Bihar: Vijay Kumar Sinha, a versatile upper-caste BJP leader

Patna: An experienced upper-caste BJP leader, Vijay Kumar Sinha has held posts as varied as the Bihar Assembly Speaker, a cabinet minister and Leader of the Opposition.

Sinha, 64, was elected the deputy leader of the BJP legislature party on Sunday, and with this elevation, he is likely to become one of the two deputy CMs in the new NDA government, led by Nitish Kumar.

Born to a school teacher in Lakhisarai district, he is enjoying his third consecutive term in the assembly from the eponymous constituency.

Sinha, who belongs to the influential Bhumihar community, was an active member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the RSS' student wing, while pursuing a diploma course in civil engineering at a polytechnic in Barauni.

Starting off as a grassroots BJP worker, Sinha made his debut in the assembly in 2010 and got a ministerial berth seven years later, when he was given the crucial labour resources department.

Seen as a mature leader, he was chosen by the BJP for the job of the Speaker in 2020, after the party gained the upper hand in the NDA, outperforming Nitish Kumar's JD(U), and asserted its right to have its own man in the chair.

He came across as an amicable figure who rarely lost his cool, despite incidents like Kumar's outburst on the floor of the House and being held hostage inside his chamber by members of the RJD, both of which made headlines.

Sinha resigned from the post in 2022, when Kumar joined hands with the RJD-led ‘Mahagathbandhan’ and the new alliance in power threatened to bring a no-confidence motion seeking his removal.

He was subsequently made the Leader of the Opposition and took a vocal stand against the government on issues like alleged ill-treatment of people from Bihar in Tamil Nadu.

The government sent a team of officials to the southern state to look into the allegations and after these were found untrue, demanded an apology from the BJP leader.