Nitish Kumar was nominated to standing committee on railways; he opts out

The standing committee on railways, which comprises members from the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, falls under the administrative purview of the Lok Sabha.

Former Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who took oath as a Rajya Sabha member in April this year, will not be part of the parliamentary standing committee of the railways.

JD(U) president Nitish Kumar at the party’s National Council meeting, in Patna, Bihar, Sunday, June 21, (PTI)

“The nomination of Shri Nitish Kumar, Member, Rajya Sabha to the Standing Committee on Railways, notified vide Para No. 5267 of Lok Sabha Bulletin - Part II dated 04.06.2026, stands withdrawn,” a notice issued by the Lok Sabha secretariat has said.

The standing committee on railways, which comprises members from the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, falls under the administrative purview of the Lok Sabha.

Kumar served as the railways minister for a little over a year between July 1998 and August 1999, when he resigned following the Gaisal train disaster, and between March 2001 and May 2004. He was credited with ushering in initiatives such as Tatkal booking in 2002 and internet booking facilities.

Usually, former prime ministers or top-ranking leaders such as Sonia Gandhi avoid being members of parliamentary panels.

Congress’ parliamentary party chief Sonia Gandhi has never joined a standing committee. Rahul Gandhi, however, had been a member of standing committees on home, human resource development, external affairs and defence before becoming the Leader of the Opposition in 2024.