AAP govt to felicitate Nitish Kumar

In an indication of growing closeness between Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar, the AAP government will felicitate the latter at a function likely to be held on August 19 in the national Capital.

According to a senior Delhi government official, the Department of Art, Culture and Languages, headed by minister Kapil Mishra, will organise a programme in which Kumar is expected to participate. “The government has sent an invite to the Bihar Chief Minister urging him to participate in the function as its chief guest on August 19. At the function, Kejriwal will felicitate Kumar,” the official said. Coming on the heels of the recent meeting of the two Chief Ministers, this development is being seen as an indication of growing understanding between the two leaders to work together to prevent the BJP from winning the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.

In the last meeting with Kejriwal in July, the Bihar Chief Minister had supported him and said Delhi government should have powers of transferring and posting bureaucrats in the wake of a controversy over posting of a senior official in Delhi.

Kumar has also been advocating for AAP government’s demand of full statehood status for Delhi.