Bhunaneswar : He too was a secretary to a long-served chief minister. He also an IAS officer. An Odisha cadre IAS officer. Took VRS from service and now joined his boss’ political party ahead of State Assembly Elections.
Fifty year old Manish Kumar Verma was 2000 batch IAS officer of Odisha cadre. He went on deputation to Bihar in 2012. He got postings as district magistrate in Patna and Purnia before being taken into the CMO office as secretary to chief minister. In 2021 when his deputation period was over and was supossed to join back in Odisha,he took VRS.
Manish Verma hails from CM’s home district Nalanda and belongs to Nitish Kumar’s Kurmi caste.
Verma is considered to be the ear and nose of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. It is on his advice, Nitish said to have switched over to NDA before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He also played a major role in the formation of NDA government with Nitish’s Janata Dal United (JDU).
Manish has joined the JDU on 9th July 2024 and has been appointed as party’s national general secretary. He has also been appointed as advisor to CM.
Manish’s appontment considered to be significant as Nitish is going to face the State assembly elections in next year. Meanwhile Nitish has to do lot of balancing act being a pivotal partner in the NDA government. With Manish’s network in PMO, he will have comfortable time ahead. Moreover, Nitish has to handle Party’s Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Kumar Jha who has been made the JDU executive president.
It is widely believed in Bihar political circle that Nitish, a batchlor like Naveen Patnaik, is grooming Manish as his successor. Manish has been entrusted to look after the party organisation.
