fight for supremacy. After the rule of
7360-399: The judiciary for the "weaker section", Kushwaha also launched a campaign called " Halla Bol Darwaja Khol Campaign ". At the same time, an anti-reservation protest was being organised across Bihar and while travelling to East Champaran to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kushwaha was greeted with protests by anti-reservationists. According to police, one person was arrested in connection with
7475-404: The land for it was not allocated by the state government in time. While serving as Minister of State (Human resource development), now called Ministry of State (Education) , Kushwaha raised the issue of reforming the Collegium System of appointment to the higher judiciary. Highlighting the humble beginnings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and incumbent president Ram Nath Kovind , he asked why
7590-528: The land reforms and used their influence in government to hinder the efforts of the land redistribution programme, which may have alleviated the huge caste based income inequalities. Unscrupulous tactics such as absentee landlordism neutralised the reforms which was architected by Krishna Ballabh Sahay . In the Zamindari areas of Bihar, such as Bhojpur district , the Dalits were also subjected to frequent humiliation and practice of begar existed. This led to first spark of mass scale naxalism to grew up in
7705-401: The landed section of society belonged primarily to Forward Castes and a section of Upper Backward Castes , on the other hand, the landless were the people belonging to Schedule Castes and a section of Other Backward Castes . Formation of caste based private armies called Senas' took place in response to violent activities of the naxalites. One of the most dreaded caste army of the landlord
7820-415: The leadership of Tejashwi Yadav as the successor to Nitish Kumar. In several press conferences, he said Janata Dal (United) (JDU) had weakened and there was need to strengthen it again by reviving the party's core support base. Kushwaha also demanded a greater role for the Koeri caste in the electoral politics of Bihar. He said the incumbent Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav had grabbing
7935-403: The members of Other Backward Class . This event mobilised them against the "politics of religion" of the Bhartiya Janata Party , which was backed by the Forward Castes . Important figures such as Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar took a leading role in this mobilisation, and by 1990, the upper backwards– Koeri , Kurmi , Yadav became the new political elites of the state. Historically,
8050-415: The members of Koeri caste on Pawan Singh contesting as independent candidate from Karakat against Kushwaha. The BJP lost Arrah, Aurangabad, Sasaram, Buxar seats with its veteran Rajput leaders R. K. Singh and Sushil Kumar Singh getting defeated by fair margin of votes. Following the 2024 Indian general elections, Kushwaha was nominated as the candidate of National Democratic Alliance to the Rajya Sabha ,
8165-434: The milk from the Yadavs and rice from the Kushwahas ... We will get the sugar from Brahmins, Tulsi from [RLSP Bihar chief Bhudev Choudhary ], and can make delicious kheer with the dry-fruits from the backward classes and Dalits. Then we can relish the delicious kheer together. After losing in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Kushwaha warned NDA leadership if the election results deteriorated, blood will flow on streets. Later in
8280-510: The misbehaviour with Kushwaha and sixty protesters remained out of reach. According to Kushwaha, the Rashtriya Janata Dal 's (RJD) 15-year rule in Bihar is responsible for the poor conditions of educational institutions. In a convention organised by his RLSP party in Rajgir during his tenure as Union Minister, he put many demands before the Nitish Kumar government to rectify the state's education system. The demands were aimed at
8395-433: The nation still wanted his service. After Kushwaha's tussle with JDU's leadership became public in 2023, and a picture of some BJP leaders meeting him in hospital was aired, rumours of him leaving the JDU reappeared. When asked about Kushwaha's possible defection from JDU, due to his closeness with the BJP, Nitish Kumar told media "they should ask Kushwaha, what he wants" and"tell [Kushwaha] to talk to me." In 2016, while he
8510-550: The new infrastructure and building for the All India Council for Technical Education . At the inauguration meeting, he expressed concern over engineers being paid a minimum salary of ₹10,000 to ₹12,000 in the country after graduating from private technical institutions. He urged the creation of a system in which the companies would visit campuses to select meritorious engineers. In 2019, RLSP party workers, under leadership of Kushwaha and other senior leaders, conducted
8625-516: The new state of Jharkhand . Only 11.27% of the population of Bihar lives in urban areas as per a 2020 report. Additionally, almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, giving Bihar the highest proportion of young people of any Indian state. The official language is Hindi , which shares official status alongside that of Urdu . The main native languages are Maithili , Magahi and Bhojpuri . But there are several other languages being spoken at smaller levels. In Ancient and Classical India ,
8740-595: The opportunity to become a judge of the higher judiciary should be closed for communities that are considered a "weaker section". Kushwaha also said the Supreme Court of India judges worry about their successors and practising nepotism . Following the demand, the RSLP organised a discussion of reforms of the Collegium System in ten state capitals, beginning with New Delhi . To support the reservation in
8855-554: The party's name and flag at a rally at Gandhi Maidan . He contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections as part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which Narendra Modi led. Kushwaha was elected to Karakat constituency and was appointed Minister of State in Human Resource Development. In December 2018, Kushwaha resigned from the ministry and left the NDA, accusing Modi of not fulfilling his election promises regarding Bihar. Kushwaha indicated his discontent with
8970-452: The party. According to political analysts, the declaration of Tejaswi Yadav as the successor of Nitish Kumar ended Kushwaha's hopes, making him contest the choice of Yadav over him. This made Kushwaha worry about JDU's future, which according to him was on the verge of decline and such a step would seal the party's fate. Kushwaha's continuous attack on Nitish Kumar's decision to promote Tejashwi Yadav as his successor did not bring any action by
9085-399: The plains of Bhojpur. This armed struggle was led initially by Master Jagdish Mahto , a school teacher turned naxalite. Soon, the struggle spread into other parts of Bihar, where the landlords and agricultural labourers locked horns against each other. Between 1950 and 2000, several massacres took place. In Bihar, unlike the other parts of India, the naxalism took the form of caste conflict as
9200-557: The political rights of other Other Backward Castes (OBCs) and that after the Yadavs and Kurmis , the premiership of Bihar should pass into the hands of a Kushwaha leader, considering the leader of these three castes together launched the political party Triveni Sangh in the 1930s. He also said Extremely Backward Castes , which have been neglected in electoral politics, should play an active role, and urged Kumar and Yadav to take steps to push them forward. Amidst speculation he would join
9315-496: The properties of corrupt officials and redeveloped them into school buildings. They also introduced the Bihar Special Court Act to curb crime. It also legislated a two-hour lunch break on Fridays, to enable Muslim employees to pray and thereby reduce absenteeism. The government has prohibited the sale and consumption of alcohol in the state since March 2016, which has been linked to a drop in tourism and
9430-545: The provisions of the Farm Laws brought by National Democratic Alliance government in 2021. According to RSLP political activists, the laws were not in interest of small farmers. Kushwaha announced the participation of his political workers in the all-India protest organised by farmers in Delhi if the bills were not taken back. Kushwaha asked the Narendra Modi government to take the bills back because they were supposed to serve
9545-658: The river systems. Karkatgarh Waterfall on Karmanasa River is a natural habitat of the crocodilians. In 2016, the government of Bihar has accepted the proposal of the forest authorities to turn the area into a Crocodile Conservation Reserve (CCR). Other notable wildlife sanctuaries include Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary , Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary and Gautam Buddha Wildlife Sanctuary . Many varieties of local and migratory bird species can be seen in natural wetland of Kanwar Lake Bird Sanctuary , Asia's largest oxbow lake and only Ramsar site in Bihar, and other notable wetlands of Baraila lake, Kusheshwar Nath Lake, Udaypur lake . Bihar
9660-912: The session of the Bihar Legislative Council took place in a newly built building. On 1 April 1950, the secretariat of BLC started functioning. After the first General Elections 1952, the number of members was increased up to 72 and by 1958 the number was raised to 96. With the creation of Jharkhand , as a result of the Bihar Reorganisation Act , 2000 passed by the Parliament, the strength of the Bihar Legislative Council has been reduced from 96 to 75 members. Some veteran council members B. P. Mandal, Jagannath Mishra, Satyendra Narain Singh and Lalu Prasad Yadav have also served as Chief Minister of Bihar. Bihar Legislative Council
9775-467: The state until the 13th century. Many famous Buddhist and Hindu philosophers and scholars have originated or studied in Bihar during the period from the 5th to 13th century at institutions like Nalanda and Vikramashila including Kamalaśīla , Ratnākaraśānti , Śāntarakṣita , Abhayakaragupta , Udayana and Gaṅgeśa . After the Battle of Buxar (1764), the British East India Company obtained
9890-629: The state, under whom a hierarchy of officials is drawn from the Indian Administrative Service , Indian Police Service , Indian Forest Service , and different wings of the state civil services. The judiciary is headed by the Chief Justice of the High Court. Bihar has a high court in Patna, which has been functioning since 1916. All the branches of the government are located in the state capital, Patna. The state
10005-417: The strength of individual castes after 1931. However after the results of the caste survey were published on 2 October 2023, he was among the leaders to term it as fake and manipulated survey. The survey lowered the strength of many caste groups which were considered more preponderant in the state. Soon after the results, he commented that the data were collected in haste and also alleged that even his own family
10120-422: The sum of the populations of the districts. The politics of Bihar have been based on caste since the onset of Indian independence . The important castes with political presence and influence in Bihar includes: Yadav , Koeri , Kurmi , Rajput , Bhumihar , and Brahmin . Before 1990, politics was dominated by Forward Castes – Brahmin, Rajput, Bhumihar, and Kayastha . The numerous Other Backward Class group
10235-499: The unacceptability of the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav as the reason for his separation from the "Grand Alliance". The GSDF suffered a serious setback: its only success was AIMIM winning five seats in Muslim-dominated areas of Bihar—particularly Simanchal—and BSP winning one seat. The allies had obtained fewer votes than Kushwaha's RLSP, which secured 1.77% of the vote, and failed to win any seats. The RLSP polled well in
10350-598: The upper-house of Indian parliament. As per its predetermined plan, National Democratic Alliance nominated Upendra Kushwaha along with Naman Kumar Mishra for Rajya Sabha Bypolls on 21 August 2024. Their nomination was attended by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary. In his early political career, Kushwaha was a favourite of Nitish Kumar, who invested a lot in him and made him leader of opposition in Bihar Legislative Assembly . Kushwaha, however, lost his assembly election in 2005 despite support from Kumar. According to political analysts, this
10465-729: The vast stretch of the fertile Bihar Plain is divided by the Ganges River into two unequal parts – North Bihar and South Bihar. The Ganges flows west–east and, along with its tributaries, regularly floods parts of the Bihar plain. The main northern tributaries are the Gandak and Koshi , which originate in the Nepalese Himalayas, and the Bagmati , which originates in the Kathmandu Valley . Other tributaries are
10580-472: The worst feudal cruelties". In 2005, the World Bank believed that issues faced by the state were "enormous" because of "persistent poverty, complex social stratification, unsatisfactory infrastructure and weak governance". As of 2023, there are two main political formations: the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) which comprises Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP); and
10695-564: Was Ranvir Sena , which was involved in massacres of Dalits in Laxmanpur Bathe. The Dalit struggle against these caste armies was led by Indian People's Front and its successor Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation , which was controlled at the upper echelon by the middle peasant castes such as the Koeris and Yadavs , with Dalits and Extremely Backward Castes forming its mass support base and activists. Meanwhile,
10810-418: Was 1090 females per 1000 males in the year 2020. Almost 58% of Bihar's population was below 25 years age, which is the highest in India. In 2021, Bihar has had an urbanisation rate of 20%. Bihar has an adult literacy rate of 68.15% (78.5% for males and 57.8% for females) in 2020. Population increased to 130,725,310 as per the Bihar caste survey conducted in 2023. Religion in Bihar (2023) According to
10925-550: Was Member of Bihar Legislative Assembly in 2000–2005 and was appointed Deputy Leader of Bihar Legislative Assembly. In March 2004, after the Lok Sabha election, Sushil Modi was elected to the Lok Sabha and the number of MLA of JD(U) exceeded those of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Kushwaha, who was a one time MLA then, was made leader of the opposition in Bihar Legislative Assembly. Kushwaha started electoral politics in 2000, winning Jandaha constituency. He
11040-661: Was State General Secretary of Yuva Lok Dal . According to political analysts, Kushwaha enjoyed the support of voters of the Kushwaha caste in some districts of the Magadh and Shahabad divisions . A majority of political workers accompanying Upendra Kushwaha originate from this region. There are other districts where members of the Kushwaha caste who were not under his influence. Kushwaha became National General-Secretary of Yuva Janata Dal from 1988 to 1993. He also worked as General-Secretary for Samata Party from 1994 to 2002. Kushwaha
11155-480: Was acquainted with Karpoori Thakur; he sent Kushwaha to work with Thakur as political worker during his graduation days. In his political life, Kushwaha considers former Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Chhagan Bhujbal his political mentor. Kushwaha has spoken of his cordial relations with Bhujbal and Sharad Pawar ; he credits Pawar for helping him during a difficult period in his political life. Upendra Kushwaha entered politics in 1985; from then until 1988, he
11270-575: Was an attempt on part of Kumar to create a strong Kurmi - Koeri alliance. After his loss of 2005, Kushwaha blamed Kumar for his defeat and left JDU to join the Nationalist Congress Party , becoming its state-unit chief. In 2010, after returning to JDU, Kushwaha in JDU, Kumar sent him to Rajya Sabha ; however, Kushwaha later resigned and formed the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party in 2013. Kushwaha's RLSP fought
11385-479: Was an early centre of learning and the centre of the Videha kingdom. However, since the late 1970s, Bihar has lagged far behind other Indian states in terms of social and economic development. Many economists and social scientists claim that this is a direct result of the policies of the central government , such as the freight equalisation policy , its apathy towards Bihar, lack of Bihari sub-nationalism, and
11500-609: Was born in Pataliputra (Patna), is often considered to be among the most accomplished rulers in world history. The Gupta Empire , which originated in Magadha in 240 CE, is referred to as the Golden Age of India in science, mathematics, astronomy, commerce, religion, and Indian philosophy . Bihar and Bengal were invaded by Rajendra Chola I of the Chola dynasty in the 11th century. Buddhism in Magadha declined due to
11615-708: Was dismissed from Janata Dal (United) in 2007. Kushwaha founded the Rashtriya Samata Party in February 2009 against the backdrop of alleged marginalisation of the Koeri caste and autocratic rule by the Bihar state government of Nitish Kumar . The formation of the party was supported by Chhagan Bhujbal , Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra . In November 2009, the Rashtriya Samata Party
11730-426: Was given one parliamentary constituency to contest. It was stipulated in media that Kushwaha wanted more seats and thus he was pacified by the BJP leadership with one seat in Bihar Legislative Council. Kushwaha faced a tough electoral contest as Bhojpuri singer and actor Pawan Singh , who was earlier given the symbol of Bharatiya Janata Party and made a candidate from Asansol Lok Sabha constituency decided to contest
11845-619: Was merged into Janata Dal (United) due to an improved relationship between Kushwaha and Kumar. On 4 January 2013, Upendra Kushwaha, who at the time was a Rajya Sabha member, resigned from Janata Dal (United), saying the Nitish model had failed and that the law-and-order situation was becoming as bad as it had been seven years before. He also said Nitish Kumar runs his government through autocratic means and that he had turned Janata Dal (United) into his "pocket organisation". Kushwaha founded Rashtriya Lok Samata Party on 3 March 2013, and unveiled
11960-408: Was not counted and no one from the side of government came to his house to ask about his caste. Kushwaha also termed the report to be half baked as the data of only population was published on 2 October. He demanded that the socio-economic profile of various castes should also be kept in public domain as it will help government to formulate policies to uplift them. As union minister, Kushwaha worked in
12075-566: Was not giving him appropriate time to discuss party affairs. He also said the party was weakening from the inside. Earlier, when Kushwaha was JDU's parliamentary board chairman, he consistently defended Kumar from attack by opposition leaders. Kushwaha reacted sharply to the statement of Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Shivanand Tiwari , who said Nitish Kumar once told him he wanted to open an Ashram and teach political workers, an indication of Kumar's retirement from politics. Kushwaha defended Kumar and in media briefing, he said Nitish should work more and
12190-423: Was not solely dependent on Kushwaha to gain support among the members of numerically strong Koeri caste of Bihar, to which latter belonged. It had raised Samrat Chaudhary from the same caste group as its Bihar unit president, as the BJP leadership believed that sole reliance on Kushwaha was not enough. This believe emanated from the performance of Kushwaha in 2015 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections, when, his party
12305-418: Was only given a token representation in the government. This over representation of upper castes was due to their dominance in the Indian National Congress , which dominated the politics of the state for three decades after the independence of India. According to political scientist Sanjay Kumar: "Using their dominant role in state's government, in the period before 1990, the Forward Castes deliberately subverted
12420-420: Was opposed to the way the ban was being implemented. Kushwaha accused government officials of colluding with alcohol suppliers and asked the people to volunteer to make the prohibition successful. Kushwaha was an ardent supporter of the project of Bihar government for enumeration of population of various caste groups residing within the state. It was an ambitious project and first such large scale exercise to know
12535-404: Was planned to cover Nalanda , Sheikhpura , Bhagalpur , Nawada , Gaya , Rohtas , Sasaram , Bhojpur , and Arwal districts . Before 2024 Indian general elections ( Lok Sabha elections), there was a buzz over whether Kushwaha's RLJD would become a part of National Democratic Alliance led by Bharatiya Janata Party or not. According to some of the senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, the BJP
12650-648: Was reduced to 43 seats in the 2020 election to the Bihar Legislative Assembly. This led to RLSP being merged into its parent JD(U) and Kushwaha was made the party's parliamentary board president. Soon after his induction into JD(U), Kushwaha was nominated to the Bihar Legislative Council , the upper house of the Bihar Legislature. Kushwaha engaged in anti-coalition politics against the Mahagathbandhan in 2023, when he challenged
12765-469: Was serving as Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Kushwaha expressed his views on reservation in the private sector for Other Backward Classes . In a rally organised in commemoration of social reformer Jyotiba Phule by former MP Raj Kumar Saini , Kushwaha said the dominant section of society have influence in all parts of the administration and the OBCs have no representation in some core sectors of
12880-409: Was speculated before the election that he will be able to cut a large number of votes of the Forward Castes, specially his own Rajput caste, which had been transferred to NDA candidate Kushwaha in his absence. After the results were declared, it was reported that Kushwaha was pushed to third position with over two lakh votes polled in the favour of Pawan Singh. The drifting of Rajput votes away from
12995-405: Was split into separate provinces of Bihar and Orissa. In 1936, [Bihar] attained its separate Statehood. Under the Government of India Act, 1919, the unicameral legislature got converted into bicameral one, i.e., the Bihar Legislative Council and the Bihar Legislative Assembly . Under the Government of India Act, 1935, the Bihar Legislative Council consisted of 29 members. On March 21, 1938,
13110-403: Was successful in winning only two assembly seats out of twenty three seats contested by it as an ally of BJP. It was hence unable to break the grand social coalition formed by coming together of Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar together in 2015 Bihar Assembly elections. In 2024 seat distribution of National Democratic Alliance, Rashtriya Lok Morcha (earlier known as Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal)
13225-448: Was this election from which the Forward Castes felt completely marginalised in Bihar's electoral politics and from then onwards, no longer held any significant role in the state's politics. By 2004, The Economist magazine said that "Bihar [had] become a byword for the worst of India, of widespread and inescapable poverty, of corrupt politicians indistinguishable from mafia-dons they patronise, caste-ridden social order that has retained
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