Live now

Bihar Election 2020: Firing on devotees shows ‘Talibani rule’ of Nitish govt, says Chirag Paswan on Munger incident

With 7.3 crore voters, the elections in Bihar is not only the first major electoral exercise in India since the Covid-19 outbreak, but also the largest anywhere in the world so far.

By: Express Web Desk
New Delhi | Updated: October 30, 2020 10:43 AM IST
bihar election, bihar election 2020 news, bihar assembly election, bihar assembly election 2020 news, bihar assembly election 2020 date, bihar assembly election result date, bihar vidhan sabha election 2020, election news, election in bihar, bihar election news, bihar election 2020, bihar assembly election 2020, bihar rjd, bihar rjd news, nitish kumar, nitish kumar jdu, bihar news, bihar elections news, jdu candidate list 2020, rjd candidate list 2020 Polling in Bihar is scheduled to begin from October 28.

Reacting to the Munger incident, LJP leader Chirag Paswan said the open firing on devotees shows the Talibani rule of Nitish Kumar-led NDA government and called for strict action against the responsible policemen. Meanwhile, Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi asked the EC to take cognisance of the issue and ensure action against the responsible police personnel.

The campaign is gathering steam with the first phase of polling scheduled to happen tomorrow. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has announced a ‘naukri samvaad’ (dialogue on jobs) with Bihar’s youth today. The RJD in its manifesto has promised 10 lakh government jobs to the people of Bihar. BJP has promised 19 lakh jobs in its manifesto. BJP’s campaign will be lead by party chief JP Nadda. Nitish has seven rallies planned, while Tejashwi has 14 lined up.

Story continues below this ad

Campaigning for 71 seats in the first phase of the high-stakes election for Bihar, being held in the middle of the Covid pandemic, came to an end on Monday, with polling set to take place on Wednesday. The last day saw a spree of election meetings by the major contenders in the election fray, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and the LJP’s Chirag Paswan, along with senior BJP leaders J P Nadda, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Nityanand Rai.

Live Blog

Bihar assembly elections 2020 LIVE updates: Voting for 243 assembly seats in the state will be held on October 28, November 3 and November 7 and results will be announced on November 10.

22:23 (IST)27 Oct 2020
NDA to win with three-fourth majority in Bihar; Nitish to become CM again: Javadekar

Union minister Prakash Javadekar Tuesday exuded confidence that the NDA will win the Bihar assembly polls with three-fourth majority and Nitish Kumar will helm the government for the fourth term.

Javadekar, who is Union minister for Information and Broadcasting, said the NDA will win in Bihar as all its four constituents - the BJP, JD(U), Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP)- are a formidable force in the state.

He said the ruling coalition will return to power in the state due to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the national level and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at the state level.

"NDAs win will become evident from the first phase of voting on Wednesday", the senior BJP leader claimed. Asked to comment on LJP chief Chirag Paswan's assertion that Kumar will be sent to jail on charge of corruption if his party comes to power in the state, Javadekar said "Everyone has the opportunity to contest and campaign in elections. But, it will not have any impact (on people) irrespective of who is saying what."

21:47 (IST)27 Oct 2020
Law & order in disarray under Congress rule in Rajasthan: BJP

Rajasthan BJP on Tuesday alleged that the law and order in the state is in a state of disarray under Congress government rule.
Former minister Rajpal Singh Shekhawat said the government framed sedition charges against their leaders instead of maintaining law and order in the state.

"Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, instead of maintaining law and order, framed charges of sedition against his own party leaders. The law and order situation in the state is bound to suffer," Shekhawat said at a press conference here.

Shekhawat said that in the 20 months after the Congress government came to power, more than five lakh criminal cases have been registered in which more than 12,000 cases have been registered against atrocities on Dalits. He said that the development of the cities in the state has stopped due to criminal incidents.

21:24 (IST)27 Oct 2020
'Arrogant' Bihar govt deviated from its path, time to usher in change: Sonia Gandhi to voters

A day before the first phase of voting in Bihar Assembly election, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday accused the JDU-BJP government of being high on power, arrogant and deviating from its path, as she made a fervent appeal to the electorate to herald a change in the state and build a "new Bihar".

In a four-minute video message in Hindi, she claimed the present dispensation led by Nitish Kumar was "neither saying good nor doing good" while the labourers were helpless, farmers upset and youth disappointed with it.

"Drunk on power and arrogance, the government in Bihar has deviated from its path. Their words and deeds are suspect. The labourers are helpless, the farmers upset and the youth disappointed. People are bearing the brunt of the fragile state of the economy.

"A serious crisis has befallen the farmers of India. The lives of Dalits and Mahadalits have been destroyed and similar is the fate of the backward sections of the society," she charged while asserting the people of the state are with the Congress mahagathbandhan and "this is the call of Bihar".

20:58 (IST)27 Oct 2020
In first phase, NDA, Grand Alliance look evenly placed, JD(U) could suffer losses

In the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections, in which 71 seats will witness polling on Wednesday, the NDA and Grand Alliance look evenly placed. While the BJP is hoping to make gains, its alliance partner JD(U) may suffer some losses, with the LJP directly contesting against it in at least 10 seats. The LJP strongholds include Dinara, Suryagarha and Amarpur. More details here.

19:45 (IST)27 Oct 2020
Confident of two-thirds majority: Tejashwi Yadav

Confident of the 'Mahagathbandhan' getting two-thirds majority in the Bihar polls, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday said providing jobs to unemployed youth would be top priority for him and his government will also bring a legislation in the first assembly session to nullify the "anti-farmer" laws brought by the Centre.

In an interview with PTI, Yadav said for the first time in history a promise has been made to the youth of Bihar that 10 lakh jobs will be provided with the "first stroke of the pen in the very first cabinet meeting" if voted to power.

SC asks Tejashwi Yadav to vacate official bungalow in Patna, imposes fine |  India News,The Indian Express

19:43 (IST)27 Oct 2020
Anurag Thakur reminds Bihari voters of Gabbar Singh to keep ‘jungle raj’ away

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday used the iconic ‘so ja bete nahi to Gabbar Singh aa jayega’ dialogue of the 1975 Bollywood blockbuster ‘Sholay’ to warn people against Bihar’s return to ‘jungle raj’ if the RJD was voted to power.

Thakur, the Union Minister of State for Finance, asked people to be wary of parties who want to push the state back to the era of caste tension and social discrimination.

“‘So ja bete nahi to Gabbar Singh aa jayega’. Mothers, who have seen the jungle raj days in Bihar, please do tell your children, especially youth, on the polling day to cast their votes carefully, otherwise they (the RJD) may return to power….those who ran a regime of terror and fear,” he told a press conference. More details here.

anurag thakur hate speech, fir against anurag thakur, parvesh verma hate speech, Parvesh Verma fir, brinda karat, delhi city news, hate speech bjp

18:34 (IST)27 Oct 2020
PM Modi: India has left the era of scandals behind

Lauding his government’s counter-corruption measures, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday said it can now be said with pride that the country has left the era of scandals behind.

Inaugurating the National Conference on Vigilance and Anti-Corruption through video conferencing, PM Modi said it was imperative to weed out corruption as it hindered transparency in administrative processes.

The PM also said that corruption is like a ‘dynastic termite’ that can make the country hollow. Read more

17:35 (IST)27 Oct 2020
Open firing on devotees shows 'Talibani rule' of Nitish Kumar: Chirag Paswan on Munger incident

Reacting to the Munger incident, LJP leader Chirag Paswan said the open firing on devotees shows the Talibani rule of Nitish Kumar government and called for strict action against the responsible policemen.

16:51 (IST)27 Oct 2020
Munger: Delay in Durga idol immersion triggers protests, one dead in police firing

One person was killed allegedly after police opened fire following a clash over a delay in Durga Puja idol immersions in Munger on Monday night. Almost 30 persons were injured in the clash between pandal organisers and the police.

As is the local precedence, the Badi Durga idol is immersed first in Munger. But as the police insisted on immersing over 25 idols before midnight of October 26, several organisers objected started pelting the police posse with stones. About 20 police personnel, including station in-charges of Sangrampur, Kotwali and Qasim Bazar, were injured. The police also recovered three country-made pistols with some live and empty cartridges. The police claimed it had to fire in the air to disperse the mob, which allegedly retaliated with counter firing.

As Munger goes to polls in the first phase on Wednesday, police deployment has been increased in the town and near all polling booths.

16:05 (IST)27 Oct 2020
Voting for LJP would mean return of 'jungle-raj': Sushil Modi

Sushil Modi: "Voting for LJP would mean voting for those who returned 'jungle raj'. I appeal to the LJP supporters to make the NDA candidates win and form the BJP-JDU coalition government in Bihar. PM has the same wish."

15:47 (IST)27 Oct 2020
Why are you carrying 'tukde tukde gang' on your shoulders, BJP asks Tejashwi

Upping its attack on the opposition RJD, the BJP Tuesday asked Tejashwi Yadav why instead of repulsing the 'tukde-tukde gang', he was carrying them on his shoulders. The Bihar BJP shared an old tweet by Tejashwi where he spoke against those raising anti-India slogans, in a reference to the 2016 JNU episode which led to a sedition case against CPI leader Kanhaiya Kumar, whose party is now a part of the Mahagathbandhan alliance led by RJD.

14:23 (IST)27 Oct 2020
Tejashwi Yadav's 11 questions for PM Modi ahead of rally

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally tomorrow, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has listed 11 questions for the prime minister. He raised questions about the Muzaffarpur shelter home case, development and sanitation facilities in Bihar, unemployment in the state among other issues

?? ?????? ???????????? ?? ????? ? ??? ??? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ???? ???? ????? ?? ?????????? ???? ????? ????? ???...

Posted by Tejashwi Yadav on Monday, October 26, 2020
14:04 (IST)27 Oct 2020
What does Kanhaiya Kumar bring to the poll table?

In the run-up to Bihar elections, Kanhaiya Kumar has been largely missing in action. However, the CPI’s presence in Bihar is limited and may have been affecting Kumar’s reach in the state as well. He is on the list of star campaigners of the Left parties in the upcoming polls, and is also expected to campaign for candidates of the Grand Alliance. It will be interesting to see if he shares the stage with Tejashwi Yadav, who many say sees Kumar, a young leader with popular appeal, as possible competition.

13:28 (IST)27 Oct 2020
Tejashwi Yadav to hold 'naukri samvaad' today

RJD leader and the Opposition's CM candidate, Tejashwi Yadav, has announced a 'naukri samvaad', or dialogue on jobs, with Bihar's youth on October 27. The RJD in its manifesto has promised 10 lakh government jobs to the people of Bihar.

12:54 (IST)27 Oct 2020
Chirag energetic leader, puts forth issues with commitment: Tejasvi Surya

LJP president Chirag Paswan, who broke away from the NDA in Bihar and has continuously attacked JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar, has come in for praise from BJP Yuva Morcha chief Tejasvi Surya. Campaigning for the BJP in Arrah on Sunday, Surya was asked about Paswan by reporters. “Chirag-ji is a colleague in Parliament. He is a very energetic leader. Even in Parliament, he raises issues of Bihar with a lot of dedication and statistics. He has made his stand very clear,” the BJP leader said.

12:28 (IST)27 Oct 2020
Chirag Paswan reacts on Sanjay Jha calling him a 'jamura'

A day after JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha called Chirag Paswan a 'jamura' (monkey), the LJP leader said the remark was an insult to PM Modi.

"They are insulting PM Modi as they've been saying that this 'Jamura' is dancing on his tunes. Send me to jail & get my film probed. My film was made in 2011, why CM didn't act against me for the past 9 years then," Paswan said, news agency ANI reported

He (Chirag) starred with Kangana Ranaut, now see where Kangana has reached. Similarly, Sushant Singh Rajput without any background made his mark in Bollywood. 'Jamura hota hai naa, usko nachata hai madari. Ye jamura bane hue hain.' (Just like a puppet who is controlled by the juggler, he has become a puppet)," Jha told. "This kind of low level of politics has not been witnessed ever in Bihar. In recent times, he worked in a movie and it was that kind of a movie where people left the theatre before the interval. After the first phase of the polls, a similar fate will meet him in politics," he added.

12:05 (IST)27 Oct 2020
Time has come for ushering in change in Bihar: Sonia Gandhi to voters

Ahead of the Bihar assembly polls, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday made a fervent appeal to voters to herald change in the state and build a 'new Bihar', alleging that the JDU-BJP government there has deviated from its path and was high on power and ego. In a four-minute video ahead of the first phase of voting on Wednesday, she said the present dispensation led by Nitish Kumar is neither saying good nor doing good and labourers are helpless, farmers are upset and youth disappointed with it.

"Drunk on power and arrogance, the government in Bihar has deviated from its path. Their words and deeds are suspect. The labourers are helpless, the farmers are upset and the youth are disappointed. People are bearing the brunt of the fragile state of the economy. Time has come for ushering in change in the state," she said, noting that governments cannot be formed on fear and crime.

11:49 (IST)27 Oct 2020
Rahul Gandhi to address two rallies in Bihar tomorrow

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will address two public election meetings at Valmiki Nagar and Kusheshwar Asthan in Bihar on October 28. Senior state Congress leader Prem Chandra Mishra on Monday said that Gandhi will hold the meeting at Valmiki Nagar at 12 noon and the one at Kusheshwar Asthan at 2.30 pm.

Bypoll to the Valmiki Nagar Lok Sabha seat will be held on November 7, while Kusheshwar Asthan Assembly constituency will go to polls on November 3. (PTI)

11:34 (IST)27 Oct 2020
Editorial: Bihar polls outcome will have a bearing far beyond the state

First, Bihar is the first state to go to polls since the coronavirus pandemic struck earlier this year. The Centre-imposed lockdown saw waves of migrants from the state trudging back to their hometowns and villages from the metros. Two, Bihar marks the beginning of an election season that will see big states such as West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam elect new governments in the first half of 2021. A win in Bihar would be seen as evidence of Modi’s enduring popularity and the BJP party machine’s ability to buck incumbency. A favourable result would be a big boost for the Opposition as it strains to be heard in Parliament and outside. The Bihar outcome will have a bearing on battles elsewhere in the coming months.

Read the entire editorial, here

11:15 (IST)27 Oct 2020
CM Nitish Kumar wants Bihar to become tech-friendly

In his rally at Nalanda, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that his party wants to work more for the development of the state. "We want all citizens to walk with the changing technology. We want them to be educated and equipped."

11:07 (IST)27 Oct 2020
'PM has 6 siblings': Tejashwi responds to Nitish Kumar's '8-9 kids' jibe

A day after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar mentioned about "having eight to nine children in the quest for a son", the RJD has responded sharply. Tejashwi Yadav, the eighth of former chief ministers Lalu Yadav and Rabri Devi's nine children, tweeted that even Nitish Kumar's insults were "blessings" for him. "By commenting on my family, Nitish Kumar is targeting PM Modi as he also has six siblings. Using such language, Nitish Kumar has insulted women and my mother's sentiments. They don't speak on the main issues, like inflation, corruption, unemployment etc," the RJD Leader said.

On Monday, winding down the campaign for the first round of voting on Wednesday, Nitish Kumar attacked Tejashwi Yadav and his father Lalu Yadav. "Does anyone care? They have eight-nine children. They have no faith in daughters. After so many daughters, they had a son. You all can see - this is the kind of Bihar they want to make," the Chief Minister said.

10:33 (IST)27 Oct 2020
Tejashwi Yadav has a line up of 14 rallies

Announcing Tejashwi Yadav's rallies for today, the RJD said that the BJP-JD(U) combine will take the attention away from the issues of education, jobs, employment, but RJD will campaign around the same

10:08 (IST)27 Oct 2020
Nitish Kumar to address 7 rallies

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has seven rallies planned for the day

09:30 (IST)27 Oct 2020
Storm in favour of Grand Alliance now in Bihar similar to that for Modi in 2014: Rajeev Shukla

Senior Congress leader Rajeev Shukla on Monday claimed that there is a storm in favour of the RJD-headed Grand Alliance in Bihar now, which is akin to the pro-Narendra Modi wave during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. The "unexpected and unprecedented" poll outcome of Bihar is going to have an impact in the entire country as the mandate will change people's mind everywhere, Shukla said. "As per the information I received, there is not a wave, but a storm for the Grand Alliance. There is a storm blowing in favour of Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and the Congress-led alliance, which is similar to Narendra Modi's wave during 2014 Lok Sabha elections," Shukla told reporters

22:26 (IST)26 Oct 2020
Rahul Gandhi to address two poll meetings in Bihar on Wednesday

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will address two public election meetings at Valmiki Nagar and Kusheshwar Asthan in Bihar on October 28. Senior state Congress leader Prem Chandra Mishra on Monday said that Gandhi will hold the meeting at Valmiki Nagar at 12 noon and the one at Kusheshwar Asthan at 2.30 pm.

Bypoll to the Valmiki Nagar Lok Sabha seat will be held on November 7, while Kusheshwar Asthan Assembly constituency will go to polls on November 3. PTI

20:15 (IST)26 Oct 2020
Nitish faces protest at public meeting; slams RJD

A slipper was flung towards Chief Minister Nitish Kumar by some protestors while he was going towards his helicopter after completing speech at an election meeting in Sakra in Muzaffarpur district, but it missed the target. Police took four persons in custody on the charge of creating disturbances at the chief minister's rally, police sources said.

The Sakra incident is in the series of protests Kumar is facing during his rallies in different parts of the state. At many places, Kumar lost his cool and chided the protestors for "acting on behalf of political rivals" and telling them that nobody is bothered even if they don't vote for him.

Addressing rallies in Sakra and Mahua, Kumar hit out at the RJD for making "fake" promises during polls to "cheat" the people. (PTI)

18:16 (IST)26 Oct 2020
Some trying to make a dent in NDA: Nadda's indirect attack on Chirag

BJP chief J P Nadda Monday said some people are trying to make a dent in the NDA alliance during the ongoing polls in Bihar and "we should remain cautious against them", in remarks seen as an oblique attack on LJP president Chirag Paswan.

Addressing an election rally here, Nadda said, "Some people indulge in conspiracies during elections. They want to make a dent in the NDA. On one hand, they criticise Chief Minister Nitish Kumar but on the other they praise Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

Though he did not name him, Naddas remarks is seen as a repudiation of Chirag Paswans political salvos against the chief minister but praise of Modi.

Earlier in the day, Paswan alleged corruption in Kumars Saat Nishchay (seven resolves) scheme of good governance and said if voted to power he would get it probed and send to jail those found guilty including the chief minister.

17:30 (IST)26 Oct 2020
Bihar polls: Mayawati asks voters to guard against tactics of rival parties

BSP president Mayawati on Monday warned voters in Bihar to guard against "conspiracies" of rival parties as she sought support for her party's alliance in the polls.

Voting for 243 assembly seats in Bihar will be held on October 28, November 3 and November 7.

In a tweet, the former UP chief minister said, "Preparations for the first phase of the Bihar assembly elections begins today with the end of the election campaign. Therefore, there is an appeal to everyone that they should take care against all kind of conspiracies and tactics of opponents and cast their votes and make the BSP and RLSP coalition successful."

The BSP, which is contesting on 80 seats in Bihar, has entered into an alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Samaj Party.

Mayawati had earlier stated that the objective of the alliance would be to provide equal rights and political representation to Dalits, Adivasis, minorities, upper castes and marginalised sections of society.

14:00 (IST)26 Oct 2020
Hit by lockdown, a call for change: from ‘chacha Nitish’ to ‘bhatijas’

Bipin Paswan starts work at 9 am in the electric-switch factory where he works, and lives, with a dozen others. It’s one of the matchbox-like units lining the dirt lanes in Mangolpuri in Delhi’s North West district. A hoarding on one of the shop fronts announces “tatkal money transfers”. For every Rs 1,000 remitted back home, Rs 30 is charged, says Paswan, 26.

If he could go home to Begusarai’s Bachhwara, he would have voted for Chirag Paswan. “Not on caste. For once, I want to vote for a young leader to win,” he says. However, he has no plans of going this time; he didn’t go even during the lockdown as he had no money and feared losing his job if work restarted.

During the lockdown, the Nitish government that initially urged migrants to stay put, arranged ration kits for them in Delhi and other cities, says Kaushlendra. However, not everyone had access to or knew of such services. Read the report

13:22 (IST)26 Oct 2020
Bihar polls: Mayawati asks voters to guard against tactics of rival parties

BSP president Mayawati on Monday warned voters in Bihar to guard against "conspiracies" of rival parties as she sought support for her party's alliance in the polls. In a tweet, the former UP chief minister said, "Preparations for the first phase of the Bihar assembly elections begins today with the end of the election campaign. Therefore, there is an appeal to everyone that they should take care against all kind of conspiracies and tactics of opponents and cast their votes and make the BSP and RLSP coalition successful.” The BSP, which is contesting on 80 seats in Bihar, has entered into an alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Samaj Party.

12:44 (IST)26 Oct 2020
No development happened in Bihar after jungle raj, says Chirag Paswan

LJP leader Chirag Paswan Monday took to Twitter to say that no development has happened in Bihar after the jungle raj by the RJD. “Jungle raj ke baad, nhi hua vikaas."

12:13 (IST)26 Oct 2020
Entire Bihar is my family: Nitish Kumar

During his rally today, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar requested voters to bring back the JD(U) in power. Targeting the RJD over ‘dynasty politics,’ Kumar said, “A few of them are only bothered about their immediate family. But I consider the entire state as my family and hence working for its development.”

12:10 (IST)26 Oct 2020
Crowd at Tejashwi Yadav's rally

RJD shares a video showing crowd at Tejashwi Yadav's rally

11:07 (IST)26 Oct 2020
LJP to promote religious tourism in Bihar if voted to power : Chirag

Holding Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar responsible for not developing religious tourism in his 15-year-rule in the state, LJP chief and MP Chirag Paswan on Sunday asserted that he will develop various places associated with sufi saints in the state to improve revenue collections. LJP will implement its Bihar 1st, Bihari 1st vision document after coming to power which talks of promoting religious tourism in the state, he said in a series of tweets. A grand temple dedicated to Goddess Sita will be built in Sitamarhi, the district in which she is believed to have been born in, he said.

10:31 (IST)26 Oct 2020
Tejashwi Yadav targets Centre over rising onion prices

Stating that inflation is the biggest crisis, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said that the country is going through an economic crisis. Targeting Centre over rising onion prices, he said, "BJP people used to wear a garland of onions. Now it's about to touch Rs 100/kg. There's unemployment, starvation is rising, small traders are destroyed, poverty is rising. GDP is falling, we're going through an economic crisis. hose who were speaking about onion when it touched Rs 50-60/kg are now silent when it has crossed Rs 80/kg. Farmers are being destroyed, youth is unemployed, Bihar is poor and people are migrating for education, jobs & medical help. Starvation is on a rise." (ANI)

09:53 (IST)26 Oct 2020
Chirag Paswan targets Nitish Kumar over liquor prohibition

LJP president Chirag Paswan said Sunday that if his party was voted to power, all those involved in “corruption” in the Nitish Kumar government’s Saat Nischay scheme, including the Chief Minister himself, would be sent to jail. "Why is the liquor ban not being reviewed? Is liquor smuggling not going on? Everyone is getting it. Govt & administration are colluding. There is not one minister in Bihar govt who doesn't know about it. If you don't want to review it, it means you are involved. Everyone knows where the money is going, CM has to contest election & do a lot of things. All of this is a matter of investigation. It'll be investigated by our govt - that where is all the money of liquor smuggling, '7 Nischay' scheme & funds by centre going," he said.

21:45 (IST)25 Oct 2020
BJP president JP Nadda to address public meetings in Bihar tomorrow

BJP president JP Nadda will address public meetings in Bihar's Poornia and Aurangabad districts tomorrow.

19:24 (IST)25 Oct 2020
BJP leader Sushil Modi cites poll violence during RJD's rule

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi took to Twitter to point towards cases of violence during the elections held during RJD's rule in the state. "In the Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha, and Panchayat elections held between 1990-2004, a total of 641 people lost their lives in the poll violence," he tweeted. 

18:12 (IST)25 Oct 2020
Tejashwi says Nitish is tired, JD(U)-BJP hit back

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is tired and no longer able to manage Bihar, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said on Sunday, drawing sharp retorts from leaders of the ruling NDA. Yadav, 31, apparently referring to the age of the 69-year-old chief minister and said that he has got tired due to which he gives up when faced with a difficult situation -- be it the coronavirus pandemic or Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) outbreak in Muzaffarpur.

"It seems that he has become energyless from the kind of boring, meaningless speeches he is giving and the things he is doing. Nitish Kumar is tired now and he is no longer able to manage Bihar," Yadav said. The comment drew sharp reactions from leaders of the ruling coalition who termed it "meaningless".

JD(U) state president Basistha Narayan Singh said, "Kumar is more energetic than many youths. He works for 14-15 hours a day, which many youngsters will not be able to do... The tired comment is bereft of any logic." State minister Sanjay Kumar Jha hit back at Yadav, saying the chief minister is at least not a "class 9 fail like him".

17:13 (IST)25 Oct 2020
Nitish will be in jail if LJP comes to power: Chirag Paswan

Chirag Paswan, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader, claimed at a rally on Sunday that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar would be behind bars if his party is voted to power.

"Nitish Kumar and his officers will be behind bars if we come to power," Paswan said. Addressing a rally in Dumraon, Buxar in the run-up to polling in Bihar, Paswan raised several questions before the present state government. (ANI) 

14:34 (IST)25 Oct 2020
Jagadanand Singh: Rajput leader who has Lalu’s ear, Tejashwi’s back

A product of the socialist political movement, Jagada Babu — as he is popularly known in Bihar — is one of the founder members of the RJD and has represented the Ramgarh constituency in Central Bihar multiple times as an MLA. He remained a minister almost all through the Lalu regime. In 2009, Singh contested the Buxar Lok Sabha seat on an RJD ticket and defeated the BJP’s Lal Muni Choubey by just over 2,000 seats. The most popular leader then in that region, Choubey had not lost from Buxar since 1996. The seat was wrested back by the BJP in 2014 and retained in 2019, with Singh losing both times.  Read more 

14:31 (IST)25 Oct 2020
Schedule for BJP public rallies today:

BJP is set hold four major rallies in different parts of Bihar.

13:36 (IST)25 Oct 2020
Religious tourism part of LJP's vision document 'Bihar first Bihari first'

" People's faith is associated with religious tourism and this will also increase the revenue of Bihar. Hence, special emphasis has been given to religious tourism in the vision document," says Paswan.

13:30 (IST)25 Oct 2020
Will build a grand Sita Temple in Bihar: Chirag Paswan

As part of "Bihar first Bihari first" manifesto, LJP leader today said he will promoto religious tourism in Bihar. He said that a grand Sita Temple will be built in Sitamarhi district. Attacking the Nitish Kumar government, he said: " Had the present government promoted religious tourism in Bihar, we wouldn't have suffered from revenue problem."

12:31 (IST)25 Oct 2020
Nitish Kumar has become completely energy less: Tejashwi Yadav

Responding to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's attack, RJD leader and Grand Alliance’s chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday said Kumar was running away from reality. " “Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has become completely energyless. His tedious, boring, stale and worn-out things have worn the public. Tired Nitish is running away from reality, logic and facts. By ruining the present and future of crores of youth of Bihar, they are turning the stale pages of history,” Yadav tweeted in his latest attack at the CM.

On Saturday, While addressing a poll rally in Teghra constituency, Nitish Kumar said: “Kahin koi ek school banaya tha…agar padhna chahte ho toh apne baap se pucho…apni maata se pucho…kahi koi school tha, ya ban raha tha” (Was there even one school built? If you want to know, ask your father..ask your mother. Was there any school? Was any school being built). Kumar was targeting Tejashwi’s father and former CM of Bihar, Lalu Prasad Yadav, who is currently jailed on charges of corruption, and his wife Rabri Devi.

12:21 (IST)25 Oct 2020
Today, there's development in Bihar because women are empowered: Nitish Kumar

Today there is more development in Bihar because there is more awareness of empowerment in women. In Bihar, today more girls go to school. The raito of boys and girls have reached equal. 

12:14 (IST)25 Oct 2020
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar urges the public to vote for JD(U) candidate Sheela Mandal in Phulparas

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar urges the public of Phulparas constituency to vote for JD(U) candidate Sheela Mandal with majoirty votes so that Bihar witnesses more development. 

12:10 (IST)25 Oct 2020
Nitish Kumar begins addressing public at Phulparas constituency

Bihar Chief Minister begins addressing the public at Phulparas constituency

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi contrasted the NDA rule in Bihar with the Opposition’s “misrule” during the 1990s, BJP President J P Nadda on Saturday tried to counter the rival parties’ focus on jobs for youths with a promise that the NDA government, when it returns to power, will “work to provide employment to 19 lakh people” in the state.

“There will be a self-sufficient Bihar through a self-sufficient India. It is the responsibility of the government to create job opportunities in Bihar and NDA’s Nitish Kumar government will work to provide employment to 19 lakh people,” Nadda said while addressing an election rally in Nalanda.

Nadda’s promise comes in the backdrop of promises of jobs by the RJD and LJP, which political observers see as getting traction among the voters or at least mobilising crowds in their rallies, especially for RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav.

And amid the opposition's criticism of the BJP's Bihar poll promise of free Covid vaccines, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman asserted on Saturday that the announcement was perfectly in order and a party can announce what it wants to do when it comes to power.

Sitharaman had released BJP's manifesto for the Bihar polls earlier this week. A highlight of the promises made in the document was free Covid-19 vaccines for the state's people if the saffron party comes back to power.

The voting in the state will be held on October 28, November 3 and November 7 and results will be announced on November 10.

  • news-guard-logo
  • The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
  • news-guard-logo-with-title
Latest Comment
Post Comment
Read Comments