Not good for democracy: Arvind Kejriwal on Nitish Kumar's flip-flop move to NDA
New Delhi, Jan 29: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar did not do the right thing by exiting INDIA bloc, calling his conduct not good for democracy.
Kejriwal made the remark at a press conference while responding to a question about Nitish forming a new government with BJP in Bihar.
"I feel that he should not have left. He has done wrong. Such conduct is not good for democracy. What my understanding is that this (his exit) will cause loses for NDA in Bihar, instead of benefitting them. INDIA bloc will benefit," he said.
Nitish Kumar Sunday resigned as the Chief Minister of Bihar, saying "things were not working well" for him in the 'Mahagathbandhan' or the grand alliance and the opposition bloc INDIA, and formed a new government with the BJP, which he had dumped less than 18 months ago.
Besides JD (U), RJD, Congress, and Left parties were the other constituents of the now no more Mahagathbandhan.
Kumar's latest crossover, his fifth in a little over a decade, is being seen as a big setback for the opposition unity ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
In reference to the Chandigarh municipal elections, the AAP supremo said that Tuesday might bring a message of the first victory for the INDIA bloc as the Aam Aadmi Party-Congress alliance could win the polls.
Last week, the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the Chandigarh mayoral polls be held on January 30, quashing the administration's "unreasonable, unjustified and arbitrary" decision to postpone the election.
While allowing a petition challenging the order of the Chandigarh deputy commissioner, who is the authority for holding the mayoral polls, postponing the election from January 18 to February 6, the court also observed that the grounds on which the polls were deferred were "totally absurd and frivolous".
Under the Congress-AAP alliance, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will fight for the mayor's seat while the Congress will contest the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor.
AAP is part of the INDIA bloc and is in seat-sharing talks with Congress for five states -- Delhi, Punjab, Gujarat, Goa, and Haryana.
The Punjab units of both Congress and AAP have ruled out any alliance between the parties in the state for upcoming Lok Sabha polls, though a final decision is yet to be announced.
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India, Jamaica agree to boost trade, skilled mobility: Jaishankar
Kingston (PTI): India and Jamaica agreed to further strengthen trade linkages and explore cooperation for recruitment and mobility of skilled professionals, including healthcare workers and teachers, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said.
Addressing a joint press conference here after talks with his Jamaican counterpart Kamina J Smith on Monday, Jaishankar said the discussions were comprehensive, and they reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral ties, identifying new avenues to deepen the partnership.
"We signed several important agreements and discussed effective implementations of MOUs which have been recently concluded in the fields of digital transformation, cultural exchange, sports and digital payments to ensure tangible outcomes on the ground," he said.
India recognised Jamaica's growing role as a logistics hub and gateway to the Caribbean for trade and investment, Jaishankar said.
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"We agreed to further strengthen trade, business and investment linkages, explore cooperation for recruitment and mobility of skilled professionals, including nurses, healthcare workers and teachers," he said.
The two sides also discussed expanding cooperation in defence and security, healthcare, digitisation, agriculture, education and infrastructure, the minister said.
Highlighting development cooperation as a key pillar of ties, Jaishankar noted the successful completion of the Improving Rural Livelihoods Project in Kitson Town in March 2026, implemented with Indian assistance of USD 1 million under the India-UN Development Partnership Fund, benefiting over 200 individuals and impacting thousands more.
He said India is also discussing the feasibility of establishing an artisan empowerment hub in Jamaica and reiterated support for the country's recovery following Hurricane Melissa.
As part of humanitarian assistance, India has supplied relief material, deployed a medical team and is in the process of providing 30 dialysis units. It is also sending 40 fishing boats and 200 GPS units to aid recovery efforts.
The ministers reaffirmed close cooperation in multilateral fora and discussed issues such as reformed multilateralism, climate justice and priorities of the Global South.
India appreciated Jamaica’s support for its candidature for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for 2028-29.
Both sides strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and called for early finalisation of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.
Jaishankar also highlighted growing people-to-people ties, noting the popularity of yoga and Ayurveda in Jamaica and the contribution of the Indian diaspora to the country’s development.
He announced a contribution of two million Jamaican dollars towards celebrations marking 181 years of the arrival of Indians in Jamaica on India Heritage Day.
According to the website of the High Commission of India in Kingston, Jamaica has an Indian diaspora of around 70,000 people whose forefathers came mostly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar as indentured labour between 1845 and 1917. Some also came from South India.
The diaspora constitutes around 3 per cent of Jamaica's population and continues to nurture an abiding interest in Indian culture, music, dance and history, serving as a cultural bridge between the two countries. May 10 is observed as India Heritage Day in Jamaica.
Later in the day, Jaishankar interacted with Jamaica’s industry and business leaders, underlining the need to deepen economic engagement as countries diversify partnerships globally.
“Emphasised that as we all diversify and seek reliable partners, the imperative to deepen India-Jamaica business ties is that much stronger,” he said in a social media post, noting that the potential for bilateral and regional economic cooperation should be "explored more vigorously".
He also appreciated Industry Minister Aubyn Hill for convening the interaction with business leaders.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
