The Chief Ministers of India turning a new leaf

It was really heart warming to read about Bihar being one of the most progressive states in India. Some would argue that its because its on a low base compared to other states. But for a state that's languishing in dark for all these years, an applause for the progress is well deserved. All credit should go to its Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who has done a remarkable job. He is also championing the cause of cleansing Ganga which is a long overdue action that should have been taken long before by the state governments. Also, instead of haggling with the union agricultural minister Sharad Pawar, he has agreed to waive off the VAT on sugar in the state. All examples of a good statesman and administrator. The ex-chief minister of Bihar, Lalu Prasad Yadav, may have garnered accolades for his performance as a turnaround Railway Minister, but he is also infamous for keeping Bihar as an impoverished state during his term as the CM there. Obviously he can't digest the success of Nitish Kumar and continues to pick holes in his governance. But statistics speak for themselves and looks like Bihar is all set for progress under its current CM's stewardship.

Another state whose CM makes more headlines than its progress is Uttar Pradesh. The news making CM of UP, Mayawati seems to have turned over a new leaf these days. Not only has she come forward for supporting the cause of hockey players in India but also has decided to do away with her lavish birthday celebrations which earned a lot of brickbats in the past. This year, for her 54th birthday, Mayawati has announced schemes worth over 7,000 crore rupees to help the poorest in Uttar Pradesh. Either oher PR officer has advised her on this or she is really working for the state welfare. Whatever be the intention, but the action is definitely a step ahead in positive direction.

And if we are discussing about Chief Ministers of India, one name that we can't ignore is Gujarat's Minister, Narendra Modi. You may hate him or praise him, but you can't ignore him. I am not a big fan of his because of his 2002 Gujarat antics but I can't help marvel at this success in making Gujarat one of the most progressive states in India. One doesn't hear about as many SEZ conflicts in Gujarat as in other states. He does his best to bring investment in the state, not to forget how he got Tata to set up their Nano plant in Gujarat. Now he has moved a mile forward after announcing mandatory elections in Gujarat. The big blot in his Chief Minister's career seems to be fading away owing to his governance skills. Yet, he will continue to be treated as a suspect for a long time and rightly so.