Patna: Anupam Kumar Suman, the former Municipal Commissioner of Patna has jumped into the Bihar Assembly election scene and hinted at contesting against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Suman was said to be one of the closest bureaucrats to Nitish Kumar. The Gujarat cadre senior IAS officer was appointed in Bihar after a special request by the ruling party. He held various top posts in the Bihar government, including that of the principal secretary in the state secretariat.
Suman resigned from the post of Commissioner, Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) on August 3, 2019, after the state government held him responsible for last year’s flood in the capital city that flashed scenes of top ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi marooned by rising waters.
“I resigned from the post on August 3 last year, while the flood happened in the city a month later. The state government held me responsible for the choked drainage system leading to the flood,” Suman said.
A year after his resignation, Suman attacked Nitish Kumar for the pathetic condition of the PMC. “The officers of the PMC do not have power to take decisions. Hence, no one wants posting in this department,” Suman added.
He hinted that he may contest elections against Nitish Kumar in the same way Arvind Kejriwal did against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi in 2014 parliamentary election.
Suman is associated with a party called ‘Plurals’ led by Pushpam Priya Chaudhary. The party plans to contest all 243 seats in Bihar.