Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during Republic Day functions, at Gandhi Maidan in Patna on Sunday,
Credit: PTI Photo
Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday remained conspicuous by his absence at a reception hosted by Governor Arif Mohammad Khan here on the occasion of Republic Day.
Kumar, who had driven to the Gandhi Maidan in the morning to attend the Republic Day parade inspected by the governor, did not turn up at the Raj Bhavan, situated right across the road from his house, in the afternoon.
Tongues were set wagging in the political circles about the JD(U) supremo's inability to attend the reception and, also, visit a ‘Mahadalit tola’, a ritual followed by the longest-serving CM all through his tenure.
A source close to the chief minister said the septuagenarian was "indisposed" and had started feeling run down after the Republic Day parade, where he went despite not being in the pink of health.
The source also claimed that Kumar was suffering from "seasonal fever" and was likely to recover after resting for a few days.
Meanwhile, the department of cabinet secretariat came out with a communication stating that the next leg of the state-wide ‘Pragati Yatra’ by the CM, which was to commence from Monday, has been "rescheduled because of unavoidable reasons".
The yatra will now start on January 28.