Ramchandra Prasad Singh, fondly known as RCP in the state’s political and administrative circles, is considered not as Nitish Kumar’s right hand but mind. From making poll strategies for JD-U to controlling the bureaucracy in the state, formulating government policies and even proper implementation, it all comes as RCP’s responsibility.
It would be no wrong to say that after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the second highest considered in the party is Ramchandra.
The 60-year-old Rajya Sabha member was Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS officer for 26 years before Nitish persuaded him for a deep dive into politics.
RCP, who did MA from JNU, New Delhi, joined Nitish on central deputation when the latter became a deputy minister in the VP Singh government. In 2010, the 1984-batch IAS officer took voluntary retirement to become the JD-(U)’s Rajya Sabha MP and has since emerged the second most powerful leader in the party.
A caste-man of Nitish and also a resident of Nalanda, which, too, happens to be the home district of the chief minister, Singh is to Nitish what RK Dhawan was to then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. RCP’s managerial skills and understanding of grassroots politics endeared him to Nitish. Above all, he proved to be a Nitish loyalist to a fault.
RCP Singh was Nitish Kumar’s special secretary when he was railway minister in the Vajpayee government.
When Nitish became CM in 2005, he got RCP repatriated to Bihar from his parent cadre and appointed him his principal secretary, a post he held until he formally joined politics. Few years ago, he was elevated to the party leader’s post for the Rajya Sabha after Sharad Yadav was disqualified due to his differences with Nitish.
A proverbial shadow of Nitish for over two decades, RCP who is extremely low profile, is much instrumental in deployment of the bureaucrats in the state.
