Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Manoj Kumar Jha on Sunday said that Bihar seeks both special state status and a special package.
He also mentioned that the demand for special status for Bihar has been ongoing since the division of Bihar and Jharkhand.
“This demand for Bihar’s special state status is often called unrealistic by many. This has been a demand since the division of Bihar and Jharkhand. Besides political parties, we want a change in central government policies, which currently view Bihar merely as a labor supply center. We want both, special state status and a special package,” Jha told ANI.
In a recent all-party meeting before the upcoming budget session, JD(U) leader also pressed for Bihar’s special category status.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, in a post on X, noted that during the all-party meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the JD(U) leader demanded special category status for Bihar. He also mentioned that the YSRCP leader demanded special category status for Andhra Pradesh, while the TDP leader remained silent on the matter.
Ramesh also highlighted that Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader reminded Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP President JP Nadda of the BJP’s 2014 election manifesto, which had promised special category status to Odisha.
“How the political climate has changed! In the all-party meeting of floor leaders, the BJD leader reminded the Defence Minister and BJP President JP Nadda that the BJP’s manifesto for the 2014 assembly elections in Odisha had promised special category status to the state,” Ramesh stated.
Meanwhile, JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha said that the demand for special state status for Bihar has been a priority for the JD(U) party. However, if the government encounters any issues with this, the party has requested a special package for Bihar instead.
“Bihar should get the status of a special state; this has been the demand of our party (JD(U)) from the beginning. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has held major rallies for this demand. If the government feels there is a problem with this, then we have requested a special package for Bihar,” he said.