Former RJD MP Anil Sahni joins BJP ahead of Bihar polls; cites injustice to EBCs
PATNA: The main Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Wednesday suffered a major setback ahead of the Bihar assembly elections after former MP Anil Sahni resigned from the party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of senior leaders, including Union Minister and Bihar election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan. Sahnis name had figured in the RJDs list of 40 star campaigners for the upcoming elections. A former MLA from Kurhani assembly seat, Sahni was reportedly upset with the party leadership after his son was denied a ticket from the constituency. The RJD has fielded Babloo Kushwaha as its candidate from Kurhani in Muzaffarpur district. After joining the BJP, Sahni accused the RJD of doing injustice to people belonging to Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs). He alleged that dedicated party workers were being sidelined, while new entrants were being given tickets for the polls, leading to resentment among grassroots cadres. Sahni had contested the 2020 assembly election from Kurhani on an RJD ticket and won by defeating Kedar Prasad Gupta of the BJP. However, he was later debarred from contesting elections after being convicted in a forged air-ticket scandal probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). In the 2022 bypoll, BJPs Kedar Prasad Gupta won the seat. Bihar BJP president Dilip Jaiswal welcomed Sahni into the party, saying his induction would strengthen the BJPs support base in Muzaffarpur and adjoining districts. Former MLA Asha Devi also joined the BJP along with Sahni.
Stage set for first phase of polls, 1.3K in fray for 121 seats
PATNA: In all, 1,314 candidates are left in the fray for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections, scheduled on November 6. This phase covers 121 seats and will mainly see a direct contest between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition INDIA bloc. Eighteen districts are covered in this phase, with Muzaffarpur, Kurhani, Mahnar, and Bahadur seeing the highest number of contestants. Election Commission sources said 1,690 candidates had filed nominations between October 10 and 17, but 135 were rejected for technical reasons. The last day for withdrawal of nominations was on October 20. The phase will test the popularity of Bihar CM Nitish Kumars JD(U) and Lalu Prasads RJD. Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Chaudhary (Tarapur) and Vijay Kumar Sinha (Lakhisarai), along with Opposition Leader Tejashwi Yadav (Raghopur), will be among the top leaders facing voters. The maximum number of 20 candidates each are in the fray in Kurhani and Muzaffarpur, while Alauli and Parbatta have the fewest, with five each. In Patna, 149 candidates are in the fray, with nine withdrawals. Paliganj has the highest competition with 14 contestants. Bhagalpur has 102 nominees, with Nathnagar seeing 21. Mahnar in Vaishali has 18 candidates, while Bahadur has 17. Key candidates include JD(U) state president Umesh Kushwaha from Mahnar and RJDs Bhola Yadav, a close aide of Lalu Prasad. Health Minister Mangal Pandey is contesting from Siwan, while Nitin Nabin, a former minister, is in the fray from Bankipur. Former Union Minister Ram Kripal Yadav will face RJD MLA Ritlal Yadav, seeking re-election from jail. Shashank Shekhar, IIT Delhi alumnus, is contesting Patna Sahib on a Congress ticket against BJPs Ratnesh Kushwaha. Other notable contestants include Bhojpuri actor Khesari Lal Yadav (RJD), folk singer Maithili Thakur (Alinagar), Mohammad Shahabuddins son Osama Sahab (Raghunathpur), and ministers Vijay Kumar Chaudhary (Sarairanjan), Shravan Kumar (Nalanda), Jibesh Mishra (Jale), Sanjay Saraogi (Darbhanga), and Ratnesh Sada (Sonbarsa).
With weeks ahead of the Assembly polls, Bihar Chief Minister and JDU supremo Nitish Kumar has sparked a fresh debate over his mental health after a viral video showed him insisting on garlanding a female candidate during a poll rally in Muzaffarpur's Meenapur constituency. In the video, the 75-year-old leader is seen insisting on garlanding Rama Nishad, the BJP candidate from Aurai constituency. In local Hindu traditions, a woman cannot let anyone except her husband put a garland around her neck. Nishad, who had joined the BJP last week, was seen squirming when Kumar moved towards her with the garland in his hand. JD(U) working president and Kumars close aide, Sanjay Kumar Jha, hurriedly tried to prevent the CM from creating a scene by grabbing his hand. Kumar briefly lowered it, but then suddenly garlanded the woman. Appearing irked by Sanjay Kumar Jha's attempt to stop him, the CM said on the microphone, Ee gajab aadmi hai bhai (What a strange man). Earlier, during his speech at the rally, Kumar prefixed Shri to the female candidate's name. He also mispronounced the name of JDU candidate Ajay Kushwaha. Reacting to the video, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav repeated concerns regarding the CM's mental health. Ee gajab aadmi hai bhai. If the Chief Minister is healthy, why is he behaving like this after reading a written speech? he wrote in a post on X. !!! ? #Bihar pic.twitter.com/Xhit9l37Ib Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) October 21, 2025 The RJD leader has been raising concerns regarding Kumar's health, questioning his ability to govern the state. Earlier, sharing a similar video where Kumar appears to be greeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi repeatedly, Tejashwi speculated that the CM's aides might be spiking his food. Can this mental state of the Chief Minister be blamed on his close aides who may be spiking his food at the instance of alliance partner BJP?, Tejashwi Yadav asked. For quite some time, the Chief Minister has been behaving in a manner that shows he is not in the proper state of mind. He has made crude remarks about my mother Rabri Devi, a former Chief Minister, and women in general. Once he was caught on camera fooling around while the national anthem was being played in the background, he said. Clearly the Chief Minister no longer has the ability to run his government. A syndicate is calling the shots and it will be exposed soon, he charged. (With inputs from PTI)
Bihar Assembly polls: Nitish launches campaign, takes swipe at Lalu for doing nothing for women
The JD(U) president, who is seeking a record fifth consecutive term in office, was addressing his maiden election rally in Minapur constituency of Muzaffarpur district
'NDA starting election campaign with rock-solid unity,' says Bihar BJP chief Dilip Jaiswal
Jaiswal stated that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is kick-starting his election campaign from today onwards from Minapur and Kanti Assembly constituencies in Muzaffarpur, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin his election campaign on October 24 and address two public rallies in Samastipur and Begusarai.
Bihar Assembly Elections: NDA to launch campaign with Modi, Nitish rallies
On October 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is gearing up to rally support in Bihar, making stops in Begusarai and Samastipur. Meanwhile, Bihars Chief Minister Nitish Kumar kicks off his campaign on October 21 with rallies in Minapur and Kanti, Muzaffarpur.
PM Modi to launch Bihar election campaign on Oct 24 with two back-to-back rallies
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin his campaign for the Bihar assembly polls next week. He has four rallies scheduled by the end of October. The Prime Minister will address gatherings in Samastipur and Begusarai on October 24. He will return on October 30 for rallies in Muzaffarpur and Chhapra. Further rally details will be announced soon.
He completed his primary education from the government middle school in his village, Chhitarooli, and later went on to complete his high school education from Maniyari in Muzaffarpur. Read here to know more about him.
PATNA: Former state minister and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani on Friday announced that he would not contest upcoming Bihar assembly election and focus on improving partys performance. Talking to media persons, Sahani said that he decided not to contest the election as it would divert his focus from party to the seat from where he would contest the election. If I am not in the fray, I can move across the state and mobilise support for our candidate, he added. Sahani was in Darbhanga to attend nomination filing of his brother Santosh Sahani from Gaura-Bauram assembly constituency as VIP candidate. Earlier, Mukesh Sahani was set to contest election from the same seat. But later he fielded his brother from the seat. In response to a query, he said, I have decided not to contest the election. My focus will be on ensuring victory of our candidates and strengthening partys presence everywhere in Bihar. This election is significant as it is poised to witness a change at the helm of affairs. He said that Bihar was placed on the threshold of change. Bihar Badlo chahta hai (Bihar wants change). It is palpable everywhere, VIP chief said, adding that it seems to be inevitable. When asked about going to Rajya Sabha, Sahani said that he was not interested in the Upper House and wanted to become deputy chief of Bihar. Sources said that he was offered a Rajya Sabha seat when he exerted pressure on the Opposition alliance for more number of seats to his party in the ensuing election. He said that he would work for the victory of all candidates of Grand Alliance, a part of INDIA bloc, in the Bihar elections. He, however, refused to disclose the number of seats allotted to VIP. We will work to strengthen the support base of the Opposition alliance, he added. He, however, did not miss the opportunity to stake his claim for deputy chief ministers post. VIP has fielded six candidates for the first phase of election. VIP national spokesperson Dev Jyoti said that party candidates filed their nomination papers from six assembly constituencies on the last date of filing of nomination on Friday. He said that Bhogendra Sahni has been fielded from Aurai assembly seat in Muzaffarpur seat. Santosh Sahani and Rakesh Kumar filed their nominations from Gauri-Bauram and Paroo assembly seats. Similarly, Umesh Sahani, Ganesh Bharti and Navin Nishad filed nominations from Darbhanga Town, Kusheshwarsthan and Alamnagar seats, respectively. Dev Jyoti said that the names of party candidates for assembly constituencies going to polls in the second phase would be announced later.
Congress releases first list of 48 candidates for Bihar assembly polls
PATNA: After much hiccups, the Congress finally released its first official list of 48 candidates for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections to be held in two phases on November 6 and 11. The list of candidates has been released by K C Venugopal, general secretary of the All-India Congress Committee (AICC), late on Thursday. The party has given tickets to five women and four Muslim candidates in the first official announcement of its candidates. It has retained 11 sitting MLAs, which includes Bhagalpur, Kadwa, Manihari, Muzaffarpur, Rajapakar, Buxar, Rajpur, Kutumba, Kargahar, Hisua and Aurangabad. Congress and RJD leaders were in constant deliberations over some seats, including Kahalgaon, Vaishali and Narkatiaganj seats. The deadlock over seat-sharing among the INDIA bloc partners may have finally been broken hours after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge took matters into their own hands and talked to Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad over the phone on Thursday. The party had, a day before, started releasing the names of some candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar on the official handle of its Bihar unit. Congress had also posted photos of the candidates receiving their nomination certificates. This comes even as the seat-sharing arrangement between the Mahagathbandhan allies has not been officially finalised yet. According to the list, Bihar Congress president Rajesh Ram and Congress legislature party leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan will contest from Kutumba and Korha (reserved) assembly constituencies respectively. In addition, Pratima Kumari has been fielded from Rajapakar (reserved), Shiv Prakash Garib Das from Bachhwara, Amita Bhushan from Begusarai and Braj Kishore Ravi from Rosera assembly constituencies. Similarly, Umesh Ram has been fielded from Sakra (reserved) constituency, Bijendra Choudhary from Muzaffarpur, Pratima Kumari from Rajapakar, Savita Kumari from Sonbarsa (reserved), and Punam Paswan from Korha assembly seat. Dr Chandan Yadav will be in the poll fray from Khagaria. Shyam Bihari Prasad will contest from Raxaul, Shashi Bhushan Rai from Govindganj and Wasi Ahmad from Bettiah. Amit Kumar Singh Tunna will fight from Riga, Navin Kumar from Bathnaha, Jayesh Mangal Singh from Bagaha, Amit Giri from Nautan, Abhishek Ranjan from Chanpatia, Nitu Kumari from Hisua, Awadhesh kumar Singh from Wazirganj, Anand Shanker Singh from Aurangabad, Santosh Mishra from Kargahar, and Mangal Ram from Chenari (reserved) seats. pic.twitter.com/io0WmcA5sG Congress (@INCIndia) October 16, 2025
Congress releases first list of candidates for Bihar assembly polls
The Congress released its first official list of 48 candidates for the Bihar Assembly polls on Thursday. The party's Bihar unit president Rajesh Ram has been fielded from the SC-reserved seat of Kutumba. The party had, a day before, started releasing the names of some candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar on the official handle of its Bihar unit. Congress had also posted photos of the candidates receiving their nomination certificates. This comes even as the seat-sharing arrangement between the Mahagathbandhan allies has not been officially finalized yet. In its first list, the party has fielded Bijendra Chaudhary from Muzaffarpur, Om Prakash Garg from Gopalganj, Amita Bhushan from Begusarai, Dr. Shashi Shekhar Singh from Wazirganj. Meanwhile, Kaushelendra Kumar will contest from Nalanda, and Anand Shankar Singh from Aurangabad. Anil Kumar will contest from Bikram, Lalan Kumar from Sultanganj, Amaresh Kumar from Lakhisarai, BK Ravi from Rosda, Shashibhushan Rai alias Gappu Rai from Govindganj, Jitendra Singh from Amarpur, and Shiv Prakash Garib Das from Bachhwara Assembly constituency. Trishuldhari Singh has been fielded from the Barbigha seat. pic.twitter.com/io0WmcA5sG Congress (@INCIndia) October 16, 2025
Bihar elections: Congress begins allotting party symbols, BJP completes list of its 101 candidates
PATNA: With barely two days left for filing nomination papers for the first phase of the Bihar assembly elections , political activities have intensified in the state. Congress, a major ally of the Opposition INDIA bloc, has started allotting party symbols to its candidates even as a seat-sharing deal is yet to be formally announced. Congress released its list of 17 candidates , posting the announcement on its official X handle even as seat-sharing arrangements within INDIA bloc remained unresolved. The party has fielded Anand Shanker Singh from Aurangabad, Pratima Das from Rajapakar, Shiv Prakash Garib Das from Bachhawara and Kaushalendra Kumar (Chhote Mukhiya) from Nalanda. Similarly, Om Prakash Garg will contest election from Gopalganj, Jitendra Singh from Amarpur, Amita Bhushan from Begusarai, Lalan Kumar from Sultanganj, Rajesh Kumar from Kutumba, Shashi Sekhar from Warsaliganj, Trishuldhari Singh from Barbigha, Vijendra Choudhary from Muzaffarpur. In addition, Shashi Bhushan Rai has been fielded from Govindganj, Anil Kumar from Bikram, and B K Ravi from Rosera assembly seats. Sources said that more names would be cleared after consultation with leaders of the INDIA bloc. The Congress Central Election Committee (CCEC) had approved candidates for 43 seats. The sub-committee, headed by Ajay Makan, is said to have cleared the names of eight more candidates on Wednesday. BJP releases first list of 71 candidates for Bihar Assembly elections In the ruling NDA camp, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released names of all 101 candidates. The third list of 18 candidates were released late on Wednesday. According to the list, Bina Devi will contest from Kochadhaman, Sangita Kumari from Mohania, Sanjay Pandey from Narkatiaganj, Satish Kumar Yadav from Raghopur and Bharat Bind from Bhabua. Murari Paswan will join the fray from Pirpainti and Ashok Kumar Singh from Ramgarh. Earlier the party has released second list of 12 candidates, including folk singer Maithili Thakur from Alinagar and former IPS officer Anand Mishra from Buxar. With this, the BJP has announced candidates for all 101 seats. NDAs ally--Janata Dal (United) has released its first list of 57 candidates. Senior leaders like Umesh Kushwaha and Vijendra Prasad Yadav have already filed their nominations from the Mahnar and Supaul seats. Vijay Kumar Chaudhary is expected to file his nomination papers from Sarairanjan on Thursday. Under the seat-sharing pact within NDA, BJP and JD(U) will contest 101 seats each, LJP(RV) 29, HAM and RLM six seats each. Bihar assembly elections will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11. The counting of votes will take place on November 14. The total number of voters stands at 7.42 crore, down from 7.89 crore in June this year. BJP conspiring to impose President's rule in Bihar after assembly elections, claims RJD leader Tejashwi
Congress starts announcing Bihar poll candidates amid seat-sharing deadlock
The Congress party late Wednesday night unilaterally began announcing its candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, even as negotiations with its key Mahagathbandhan ally, the RJD, remain unresolved. The party's Bihar unit began revealing its nominees via its official X handle, bypassing a traditional official list and instead posting photos of candidates receiving their nomination certificates. The initial list announced on social media includes several prominent and key constituency candidates: Rajesh Ram, the Bihar Congress state president, has been fielded from the Kutumba assembly constituency. Shashi Shekhar Singh is set to contest from the Wazirganj seat. Kaushlendra Kumar, alias Chhote Mukhiya, was named the INDIA bloc candidate for Nalanda. The party fielded Trishuldhari Singh from Barbeegha and Pratima Das from Rajapakad. Bihar Youth Congress state president Prakash Garib Das will contest from Bachhwada. Other notable candidates include Vijendra Chaudhary (Muzaffarpur), Om Parkash Garg (Gopalganj), Amita Bhushan (Begusarai), and Anand Shekhar Singh (Aurangabad). The Congress leadership is currently locked in talks with the RJD-led alliance partners, having previously insisted on a higher number of seats (reportedly aiming for over 60) than the RJD has been willing to allocate. The development comes as RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav filed his nomination from Raghopur assembly seat on Wednesday. The last date for filing nominations for the first phase of polls is October 17, while that for the second phase is October 20. State Congress President Rajesh Ram, after receiving his certificate, publicly thanked the party leadership for fielding him from Kutumba. , , pic.twitter.com/KudMFQLnhv Rajesh Ram (@rajeshkrinc) October 15, 2025
Congress starts announcing candidates for Bihar polls before finalising seat-sharing deal
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday night started announcing its candidates for the Bihar Assembly elections even before finalising the seat-sharing arrangement with its Mahagathbandhan allies. According to the announcement being made by the X handle of the party's Bihar unit, its state president Rajesh Ram is contesting from the Kutumba assembly constituency. The party started announcing the names of candidates on X without releasing an official list of nominees. Along with the announcements, it posted photos of nominees being handed over party nomination certificates. The Congress leadership is in talks with its alliance partners, including the RJD, but the seat-sharing arrangement has neither been finalised nor announced. The development comes as RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav filed his nomination from Raghopur assembly seat on Wednesday. The last date for filing nominations for the first phase of polls is October 17, while that for the second phase is October 20. Rajesh Ram thanked the Congress leadership for fielding him from the Kutumba seat. The Bihar Congress congratulated Ram and others for their nomination. - INDIA B. K. Ravi ! INDIA pic.twitter.com/PUq2msnIL2 Bihar Congress (@INCBihar) October 15, 2025 According to the announcements, Shashi Shekhar Singh will contest the election from the Wazjirganj seat. Kaushlendra Kumar, alias Chhote Mukhiya, will be the INDIA bloc candidate from the Nalanda seat. From the Barbeegha seat, the party fielded Trishuldhari Singh and Pratima Das from the Rajapakad seat. Shashi Bhushan Rai, alias Gappu Rai, has been fielded by the Congress from the Govindganj seat, while Vijendra Chaudhary will contest the Muzaffarpur seat. Om Parkash Garg will contest the Gopalganj seat, and Jitendra Singh from the Amarpur assembly seat. Amita Bhushan has been fielded by the Congress from the Begusarai seat, while Lallan Kumar will contest the Sultanganj seat. In the Rosda assembly constituency, the Congress has fielded B K Ravi as INDIA block candidate. Bihar Youth Congress state president Prakash Garib Das will contest the Bachhwada seat, while Anand Shekhar Singh will be the Congress candidate from the Aurangabad assembly seat. Bihar assembly polls are slated in two phases on November 6 and 11, and the counting of votes will take place on November 14.
PM Modi to address over 10 rallies in Bihar as NDA gears up for triangular contest
NEW DELHI: With the Bihar Assembly elections poised to turn into a triangular battle owing to the entry of Prashant Kishors newly launched Jan Suraaj Party, the ruling National Democratic Alliance ( NDA ) is ramping up its campaign plans. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address more than 10 public rallies during the first two phases of polling, scheduled for November 6 and November 11, covering a total of 122 assembly constituencies, sources said. Sources said that PM Modis rallies will target areas where the NDAs influence is relatively weak but where the Prime Minister maintains a strong personal following. Each of Modis rallies is expected to cover 15 to 20 assembly segments and will be supported by live telecasts in remote regions. We think the PM will effectively address almost all key segments through these mega rallies. The final number is yet to be confirmed, but he is expected to address more than 10 rallies between the two phases, a senior BJP leader said. The NDAs campaign will also see a strong push from other top leaders. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is expected to hold between 30 and 35 rallies, each covering five to seven constituencies. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who holds significant sway among Rajput and upper-caste voters in the state, is likely to address over 25 rallies. Home Minister Amit Shah, widely regarded as the BJPs chief electoral strategist, will address at least 25 rallies. BJP national president JP Nadda, known for his longstanding involvement in Bihar politics, is slated to hold 20 to 25 solo rallies, apart from shared platforms with other leaders. In the 2020 Bihar elections, PM Modi had addressed 12 rallies across districts, including Patna, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, and East Champaran. This time, the number may rise, and roadshows in key cities are also under consideration. Ahead of his on-ground campaign, Prime Minister Modi will launch the NDAs poll drive on Wednesday by virtually addressing BJP booth-level workers under the partys 'Mera Booth, Sabse Majboot' initiative, urging them to ensure a decisive victory for the alliance.
Four die as 2 vehicles collide in Muzaffarpur
Uncertainty grips NDA, INDIA bloc over seat-sharing as nomination process begins in Bihar
NEW DELHI: Although the nomination process for 121 seats in the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections began on Friday, ahead of polling on November 6, both the JD(U)-led NDA and the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan are yet to finalise seat-sharing arrangements within their alliances and the announcement of candidate lists. The situation highlights how forming and managing pre-poll alliances in Bihar has become increasingly difficult, driven by shifting political equations and competing ambitions. Sources within the BJP indicate that the NDAs internal seat-sharing arrangement is likely to be finalised within a day or two, after which the party plans to release its first list of candidates. The JD(U), another key NDA ally, is also expected to announce its candidate list soon, according to party insiders. Meanwhile, Union Minister Chirag Paswans Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) is reportedly demanding 45 seats, while the NDA has offered between 20 and 22. As negotiations continued on Friday, BJP Bihar in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan arrived in Patna to finalise the seat-sharing arrangement and prepare a fresh list of candidates. Nomination begins for first phase of Bihar polls; seat-sharing talks intensify in NDA, INDIA bloc It is speculated that the NDA may soon reach an agreement, with the BJP likely to contest around 101102 seats, JD(U) 102103, LJP (RV) 2325, and LJP 2023, while both HAM and RLM may be allotted 7 seats each. Amid the ongoing uncertainty with the two main alliances, Prashant Kishors newly formed political outfit, Jan Suraaj, took the lead on Thursday by announcing a list of 51 candidates. In Delhi, senior Bihar BJP leader and MoS for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai met Chirag Paswan for the second consecutive day, saying that the talk moved in a positive direction. The ongoing confusion within both the ruling and opposition camps is being linked to rising regional political aspirations, particularly among smaller parties that depend heavily on caste-based support. Local political analysts say these ambitions continue to complicate alliance politics in Bihar. The first phase of polling will cover key districts including Patna, Darbhanga, Madhepura, Saharsa, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Vaishali, Samastipur, Begusarai, Lakhisarai, Munger, Sheikhpura, Nalanda, Buxar, and Bhojpur.
Nomination begins for first phase of Bihar polls; seat-sharing talks intensify in NDA, INDIA bloc
PATNA: Filing of nomination papers began on Friday for the elections to 121 seats in the first phase of the Bihar assembly polls, officials said. The first round of the elections will be held on November 6. Candidates can file their nomination papers til October 17, and the scrutiny of such documents will be held on the next day, according to a notification. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 20 for the first phase of the assembly polls. Patna, Darbhanga, Madhepura, Saharsa, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Vaishali, Samastipur, Begusarai, Lakhisarai, Munger, Sheikhpura, Nalanda, Buxar, and Bhojpur districts will go for polls in the first phase. The second and final phase of the poll will take place on November 11 in 122 assembly seats. The counting of votes will take place on November 14. The ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc have not declared their list of candidates so far. Constituents of the NDA and the INDIA bloc are grappling with differences over seat-sharing, with smaller allies in both camps jostling for more seats. However, Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj party declared a list of 51 candidates on Thursday. Amid growing unease in the ruling NDA over the seat sharing, senior BJP leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan reached Patna on Friday and will hold meetings with senior party leaders. Sources in the BJP said that the seat-sharing arrangements within the NDA will be finalised in a day or two, and the party will release its first list of candidates soon after that. Bihar polls: Left parties smoothen seat-sharing deal with RJD, Congress The JD(U), another alliance partner of the NDA, is also expected to announce its list of candidates very soon, party sources said. According to sources in the NDA, the allies - JD (U) and BJP - are likely to contest 102 and 101 seats, respectively. Union minister Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), which had earlier settled for around 20-22 seats, is now asking for 45 segments, they said. In the opposition bloc, sources said the RJD is likely to contest 135-140 seats. The party has offered the Congress 50-52 seats, lower than the party's demand for 70 assembly segments. Sources in the RJD said a meeting of senior party leaders will take place in Patna later in the day to finalise the list of its candidates. In the 2020 assembly polls, the Congress had fought 70 seats but won only 19. The other big constituent of the INDIA bloc, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, also appeared unhappy with the reportedly 20-25 seats being offered to it. Five years ago, the CPI (ML) Liberation won 12 of the 19 seats it contested, and is reportedly demanding 40 this time. Tejashwi makes mega poll promise: Law to ensure one government job for every family in Bihar
Congress slams poll panel over '247 voters in one household' report
The Congress party questioned CEC Gyanesh Kumar regarding significant electoral roll discrepancies in Bihar. Citing media reports, the party highlighted instances of 247 voters registered at a single Jamui household and one individual listed thrice in a Muzaffarpur booth. Congress also noted that voter deletions in some areas surpassed past election victory margins, raising concerns.
BJP may drop 18 MLAs as Shah crafts Bihar strategy
NEW DELHI: The BJP is expected to drop more than 18 MLAs in Bihar as it prepares for the upcoming Assembly elections, amid reports of growing anti-incumbency sentiment against several long-serving legislators. Party sources have indicated that the party has largely finalised its list of candidates, with a formal announcement likely to follow the expected release of the election schedule by the Election Commission of India (EC) after October 6. According to a senior BJP functionary in Bihar, Union Home Minister and the partys chief strategist Amit Shah has held detailed discussions regarding candidate selection for over 145-150 Assembly constituencies. These include key districts such as Bettiah, Samastipur, Araria and several seats in the Seemanchal region. In the 2020 Assembly elections, the BJP had narrowly lost in nearly 35 constituencies, including Muzaffarpur, Kishanganj, Siwan, Sonpur, Raghopur, Bhagalpur, Danapur and Maner. Raghopur is currently represented by Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the LoP in Bihar. In Maner, BJPs national OBC Morcha general secretary and a well-educated party leader Nikhil Anand, who had contested the last election also, is reportedly gaining significant traction ahead of the polls. His consistent public outreach and year-round accessibility have made him a strong contender against the RJD MLA Bhai Birendra. Within BJP circles, there is a buzz that several sitting MLAs, particularly those facing strong anti-incumbency sentiment, will be dropped in favour of fresh faces. The party is also said to be considering young candidates and prominent women leaders to field them as party candidates symbolising the Nari-shakti (women power) and Yuva-Shakti( Youth power)-that often figure and get a strong accent in PM Modis speech. There are also indications that the BJP may follow its Madhya Pradesh model by fielding sitting and former MPs in state elections. Names doing the rounds include Saran MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Union Minister Giriraj Singh, and former MPs such as Ram Kripal Yadav and RK Singh. State ministers, including Mangal Pandey, may also be considered for Assembly seats within their respective districts. Bihar sitting on time bomb of corruption: Tejashwi Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said on Sunday that Bihar was sitting on a time bomb of corruption and unemployment. He called Nitish Kumar the Dhritrashtra of corruption, saying the CM has not been acting against corrupt officials.
Bihar: Cabinet okays four-lane Sahebganj-Areraj-Bettiah section NH-139W at Rs 3,822.31 cr
The four-lane greenfield project to improve connectivity between Patna and Bettiah. It will link north Bihar districts of Vaishali, Saran, Siwan, Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, East and West Champaran. It will also link areas along the Nepal-Bihar border.
Chirag Paswan insists on respectable seat share for LJP (RV) in Bihar Assembly polls
PATNA: Union minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan on Monday asserted that his party would not accept anything less than a respectable number of seats in the seat-sharing arrangement among NDA constituents for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. The assembly polls in the state are scheduled for October-November. Speaking to the media in Patna, Chirag said that seat-sharing discussions would take place during the auspicious period of Navratri, expressing confidence that an amicable formula would be finalised. He stated that he was hopeful of securing a respectable number of seats as his party would not compromise on this issue. We will not compromise on the respectable number of seats allocated to our party, he emphasised. Commenting on the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in the state capital, the union minister remarked that Congress had remembered Patna, adding that he was not fully aware when the last CWC meeting in Bihar had taken place. This is pressure politics and nothing else, he told reporters. Chirag said that all senior leaders authorised to take decisions would participate in the CWC meeting, describing it as part of pressure politics, with Congress and RJD vying to establish supremacy over each other. He added that it was this political tussle that prompted RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav to announce contesting all 243 assembly seats at an event in Muzaffarpur. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi completed his Voter Adhikar Yatra alongside Tejashwi but never once mentioned that the RJD leader would be the CM face of the INDIA bloc in Bihar elections, he observed. He accused Congress and its ally RJD of lacking the courage to contest the polls on their own strength, contrasting this with his own boldness in contesting the previous assembly elections without any alliance. LJP (RV) is staking a claim to 40 seats, with Chirag announcing he would contest the Bihar polls from a general seat rather than a reserved one. The party is primarily focusing on the Shahabad region, where the NDA performed poorly in the last assembly elections. Meanwhile, the BJP, a key NDA ally, is expected to hold a meeting in the coming days to finalise its list of candidates for the elections. Sources claim several sitting MLAs may be dropped. Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar met Union Home Minister Amit Shah last week at a posh hotel during Shahs visit to the state. Sources revealed the two leaders discussed the seat-sharing arrangement within the NDA.
Now, RJD threatens to contest all 243 seats in Bihar assembly election
PATNA: AMID the ongoing seat-sharing talks within the Opposition INDIA bloc for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav sparked controversy by declaring that the RJD would contest all 243 seats. Addressing a public gathering in Muzaffarpur late on Saturday evening, Tejashwi said, We will return. Understand this, You all have to stay united, and this time, Tejashwi will contest elections on 243 seats. Whether it is Kanti, Muzaffarpur, or Gaighat, Tejashwi will contest elections from every place. This government, which has been in power for 20 years, which works to spread communal violence, has to be ousted, he said. Tejashwis remarks are being seen in political circles as a pressure tactic at a time when seat sharing talks within INDIA bloc are stuck. However, RJD spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwari downplayed Tejashwis remarks, and said he meant to say that elections would be contested under his (Tejashwis) leadership. So, he will contest all seats. Tejashwis remarks would not impact the alliance as INDIA bloc candidates would be fielded on all 243 seats under Tejashwis leadership. It should not be read beyond that, Tiwari said, adding that INDIA bloc was intact. Seat sharing negotiations in INDIA bloc have got trickier with the possible entry of Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and former union minister Pashupati Parass Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP). Launching a blistering attack on the states NDA government, Tejashwi at the workers event said that businessmen were being kidnapped and killed daily in the state, and corruption had reached its peak, with the poor being exploited from local police stations to the state headquarters. Earlier this week, AICC in-charge of Bihar Krishna Allavaru suggested that RJD should show more flexibility in seatsharing deal. Sources said Congress wants to contest 70 seats that it fought in the 2020 elections, while RJD is ready to offer it 52 seats. Among NDA allies, Jitan Ram Manjhis Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) has said it will contest 100 seats if it is not offered 15-20 seats in the upcoming election.
Tejashwi Yadav, RJD leader, is launching the 'Bihar Adhikar Yatra' on September 16 from Jehanabad, covering ten districts in five days. This follows the Voter Adhikar Yatra and aims to maintain momentum while positioning the RJD at the forefront of Bihar's opposition narrative. The tour includes public interactions, roadshows, and meetings, with gatherings planned in Muzaffarpur and Madhubani beforehand.
NEW DELHI: India accounts for 17% of the worlds population and 20% of the global disease burden, yet fewer than four percent of international clinical trials are conducted in the country. This gap means Indian patients often wait years after global approvals to access breakthrough therapies. Now, a new initiative, aligning it with Central Drugs StandardControl Organisations (CDSCO) priorities to boost participation of government sites in Phase 3 and 4 trials, has trained nearly 400 professionals, including investigators, ethics committee members and support staff to meet the global Good Clinical Practice (GCP) standards. The initiative is aimed at strengthening Indias role in global clinical research and facilitating faster patient access to breakthrough therapies. Launched by Roche Pharma India, the company on Saturday announced the successful completion of its first phase of the Advanced Inclusive Research (AIR) Site Alliance initiative in India, in which it partnered with 10 leading government hospitals from across the country. This milestone marks a significant step forward in strengthening Indias readiness to participate in global and local clinical trials, enabling faster patient access to breakthrough therapies and ensuring Indias diverse population is better represented in clinical research, said the company. Launched in 2023, the initiative focused on streamlining internal processes, building digital readiness for better data capture and monitoring and delivering tailored training programs to enhance operational efficiency. By equipping leading government hospitals with global-standard clinical trial capabilities, we are helping to bring innovations faster to India. This is a crucial step toward building equitable healthcare and shaping treatments that are relevant for India, said Dr Sivabalan Sivanesan, Country Medical Director, Roche Pharma India. Dr Amit Sehrawat, Associate Professor, Medical Oncology and Haematology, AIIMS, Rishikesh, said, This initiative is a strong example of how publicprivate partnerships can accelerate capacity-building and strengthen Indias clinical research ecosystem. India carries a significant burden of cancer, infectious and chronic diseases, yet has historically been underrepresented in global trials. By enabling government hospitals to participate in cutting-edge research, this program ensures Indian patients are part of the evidence generation process helping make treatments safer, more effective and relevant for our population. Dr Vyunkta Raju K N, Professor, Dept of Paediatric Neurology, Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, said: The AIR Site Alliance program has been transformational. Our investigators and ethics committees are now better equipped to conduct research of global standards. This collaboration has given our institutions new opportunities to bring advanced research directly to our patients. The 10 hospitals, which are part of this initiative are: AIIMS, Rishikesh; Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi; PGIMS, Rohtak; Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital & Research Center, Muzaffarpur; Balco Medical Centre, Raipur; Government Medical College, Aurangabad; Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, Bengaluru; Dr. Bhubaneswar Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI), Guwahati; Kalyan Singh Super Speciality Cancer Institute & Hospital, Lucknow and Acharya Harihar Post Graduate Institute of Cancer, Cuttack. The project aligns closely with Indias national priorities, including the CDSCOs encouragement for greater participation of government sites in Phase 3 and 4 trials and the Pharmaceutical Research and Innovation Policy (PRIP) initiative that explicitly encouraged industry-academia partnerships to strengthen R&D capabilities, build clinical trial infrastructure and enhance Indias global competitiveness in innovative research, the company said. This initiative supports the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047 - creating a future-ready, world-class healthcare ecosystem where India emerges as a global hub for clinical research, accelerates access to breakthrough innovations, and delivers equitable health outcomes for every citizen, it added. The AIR Site Alliance is Roches flagship global initiative designed to expand access to clinical trials for underrepresented populations. Already implemented in the US, UK, Canada, and Africa, the AIR Site Alliance is now active in India, helping to close representation gaps, generate more robust scientific evidence and accelerate equitable healthcare outcomes worldwide, the company added.
Poll-bound Bihar to get several projects across sectors during PM Modis visit on September 15
NEW DELHI: Poll-bound Bihar is set to receive a host of new schemes and infrastructure development projects, including the National Makhana Board, on September 15, the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the state to lay the foundation stone for these schemes and inaugurate many of them. The National Makhana Board is being established to promote production and technological advancement, strengthen post-harvest management, encourage value addition and processing, and facilitate marketing, export, and brand development in Makhana, thereby benefiting cultivators. As Bihar officially accounts for approximately 90% of the countrys total Makhana production, the establishment of the board is expected to significantly benefit cultivators in districts such as Madhubani, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, Saharsa, Katihar, Purnea, Supaul, Kishanganj, and Araria. These areas serve as the main hubs for Makhana production due to favourable climatic conditions and fertile soil. In addition to the Makhana Board, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the Interim Terminal Building at the New Civil Enclave of Purnea Airport, aimed at enhancing passenger handling capacity in the region. Purnea is one of the key cities in Bihars Seemanchal area. He will also lay the foundation stone and inaugurate multiple development projects worth approximately Rs 36,000 crore in Purnea, including the foundation stone for a 3x800 MW thermal power project at Pirpainti in Bhagalpur. According to an official statement from the PMO, this will be Bihars largest private sector investment, valued at Rs 25,000 crore. The project, designed on ultra-super critical low-emission technology, will provide dedicated power and strengthen Bihars energy security. The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for Phase 1 of the Kosi-Mechi Intra-State River Link Project, worth over Rs 2,680 crore. This initiative focuses on upgrading the canal through desilting, reconstruction of damaged structures, and renovation of the settling basin, while enhancing its discharge capacity from 15,000 to 20,000 cusecs. The project aims to benefit multiple districts in northeastern Bihar through improved irrigation, flood control, and agricultural resilience. In terms of rail connectivity and infrastructure, Bihar is also set to benefit from several major initiatives. The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for the Rail Line between Bikramshila and Katareah, valued at over Rs 2,170 crore, providing a direct rail link across the River Ganga. He will also inaugurate the new Rail Line between Araria and Galgalia (Thakurganj), worth over Rs 4,410 crore. Additionally, he will flag off a train on the ArariaGalgalia section, establishing direct rail connectivity between Araria and Kishanganj districts, significantly improving accessibility across northeastern Bihar. The Prime Minister will also launch the Vande Bharat Express Train between Jogbani and Danapur, directly benefiting districts such as Araria, Purnea, Madhepura, Saharsa, Khagaria, Begusarai, Samastipur, Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, and Patna. Furthermore, he will flag off the Amrit Bharat Express Trains between Saharsa and Chheharta (Amritsar), and between Jogbani and Erode. In Purnea, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the Sex-Sorted Semen Facility, a state-of-the-art semen station under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission. Capable of producing 5 lakh sex-sorted semen doses annually, it is the first of its kind in Eastern and Northeastern India. The facility employs indigenously developed technology launched in October 2024, aligning with the vision of Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat. By enabling higher chances of female calf births, the technology is expected to help small and marginal farmers, as well as landless labourers, secure more replacement heifers, reduce economic stress, and raise incomes through improved dairy productivity. As part of his visit, Prime Minister Modi will also participate in Griha Pravesh ceremonies for 35,000 rural beneficiaries under PMAY (R) and 5,920 urban beneficiaries under PMAY (U), and will personally hand over keys to some of them. In addition, he will distribute Community Investment Funds worth around Rs 500 crore to Cluster Level Federations under the DAY-NRLM scheme, handing over cheques to several CLF Presidents.
Siblings Show Bihar Women Mushroom Dreams, Dupe Them Of Rs 2 Crore
A case has been registered in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district against a company for allegedly siphoning off nearly Rs 1.9 crore from loans sanctioned in the names of 100 rural women enrolled in the government's livelihood programme.
PATNA: The Special Vigilance Unit (SVU), anti-corruption wing of the Bihar police, on Thursday conducted simultaneous searches at the office and residential premises of a senior official of the state education department, Virendra Narayan in Patna, Muzaffarpur and Purnea districts in connection with a disproportionate assets case. Virendra Narayan is currently posted as the regional deputy director of education (RDDE), Tirhut in Muzaffarpur. Before being elevated to the post of RDDE, he was posted as the district education officer (DEO) of Vaishali district. The RDDE has been accused of accumulating disproportionate assets worth Rs 3.75 crore. Officials engaged in the search operation said that Rs 4 lakh in cash and documents related to huge investments have been recovered from his house at Jaganpura in Patna. A huge cash has also been recovered from his rented accommodation in Muzaffarpur. Narayan owned a palatial house in Purnea, which is estimated to be worth Rs 5 crore. A search warrant was obtained from the competent court against RDDE in question on Wednesday, Chandra Bhushan Kumar, DSP, SVU, said. Kumar said that Virendra Narayan was under the scanner of the probe agency when departmental proceedings were initiated against him during his stint as DEO of Vaishali district. The then district magistrate of Vaishali, Yash Pal Meena, had disciplinary action against him for his involvement in financial irregularities. Virendra Narayan was appointed as DEO, Vaishali, on July 10, 2022. He remained on the post till July 4, 2024. Officials confirmed that documents, laptops, and other electronic devices were seized during the operation. The members of the raiding teams were going through the financial papers, with entry to the raided premises strictly barred. Complaints against Narayan had been coming to SVU for some time, a senior SVU official said, adding that the complete valuation of seized assets will be made public once the documentation process is finished.
20,000 RSS volunteers working at grassroots in Bihar to boost NDA's chances in assembly polls
NEW DELHI: With Bihar set for a keenly fought battle at the polls following the Opposition's launch of the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra', the RSS the ideological mentor of the BJP has reportedly intensified its groundwork in the state to smoothen the pitch for the BJP-led NDA. Over 20,000 RSS volunteers are discreetly advancing the organisations mission at the grassroots level by promoting the Sanghs nationalist ideology and highlighting how the government's actions are aligned with the Sanghs vision of the national interest. With Bihar poised for a high-stakes triangular contest in a majority of assembly constituencies after the entry of political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor's newly formed Jan Suraj Party, the role of the Sangh on the ground has become more crucial. In an emerging situation where the Opposition-led by the RJD with the Congress has started creating a fake narrative on SIR and other issues against the government, our duty as citizens is also to dispel these narratives on the ground. The Sangh is dedicated to the nation and the people as the world's largest social organisation, remarked a Sangh volunteer, neither denying the presence of Sangh volunteers on the ground nor admitting it on record. Although the Sangh does not directly engage in political campaigning, its volunteers, who are called Swayamsevaks, continue to actively promote its nationalist and Hindutva ideologies to help create a favourable ground for the saffron party in the electoral arena. As part of its nationwide strategy to mark its centenary celebrations beginning this Vijayadashami which falls on October 2 this year the Sangh is planning outreach efforts across the country, including in the remote areas of Bihar. A series of public interactions have been planned to deepen the Sanghs connection with the masses. Topics such as the success of Operation Sindoor, the SIR whether it is needed in the country or not and other issues designed to bring about social change in the broader interest of the public, will be actively addressed during the centenary year. Sources indicated that Sangh volunteers are already active on the ground in many districts across Bihar, including Siwan, Buxar, Ara, Patna, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Bhagalpur, Kishanganj, Purnia, Sitamarhi, Darbhanga, Begusarai, Rohtas, West Champaran, Vaishali, and others. With the aim of educating and making people aware of national issues and interests, the Sanghs volunteers are reportedly well ahead in their ground-level work in the run-up to the assembly elections. The RSS has also deployed volunteers from other states including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and others to assist in groundwork ahead of its centenary functions, which coincide with the Bihar assembly elections scheduled for November this year. Even in Bihars Seemanchal region, which has a significant Muslim population, the Sangh has an organised presence, with volunteers working in a disciplined manner to inspire people towards nationalist ideologies. The entire state of Bihar has been divided into four zones, each managed by experienced Sangh volunteers working in coordination with volunteers from other RSS-inspired social organisations. The Sanghs volunteers, affiliated with several RSS-inspired organisations such as the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), Sanskar Bharti, Swadeshi Jagran Manch, and the Rashtriya Shaikshanik Mahasangh are also on the ground ahead of the elections, in the same coordinated manner they had adopted in Haryana and Maharashtra prior to the assembly polls there. A senior source closely associated with the Sangh said the centenary-related activities in Bihar have already commenced, but they are expected to gain momentum after 22 September the conclusion of the inauspicious Pitra-Paksha period, which begins on September 7. Numerous Hindu Sammelans are scheduled to be held in Bihars interior regions as part of the centenary events, coinciding with the growing election fervour in the state.
NDA protests abuse against PM, RJD calls it a flop show
PATNA: The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Thursday staged protests across Bihar against the use of abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his mother during the Oppositions Voter Adhikar Yatra, even as RJD chief Lalu Prasad launched a counter, asking the PM whether he ordered BJP members to insult women during the agitation. While the BJP and its allies claimed that the bandh was successful, RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said it was a flop and accused BJP workers of indulging in hooliganism. RJD, as well as Congress, posted several videos showing how bandh protagonists allegedly physically assaulted common people during the agitation. The protests are in response to a man identified as Rizvi alias Raja allegedly hurling abuses at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his mother, the late Heeraben, from the stage in Darbhanga during Congress leader Rahul Gandhi`s Yatra. During the five-hour shutdown, essential services, including emergency facilities and rail operations, remained unaffected. The BJP Mahila Morcha led the protest. Senior BJP leaders, including Bihar BJP president Dilip Jaiswal, MPs Ravi Shankar Prasad and Dharmshila Gupta, along with state ministers and MLAs, staged sit-ins. Similar protests were organised in districts such as Nawada, Muzaffarpur, Katihar, and Darbhanga. However, RJD chief Lalu Prasad questioned the PM, saying, Did Prime Minister Modi order BJP members to insult the mothers, sisters, and daughters of Bihar and Biharis today? Should Gujaratis take Biharis so lightly? This is Bihar. Are BJP goons and ruffians abusing respected teachers, women walking on the streets, students, pregnant women, the elderly, and journalists, engaging in physical altercations and mistreating them? Is this appropriate? Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor claimed that the bandh did not garner peoples support and stated that they would be rid of both Lalu (RJD) and Nitish (JD(U)) after the assembly elections.
Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav joins 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Bihar
SARAN: Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday joined the Congress' 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Bihar's Saran district. In a post on X, senior Congress leader K C Venugopal said Yadav is a steadfast ally in the party's fight against the BJP's alleged attempt to destroy the country's democracy. This morning, former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav Jee joined the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Saran. Welcomed him to this historic movement to protect democracy. He has been a steadfast ally in our fight against the BJP's destruction of our democracy, and a strong voice for the poor and underprivileged in UP and across the country, Venugopal said on the social media platform. , ! pic.twitter.com/cgi7XV8o7c K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) August 30, 2025 He also shared photographs of Yadav meeting Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. Rohini Acharya, the daughter of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, was also present there. Acharya had contested from Saran in the Lok Sabha polls last year, and failed to win the seat. Gandhi launched the Congress' 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' from Sasaram in Rohtas district on August 17 to protest against the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. The yatra, supported by all INDIA bloc constituents, will culminate in Patna on September 1. The yatra has so far covered Gayaji, Nawada, Sheikhpura, Lakhisarai, Munger, Katihar, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur, Purnea, West Champaran, Gopalganj, East Champaran, and Siwan districts. It will pass through Bhojpur and Patna. 'PM Modi is scared,' claims Rahul Gandhi during Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar
Modi's teaspoon outweighs Rahul Gandhi's silver spoon: UP Deputy CM
LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya slammed the Gandhi family on Friday, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi's teaspoon outweighs their silver spoon. Maurya's remarks came in response to a viral video, in which some people were allegedly seen making offensive remarks against the Prime Minister's mother during Rahul Gandhi's Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar. In a post in Hindi on microblogging site X, Maurya said, The successful Prime Minister Narendra Modi believes in drawing a bigger line instead of erasing the small line. This is what irritates Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra and Rahul Gandhi. In the same post, he said, That is why this trio, full of hatred, disgust and arrogance, mocks Modi by calling him the 'merchant of death', 'lowly' and 'vote thief'. In fact, by saying so, they mock the public. Maurya, a prominent backward class leader and former state BJP president, said, The Gandhi family has no idea that people have elected Modi , who belongs to the country's largest backward class -- as the Prime Minister of this country thrice after seeing his hard work. He continued, He (Modi) was not born with a silver spoon like Rahul Gandhi. But his teaspoon outweighs Rahul's silver spoon. That is why this trio has given a contract of abusing Modi to their extremely small entourage. The BJP had on Thursday held Rahul Gandhi responsible for the alleged abusive language against Modi's mother during the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar, and said people of the state will give a befitting reply to the Congress for its politics of abuses. The viral video clip is reportedly from Darbhanga district, from where Rahul Gandhi, his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav kickstarted the yatra and set off to Muzaffarpur on a motorcycle. 'PM Modi is scared,' claims Rahul Gandhi during Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar
Bihar CM Nitish condemns 'abuses' hurled at PM Modi during 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Darbhanga
PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday condemned the alleged abuses hurled at Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Rahul Gandhi's 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in the state. The use of indecent language against PM Narendra Modi Ji and his late mother from the Congress and RJD platforms during the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Darbhanga is extremely unbecoming, and I condemn it, wrote the CM in a post on X on Friday. The BJP on Thursday asserted the Congress-led INDIA bloc will be punished by the people in the upcoming assembly polls, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah termed the incident as a stain on the country's democracy. Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) August 29, 2025 'PM Modi is scared,' claims Rahul Gandhi during Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar Shah, BJP president J P Nadda and party spokesperson Sambit Patra flayed Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, a day after a purported video showed an unidentified person using a Hindi expletive against Modi from a dais raised during the yatra in Darbhanga town, from where Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Vadra and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav had left for Muzaffarpur on motorcycles on Wednesday. PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the video. A delegation of Bihar BJP also lodged a complaint at the Kotwali police station in Patna on Thursday in connection with the incident. Meanwhile, protest demonstrations were also staged in Darbhanga as well in Patna on Thursday, even as the state women's commission shot off a letter to the administration, seeking suo motu action against the culprits. Voter Adhikar Yatra aims to fight for peoples rights, says Priyanka Gandhi Effigies of Gandhi and Yadav were burnt by BJP workers in Darbhanga, who joined a procession organised by two-term local MP Gopaljee Thakur. A Congress leader in Darbhanga, who admitted that the viral video was of a podium that he had erected on the outskirts of the north Bihar town, offered an apology, but maintained that the expletives had been hurled in his absence. The video appears to have been shot after I left the spot, following Rahul Gandhi, who passed through. I have not yet watched the clip.Still, I offer my apologies if anything of the sort has happened, said Mohd Naushad, who is a worker of the Youth Congress and is said to be eyeing the party ticket from the Jale assembly seat. Thakur also submitted a memorandum to District Magistrate Kaushal Kumar, seeking the arrest of Naushad and his associates.
BJP slams Rahul Gandhis Bihar yatra over alleged abuses against PM Modis mother
NEW DELHI/PATNA: The BJP on Thursday alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi-led 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Bihar had crossed all limits of insult, hate and tastelessness, claiming that abuses were directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother during the campaign. The party, on its official X handle, refrained from posting the video of the incident, but clips shared online by a few accounts showed some unidentified people using a Hindi abuse for Modi from a dais during the Yatra. The video, which has gone viral, is purportedly of Darbhanga district from where the Yatra had taken off on Wednesday morning, when Gandhi, his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Vadra and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav left for Muzaffarpur on motorcycles. PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of the video. Several podiums had been erected along the route for local party workers who tried to mobilise public sentiments in favour of the INDIA bloc ahead of assembly elections due later this year. The BJP said, Tejashwi (Yadav) and Rahul are behind the use of such filthy language that it cannot be repeated from a public platform... Such lowliness was never seen before in politics. This Yatra has crossed all limits of insult, hate and tastelessness. They have used a very vulgar language against the prime minister's late mother, it said. The ruling party claimed that the choice of such abusive words for his mother shows the state of the opposition's desperation, as Gandhi and Yadav had earlier invited leaders like M K Stalin and Revanth Reddy, chief ministers of Tamil Nadu and Telangana, respectively, who are accused of insulting people of Bihar. People of Bihar will not forgive Gandhi and Yadav, the main campaigners for the RJD, for such a mistake, even if they apologise a thousand times, the BJP said, calling the incident extremely shameful. BJP's Darbhanga district chief Aditya Narayan Jha 'Manna' said, We are not going to take this insult lying down. We have burnt effigies of Rahul and Tejashwi and are going to lodge a police complaint, seeking a probe and action against those involved in hurling expletives. A senior Congress leader requesting anonymity said, We cannot say who the people are whose voice is there in the video. Workers of at least half-a-dozen parties are taking part in the yatra. The INDIA bloc, which is known in Bihar as Mahagathbandhan or grand alliance, includes three Left parties and former state minister Mukesh Sahni's Vikassheel Insan Party.
Rahul Gandhi mocks Modi over Trumps claim
Darbhanga/Muzaffarpur/Sitamarhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday sought to berate Prime Minister Narendra Modi over US President Donald Trumps claim that India had agreed to halt military conflict with Pakistan within five hours of an ultimatum from America. The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, whose fortnight-long Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar has three Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
DARBHANGA/ MUZAFFARPUR/ SITAMARHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday sought to berate Prime Minister Narendra Modi over US President Donald Trump's claim that India had agreed to halt military conflict with Pakistan within five hours of an ultimatum from America. The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, whose fortnight-long 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Bihar has three more days to go, covered north Bihar districts of Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur and Sitamarhi, all strongholds of the BJP-led NDA. Addressing a rally in Sitamarhi's Runni Saidpur late in the evening, before calling it a day, Gandhi said, What type of Prime Minister do we have? He brags of having a 56-inch chest. But US President Donald Trump says that while Operation Sindoor was on, he called up Modi and told him to stop the military conflict within 24 hours. And Modi, like a deflated tyre (hawa nikal gayi), obeyed the command within five hours. The former Congress president alleged that it only proves Modi is a coward. His (Modi's) image is a product of his friends with deep pockets. He also receives some help from the media, which spends 10 days telecasting the wedding of a wealthy man's son, but cannot spare 15 minutes for our Yatra in which lakhs of people are turning up daily, Gandhi said. The Congress leader claimed that when he challenged Modi in Parliament recently to call the bluff of Trump, he could not muster the courage to utter a word. I have met him a number of times. He seems hollow. A far cry from real heroes like Mahatma Gandhi who never boasted of a 56-inch chest, the Congress leader said. Just imagine the pressure Mahatma Gandhi must have faced from the British Empire which was then a superpower. They placed him in jails, kept him in solitary confinement. But he stuck to his principles, he said. The Congress leader also alleged that the 'Gujarat model' which had helped the rise of Modi, its then chief minister, on the national stage, was all about vote chori (theft of votes). It is the model (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah must have had in his mind when he had predicted that the BJP would rule the country for 30-40 years. Politicians like us know it well that public mood is fickle and we cannot be sure of what is going to happen tomorrow, claimed Gandhi. He said the Congress had begun to suspect something was amiss when it lost the assembly polls in Maharashtra, just a month after the Lok Sabha elections in which the alliance, of which the party was a part, had swept the western state. We polled as many votes in the Maharashtra assembly polls as we had in the Lok Sabha elections. But the BJP-led coalition saw a steep rise in its vote tally, which was commensurate with the number of new voters added to the electoral rolls within a span of a few months. Our request for access to CCTV footage of the elections was turned down by the Election Commission, said Gandhi. Voter Adhikar Yatra aims to fight for peoples rights, says Priyanka Gandhi The EC seems to be gratified that the Modi government had passed a law in Parliament a few years ago providing legal immunity to Election Commissioners, he said adding: Nonetheless, we persisted and managed to sift through a huge pile of documents to point out anomalies in the electoral roll for a Bangalore seat that we had lost. In about six months from now, we will come out with many such disclosures which would establish that vote chori has been on in most places across the country. Even in the Lok Sabha polls, there were manipulations in 70-80 seats, said Gandhi, referring to last year's general elections which saw the BJP falling short of a majority and forming the government with the help of allies like JD(U) and TDP. Gandhi, who has been accompanied by alliance partners Tejashwi Yadav (RJD) and Dipankar Bhattacharya (CPI ML Liberation) all through the Yatra, began the day with a motorcycle rally which saw his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Vadra pillion riding the bike he drove. Vadra, who left in the afternoon, had been with the Yatra since Tuesday when she also addressed a public meeting in Madhubani. In Muzaffarpur, the leaders were joined by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin, who told a rally that the deletion of 65 lakh voters' names from the draft electoral rolls in Bihar, as part of special intensive revision, was worse than terrorism. The rally also served as an ice-breaker as young Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar was seen shaking hands with Tejashwi Yadav. The perceived rivalry between the two leaders has been a matter of much speculation in a section of the media. The BJP sought to fish in the INDIA bloc's troubled waters by raking up controversial statements made by Stalin and his cabinet colleagues against the people of Bihar. A number of video clips were shared by former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai on social media. In addition, BJP workers in Patna burnt an effigy of Stalin and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who had joined the Yatra a day ago and has been similarly accused of having belittled Bihar. Deletion of voters' names in Bihar worse than terrorism, says Tamil Nadu CM Stalin
People to defeat BJP's bid to snatch away votes: MK Stalin during Opposition yatra in Bihar
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin addressed an Opposition rally in Muzaffarpur. He urged the people of Bihar to resist the BJP's alleged manipulation of electoral rolls. Stalin criticized the Election Commission's neutrality. He highlighted the alliance between Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav. Stalin praised Lalu Prasad's commitment to secularism. He expressed solidarity with the people of Bihar.
Voter Adhikar Yatra aims to fight for peoples rights, says Priyanka Gandhi
PATNA: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday said the Voter Adhikar Yatra, launched by her brother and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is a movement to fight for the peoples democratic rights. Addressing a public gathering in Muzaffarpur, Priyanka expressed satisfaction over the publics overwhelming response to the 16-day, 3,000-km Yatra, which commenced from Sasaram in Rohtas district on 17 August. The people have clearly understood our message, about vote theft and the systematic denial of their right to vote. In this sense, the Yatra has been very successful, she said. Rahul Gandhi, in his address, launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that the practice of vote theft originated in Gujarat and was later implemented nationwide. The Gujarat model is not based on economics, but on electoral manipulation, he remarked, accusing the BJP of replicating this model across the country. Rahul Gandhi's voter yatra reaches crescendo as Priyanka joins The Congress leader further alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been winning elections by stealing votes with the help of the Election Commission. In the 2019 General Elections, Modi confidently claimed his party would win 300 seats, even as opinion polls suggested otherwise. Remarkably, the BJP secured around 300 seats, a result that raises serious questions, he said. Rahul also pointed to Maharashtra and Haryana, where election outcomes were allegedly inconsistent with pre-poll trends. In Maharashtra alone, around one crore new voters were added within just four months, and they all voted for the BJP and its allies. How is that possible? he questioned. Reiterating his accusations, Rahul claimed that Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were manipulating elections in collusion with the Election Commission of India. Thats why the BJP government quietly passed a law in 2023 granting legal immunity to Election Commissioners. If everything is above board, why the need for such protection? he asked. Priyanka Gandhi to join 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Bihar on August 26 Citing the example of Mahadevapura assembly seat, he alleged that vote theft was not limited to Bengaluru Central but occurred in 7080 constituencies across the country during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He said the Congress was actively investigating similar cases of electoral fraud nationwide. Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin joined the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Darbhanga. Travelling in an open vehicle alongside Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, and other INDIA bloc leaders, Stalin received an enthusiastic reception from crowds along the route. Addressing a public meeting, Stalin said the Yatra had become a beacon of hope for those whose names had been unfairly deleted from the voter list. He pledged to return to Bihar to join the victory march once the INDIA bloc forms a government after the assembly elections. Welcoming Stalins participation, INDIA bloc leaders said his presence added strength and momentum to the Yatra in Bihar. Rahul Gandhi reiterated the urgent need for jobs, progress, and clean elections, asserting that ending voter fraud was the first step towards meaningful development. He reminded the audience that Bihar has always been a land of revolution from the Champaran movement against British rule to todays battle against electoral manipulation. This movement will spread from Bihar across the entire country, he declared. On the eleventh day of the Yatra, thousands joined in Darbhanga. Rahul and Priyanka were seen riding a motorcycle, with Priyanka as pillion, while other INDIA bloc leaders also travelled on motorbikes, drawing enthusiastic crowds. Rahul later expressed deep gratitude for the warmth and support he received. Wherever I go in Bihar, I feel at home, he said, adding that the Yatra had achieved its goal, as now, even young children were chanting, vote chor, gaddi chhor (vote thief, leave the throne).
PM Ended Military Conflict With Pak Within 5 Hrs Of Getting Trumps Instruction, Claims Rahul Gandhi
Muzaffarpur, Aug 27: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to call off the military conflict with Pakistan in May within five hours of being asked to do so by US President Donald Trump. The leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha was addressing a rally in Bihars Muzaffarpur district, where he was joined by INDIA bloc partners M K Stalin of the DMK and Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD, among others, as [] The post PM Ended Military Conflict With Pak Within 5 Hrs Of Getting Trumps Instruction, Claims Rahul Gandhi appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
'Trump gave Modi 24 hours to stop fight with Pakistan, he obeyed in 5,' says Rahul Gandhi
MUZAFFARPUR: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to call off the military conflict with Pakistan in May within five hours of being asked to do so by US President Donald Trump. The leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha was addressing a rally in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, where he was joined by INDIA bloc partners M K Stalin of the DMK and Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD, among others, as part of the state-wide Voter Adhikar Yatra. You know what Trump has said today? He has said that at the height of tensions with Pakistan, he called up Modi and peremptorily told him to stop the fight within 24 hours. And Modi obeyed promptly. He was given 24 hours, but he did as directed by Trump in five hours, alleged the former Congress president. The allusion was to a video of Trump in which he can be seen addressing a cabinet meeting at the White House. The US President has been insisting that the standoff between India and Pakistan, both nuclear powers, was brought to a halt upon his intervention, a claim that has been rejected by the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. The centre government asserted that India and Pakistan halted their military actions in May following direct talks between their militaries without any mediation by the US. Gandhi trained his guns at the media, saying he media will not show you what Trump has said since it cares only for Modi and his friendly business tycoons and not people like me, Stalin or Tejashwi. |The Congress leader, whose fortnight-long yatra against special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar has three more days to go, vowed, I have come out with lots of evidence to suggest that votes have been stolen for the benefit of the BJP. In the days to come, I will come up with more evidence. He also said the Gujarat model, which was touted by Modi when he was the chief minister of the western state, was all about 'vote chori'. The BJP started stealing people's votes from there. The BJP, Modi and Shah win polls by stealing votes with the help of the EC. The Rae Bareli MP also voiced strong disapproval of the deletion of names of 65 lakh people, declared as dead, shifted or absent from draft electoral rolls in Bihar. Thousands of people in Bihar have complained to us that their names have been wrongly deleted. So much so that many living people have been shown as dead (in draft rolls), Gandhi claimed. He alleged, The EC is deleting names of not the rich but Dalits, OBCs, extremely backward classes and the minorities. It is doing so because the BJP, which rules the Centre, does not want the voice of the common people to be heard.
Deletion of voters' names in Bihar worse than terrorism, says Tamil Nadu CM Stalin
MUZAFFARPUR: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday asserted that the INDIA bloc will win the Bihar assembly polls if the elections were free and fair, and described deletion of voters' names from electoral rolls as worse than terrorism. The DMK president flew down to the eastern state, along with sister and party MP Kanimozhi, where they joined Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, RJD's Tejashwi Yadav and CPI (ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya for the ongoing 'Voter Adhikar Yatra'. Addressing a rally in Muzaffarpur, the largest town in north Bihar, Stalin delivered his speech in Tamil, which evoked applause from the crowds as it was translated into Hindi. For the past one month, the entire nation has been looking keenly at Bihar...the Election Commission has become a remote-controlled puppet, alleged Stalin, who was impressed with the response to the yatra taken out in protest against the special intensive revision of electoral rolls. Is the deletion of names of 65 lakh people (from the draft electoral rolls) not worse than terrorism? the Tamil Nadu CM asked. Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin joins 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Bihar's Muzaffarpur When Rahul Gandhi raised doubts over the fairness of elections held in the past, he was challenged by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to furnish an affidavit, Stalin said. But you cannot scare Rahul Gandhi, the DMK chief said, lauding his alliance partner. I have seen Rahul's camaraderie with Tejashwi, who ride motorcycles together. This friendship is deeper than a run-of-the-mill political partnership. And I am sure that if the elections are free and fair, the BJP-led NDA will be defeated, he asserted. I promise you that after the INDIA bloc wins the assembly polls, I will be back to attend the swearing-in ceremony, Stalin said. Bihar is the land where the foundation of this nationwide coalition (INDIA bloc) was laid, and this alliance succeeded in bringing down the tally of the BJP to 240, which was boasting of winning more than 400 seats in the Lok Sabha polls last year, he said. The Tamil Nadu CM began his speech by recalling the close friendship between his late father K Karunanidhi and RJD president Lalu Prasad, the father of Tejashwi Yadav, whom he hailed for irelessly championing social justice and never getting cowed down by the BJP. Touchdown #Bihar . The land of respected @laluprasadrjd greets me with fire in its eyes, the soil heavy with every stolen vote. Joined my brothers @RahulGandhi , @yadavtejashwi and sister @priyankagandhi as the #VoteAdhikarYatra turns people's pain into unstoppable strength. pic.twitter.com/3aQFje8QV5 M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) August 27, 2025 The DMK president's reverence for Prasad was also evident in a post on his X handle, immediately after he landed in Bihar. Touchdown #Bihar. The land of respected @laluprasadrjd greets me with fire in its eyes, the soil heavy with every stolen vote. Joined my brothers @RahulGandhi, @yadavtejashwi and sister @priyankagandhi as the #voteadhikaryatra turns people's pain into unstoppable strength, he wrote. Gandhi shared a selfie he took with Stalin and other prominent leaders and wrote, Welcome to Bihar and the #VoterAdhikarYatra my brother Thiru @mkstalin. Your presence here strengthens our fight against Vote Chori in Bihar and the entire country. Back in Tamil Nadu, where the DMK's main rival AIADMK is a BJP ally, the saffron party sought to highlight the troubled equations of the chief minister's party with migrants from Bihar. Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai shared a few video clips in which supposedly derogatory remarks were made about Biharis and north Indians by Stalin and his cabinet colleagues. In a sarcastic note, Annamalai wrote that he hoped Stalin proudly repeats... every one of those insults in front of the very people he and his party members mocked.
BJP made elections mockery, people will remove it from power as it has stolen votes: MK Stalin
M K Stalin criticized the BJP in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. He alleged the party is manipulating elections. Stalin claimed the deletion of voters is dangerous. He joined Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav to protect democracy. Stalin believes the NDA will lose the upcoming Bihar polls. He accused the BJP of controlling the Election Commission.
Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin joins Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar
Muzaffarpur: Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin and DMK MP Kanimozhi on Wednesday, August 27, joined the Congress Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihars Muzaffarpur district. Soon after joining, Stalin in a post on X wrote, Touchdown Biharthe land of respected Lalu Prasad Ji greets me with fire in its eyes, the soil heavy with Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
LIVE | Rahul Gandhi Voter Adhikar Yatra from Darbhanga to Muzaffarpur
Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin joins 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Bihar's Muzaffarpur
MUZAFFARPUR: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and DMK MP Kanimozhi on Wednesday joined the Congress' 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district. Soon after joining 'Voter Adhikar Yatra', Stalin in a post on X wrote, Touchdown Bihar. The land of respected Lalu Prasad Ji greets me with fire in its eyes, the soil heavy with every stolen vote. Joined by my brothers Rahul Gandhi Jee, Tejashwi Yadav and sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' turns people's pain into unstoppable strength. Touchdown #Bihar . The land of respected @laluprasadrjd greets me with fire in its eyes, the soil heavy with every stolen vote. Joined my brothers @RahulGandhi , @yadavtejashwi and sister @priyankagandhi as the #VoteAdhikarYatra turns people's pain into unstoppable strength. pic.twitter.com/3aQFje8QV5 M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) August 27, 2025 Earlier in the day, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav rode motorcycles as they made their way through the streets of Muzaffarpur district during the ongoing 'Voter Adhikar Yatra'. Senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was seen riding pillion on her brother's motorcycle. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, and Yadav rode the motorcycles as the yatra entered Muzaffarpur from Darbhanga district, with people lining the streets to welcome them. The 1,300-km yatra was launched on August 17 from Sasaram and will conclude with a rally in Patna on September 1.
LG addresses convocation of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University
Excelsior Correspondent Srinagar, Aug 25: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha addressed the Convocation of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University, Muzaffarpur, Bihar. Arif Mohammed Khan, Governor of Bihar presided over the Convocation Ceremony. In his address, the Lieutenant Governor congratulated the management of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University, faculty members, staff and graduating students and extended his best wishes. He called upon the youth to cultivate two key qualities -positive mindset for change and courage for greater achievement and growth. He said [] The post LG addresses convocation of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
PM Modi Launches 6,880 Cr Projects in Bihar
The PM also inaugurated the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre at Muzaffarpur.
Wanted inter-state criminal killed in police encounter in Bihar, constable injured
PATNA: An interstate criminal carrying a bounty of Rs.50,000 on his head was killed in a fierce encounter with police in Bihars Vaishali district on Friday. Arvind Sahni, 30, had escaped from a court lockup after evading police in Samastipur district on May 28 this year and had been on the run since. According to police, he was involved in at least 22 cases of murder, loot, dacoity, and arms deals across Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Samastipur, and East Champaran districts. A police constable was injured during the exchange of fire. Based on a tip-off, a joint team of the Special Task Force (STF) and district police surrounded Chintamanipur village under Vaishali police station limits on Thursday evening to search for Sahni. On seeing the police, Sahni and his accomplices opened fire. Sahni sustained gunshot injuries, while his accomplices managed to escape. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead. Superintendent of Police, Vaishali, Lalit Mohan Sharma, said, While Sahni was killed, a police constable sustained injuries in the exchange of fire. The deceased, a member of an inter-state gang, was wanted in at least 22 cases in several districts in the state. Sahnis name had also figured in a major jewellery loot case in Chhattisgarh. Sahni, a resident of Sahtha Bhagwanpur village in Vaishali district, was also involved in the 2019 gold loot from the Hajipur office of a private finance company. SP Sharma added, We have launched intensive search for other members of the gang. The operation will continue till their arrest. Sahnis elimination in the police operation has come as a major relief for businessmen in Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, and Samastipur, who had been targeted by his gang. Police said the gang had unleashed a reign of terror in these districts, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining accomplices.
Chiraj Paswan's MP, JD-U MLC have 2 voter IDs: Tejashwi
The RJD leader on Wednesday had accused senior BJP leader and Muzaffarpur Mayor, Nirmala Devi and her two relatives of having dual voter ID cards.
Tejashwi, Bihar Deputy CM lock horns over twin EPIC cards
PATNA: Verbal exchanges between Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Sinha and RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav have heated the ongoing political row over double EPIC cards in the state. On Wednesday, Sinha displayed his matriculation and higher education degrees to prove he was 57 and counter Yadavs allegations about age discrepancies. Yadav had earlier alleged that Sinha was registered as a voter in both Lakhisarai and Patna districts and claimed inconsistencies in the deputy CMs age records. He also alleged that Sinhas age was listed as 57 in one constituency and 60 in another, calling it an age scam. Sinha contended that he had already deleted his name from the Patna voters list. Referring to Tejashwi Yadav as the Yuvraj of Jungle Raj, he asked him to present his degrees and explain how Tejashwi Yadav became 26 and his brother Tej Pratap 25 in 2015? Tejashwi Yadav also alleged that Nirmala Devi (Sahu), a prominent BJP leader and mayor of Muzaffarpur, possessed two EPIC IDs and she, along with her brothers-in-law, had votes at two different booths. The Election Commission has issued notices to them in this connection. EC 'colluding' with BJP to 'steal' votes in Bihar, alleges RJD's Tejashwi
After finding CBI, ED ineffective against opponents, BJP now using EC to fix Bihar polls: Tejashwi
PATNA: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday charged the Election Commission with trying to fix upcoming Bihar assembly polls in favour of the ruling BJP at the Centre which, he claimed, found the CBI, ED and Income Tax department ineffective against the saffron party's political opponents. Yadav went hammer and tongs at the EC at a press conference here, alleging that the poll panel is providing more than one voter ID card to many BJP voters. The leader of the opposition said the option of boycotting the assembly elections, due later this year, is open in view of the poll panel being allegedly hell bent upon treachery. The EC is unabashedly trying to fix the assembly polls in favour of the BJP. The constitutional body seems to have replaced agencies like CBI, ED and Income Tax department, which have proven to be ineffective in the game of cornering those opposed to the party that rules the Centre, Yadav alleged. INDIA bloc leaders have been alleging that the BJP-led central government uses agencies such as CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) to intimidate opposition functionaries. He claimed that as part of the game, the EC is providing more than one voter ID card to many BJP voters. Last year, I had exposed the case of Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha. Today, I wish to bring to light the instance of Muzaffarpur Mayor Nirmala Devi, who may well be the BJP candidate in the upcoming polls. Both she and her husbands younger brother, in addition to another relative, have two voter ID cards each, Yadav said. They must have also filled up as many enumeration forms, and officials involved in the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls chose to look the other way, he alleged. Shortly afterwards, the district administration of Muzaffarpur served a notice to Nirmala Devi and her two relatives for allegedly possessing two voter ID cards, and asked them to reply to it by August 16. Sinha, who claims to have applied last year to delete his name from the voters list in one of the two places, had been served with a notice last week. Tejashwi Yadav should first come clean on the two EPIC cards that he possesses. He is levelling baseless charges against me. I am mooting legal action, the BJP leader said. At the press conference, Yadav expressed bewilderment over the EC never talking to the press despite so much controversy. Democracy seems to be seriously imperilled in this country. The Prime Minister never talks to the press, nor does the chief minister of Bihar. Now, the Election Commission seems to be following their example, he said. The EC only comes up with inane press statements and falsely claims that no political party has filed any objection, even though the RJD's booth-level agents have been doing so in every assembly segment, Yadav asserted. Yesterday, the ECs counsel was screaming before the Supreme Court - you should cooperate with us! You should cooperate with us! This begs the question, are you even talking to us? said the RJD leader, whose party colleague Manoj Kumar Jha happens to be one of the petitioners who have challenged the SIR in the state. The former Deputy CM said, The Election Commission stands exposed before the top court where several persons turned up, after having been declared as dead in the SIR, leading to deletion of their names in the draft electoral rolls. The RJD leader, who is the INDIA blocs de facto chief ministerial candidate, alleged that this is not the first time that votes were stolen by the EC. The game was played in the 2020 assembly polls as well. Our vote tally for all 243 assembly segments was just about 12,000 less than that of the NDA, and this left us short of a majority by a dozen seats, he said. Replying to a query, the RJD leader said he would be joining Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for the 'Matdata Adhikar (voters right) yatra' beginning in Rohtas district on August 17. As stated earlier, we shall also be keeping the option open to boycott the polls if the EC remains hell-bent upon treachery, Yadav said. Yadav also took exception to Bhikhubhai Dalsania, the BJPs state general secretary (organisation), getting registered as a voter in Bihar despite hailing from Gujarat. The RJD leader was lambasted by Nityanand Rai, a former state BJP president who is now the Union Minister of State for Home. The stupidity of Tejashwi Yadav makes me laugh. He seems to be rattled by the fact that the Supreme Court has upheld the validity of SIR, throwing his objections out of the window, Rai said. As far as Bhikhubhai Dalsania is concerned, he is an RSS pracharak who has devoted his life to serving the nation, he said. A dynast like Tejashwi Yadav can never appreciate the likes of Bhikhubhai, who did not care to set up their own family. The RJD and its allies are worried that fake electors, who were patronised by them as part of vote bank politics, are all set for ouster, claimed Rai.
Row Over Bihar Mayor's Twin Voter ID Cards, Poll Body Sends Notice
The Mayor of Muzaffarpur have been asked to explain two voter ID cards that she allegedly has, sources have said.
EC 'colluding' with BJP to 'steal' votes in Bihar, alleges RJD's Tejashwi Yadav
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has accused the Election Commission of colluding with the BJP to steal votes in the upcoming Bihar assembly polls. He alleged that the EC is helping BJP leaders obtain multiple voter ID cards, citing the example of Muzaffarpur Mayor Nirmala Devi, who allegedly possesses two voter IDs. Yadav questioned the anomaly and demanded accountability.
Dispose all pending cases against MPs, MLAs: Bihar DGP instructs subordinates ahead of polls
PATNA: Bihar lawmakers with criminal antecedents have a tough time ahead as Director General of Police (DGP) Vinay Kumar has directed all Superintendents of Police (SPs) to ensure timely investigation into the cases against MPs/MLAs and submission of chargesheets. Kumar has also asked SPs to initiate departmental proceedings against investigating officers who have been found lax in investigation of such cases. Delay in investigation lead to piling of pending cases, he said, adding that special MP/MLA courts have been set up for speedy trial of such cases. DGP has directed IGs and DIGs of all ranges to monitor investigation into such cases on a regular basis and send details of disposal of cases from districts under their jurisdiction to the police headquarters. Lapses on the part of investigating officers will not be tolerated, an ADG rank officer said. According to a report of Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), about 45 per cent of MLAs in Bihar have criminal records or criminal cases registered against them. Some of these cases were of serious nature, including murder, attempt to murder, kidnaping and crime against women. Similarly, 38 per cent MPs from the state have criminal cases pending against them. However, majority of the cases were registered against the lawmakers for defying prohibitionary orders, obstructions in government work, rioting and causing damages to nations property during protests. In addition, cases related to corruption, forgery and violation of model code of conduct during elections were pending against them in special MP/MLA courts. Reports suggested that Patna, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Bhagalpur and Purnea have the highest number of cases against MPs/MLAs. The Patna high court has also directed special MP/MLA courts across the state to expedite cases pending against lawmakers. In fact, we want such cases to be disposed of before forthcoming assembly elections in the state, a senior police officer remarked.
81 AAI-run airports suffer Rs 10,853 crore loss in 10 years; 22 now non-operational
NEW DELHI: Eighty-one airports operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) have suffered a cumulative loss of Rs 10,852.9 crore in past 10 financial years. Today, 22 of these airports have become non-operational. Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol presented the data in the Rajya Sabha on August 4 while replying to a query posed by Congress MP Jebi Mather Hisam. The MP wanted to know details of Indian airports operating at a loss and if there were any plans to shut those with negligible flight operations. She also wanted to know if any financial aid was being offered to underperforming airports. Data released for the years from 2015-2016 to 2024-2025 reveals the 81 airports across the country have cumulatively suffered a Rs 10,852.9-crore loss. Delhis Safdarjung airport has suffered the most, incurring a loss of Rs 673.91 crore. Agartala airport with a Rs 605.23-crore loss stands second, while Hyderabad, with Rs 564.97 crore, Dehradun with Rs 488.01 crore, and Vijayawada with Rs 483.69 crore in losses figure among the top five loss-making airport nationwide. Asked for a reason, a senior Aviation Ministry official said Safdarjung airport, though the main airport in the national capital, is now a thing of the past, as it is not actually operational for commercial flights presently. It serves to ferry VVIPS to the Indira Gandhi International Airport, he said. Among other major loss-making airports are Bhopal (Rs 480.43 crore), Aurangabad (Rs 447.83 crore), Tirupati (Rs 363.71 crore), Khajuraho (Rs 355.53 crore), Imphal (Rs 355.19 crore). Airports closed for operations The airports which have become non-operational are Donakonda, Daparizo, Jogbani, Muzaffarpur, Raxaul, Deesa, Chakulia, Dhalbhumgarh, Khandwa, Panna, Shella, Aizawl, Thanjavur, Vellore, Nadirgul, Warangal, Kailashahar, Kamalpur, Khowai, Asansol, Balurghat and Malda. Mohol also said the Regional Connectivity Scheme Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN) was launched on October 21, 2016, to boost regional air connectivity from unserved and underserved airports in the country. The scheme provides Viability Gap Funding to airlines to bridge the gap between operational costs and expected revenues. The budget allocated for the RCS-UDAN for the financial year 2025-2026 is Rs 300 crore, the minister said. This provided financial incentives and concessions to the airlines from the Central and state governments, Union territories and airport operators to lower operational costs and thus promote their operations, he added. A total of 92 unserved and underserved airports, including 15 heliports and two water aerodromes have been operationalised under the scheme, he pointed out.
I Am Alive, But My Son Killed Me': 90-Year-Old Man Knocks On DM's Door In Bihar
A Muzaffarpur man was declared dead on paper by his own son so he could sell his land. The nonagenarian has demanded cancellation of land registration, and legal action against son
Pratyaya Amrit appointed as new Chief Secretary of election-bound Bihar
PATNA: A senior IAS officer Pratyaya Amrit has been appointed new chief secretary of Bihar. The 1991-batch officer from Bihar is currently holding the post of development commissioner. Pratyaya Amrit will replace Amrit Lal Meena, who is scheduled to retire from service on August 31. He will assume charge on September 1. Pratyaya has been posted as officer on special duty (OSD) in the office of chief secretary upto superannuation of Meena. A notification with regard to appointment of Pratyaya as new chief secretary was issued by general administration department on Monday. As per notification, Meena (1989 batch IAS officer) will retire on August 31, 2025. Pratyaya, a native of Muzaffarpur in north Bihar, is currently holding additional charge of additional chief secretary of health and disaster management department. He is considered close to chief minister Nitish Kumar. With appointment of Pratyaya Amrit as chief secretary, it is evident that assembly elections in the state would be held under his supervision.
Rivers in spate in Bihar after heavy rain, CM directs officials to remain alert
PATNA: The water levels in several rivers in Bihar have risen due to heavy rain in the last 24 hours, officials said on Sunday. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar directed all officials concerned to remain alert. According to the latest district-wise rainfall bulletin issued by the Meteorological Department on Sunday, Light to moderate rain was recorded in many districts, including Patna, Banka, Muzaffarpur, Begusarai, Bhagalpur, Bhojpur, Buxar, Gayaji, Jehanabad, Kaimur, Katihar, Khagaria, Munger, Nalanda and Vaishali since August 2. Several key roads and many low-lying areas in Patna were waterlogged following incessant rain in the state capital on Sunday. The Meteorological Department issued an 'orange' alert (be prepared) for several districts, including Patna, Gayaji, Jamui, Aurangabad, Khagaria, Banka, Vaishali, Samastipur, Seikhpura, Lakhisarai, East Champaran, Arwal, West Champaran and Nawada for the next 48 hours. Officials of the state Water Resources Department (WRD) said that incessant rain in several districts has caused rivers and streams to overflow. The increased inflow also caused the water level in many dams to rise, they said. Besides, incessant rainfall in catchment areas of Nepal has also led to the rivers touching or flowing above the danger level in several places, they added. No causality has been reported so far, and in certain areas in East and West Champaran, Bhagalpur and Patna districts, villagers of low-lying areas have been shifted to safer places by the district administration. Owing to moderate to heavy rain in certain areas in the state, major rivers, including Ganga, Kosi, Sone, Bagmati, Gandak, Kamla, and Adahrwa, are maintaining a rising trend in their courses in the past couple of days, the latest report of the WRD said. Ganga is flowing above the danger level in Bhagalpur, and at Gandhi Ghat and Hathidah in Patna, Burhi Gandak in East Champaran, and Kosi in Supaul and Khagaria, it added. Almost all rivers are maintaining a rising trend throughout their courses, engulfing low-lying localities along their courses. However, all embankments are safe, a senior WRD official said. Meanwhile, the chief minister on Sunday inspected the State Emergency Operations Centre of the Disaster Management Department (DMD). According to a statement issued by the DMD, During the inspection, the CM reviewed the rainfall situation in the state, water levels of rivers, and the status of crop coverage. Bihar Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of the DMD, Pratyaya Amrit, briefed the CM about the rainfall situation in the state. The CM directed all officials concerned to remain alert, it added. From June 1 to August 3 this year, the state recorded 409 mm of rainfall, which is 22 per cent less than normal. The ACS also mentioned that the state received good rainfall in the past 24 hours, with 25 mm or more rainfall recorded in 222 blocks across the state, the statement said. Regarding the current water levels of rivers in the state, the ACS said that the water levels in the Ganga, Kosi, and Burhi Gandak and some other rivers have risen, but the situation is currently under control. Providing details on crop coverage, he stated that as of August 3, paddy crop coverage in the state stands at 79.43 percent, whereas it was 67.38 percent during the same period last year. It is expected that 100 per cent coverage will be achieved by August 15 under normal circumstances, the statement added.
Muzaffarpur-Sabarmati express derails near Kanpur, none hurt
Restoration work has been initiated immediately, officials said.
Muzaffarpur-Sabarmati Jan Sadharan express derails near Bhaupur Station, all passengers safe
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar unveils projects worth 574 crore in Muzaffarpur
Projects include road over bridges and road widening works; Mr. Kumar interacted with social security pensioners in which beneficiaries thanked him for increasing the pension amount from 400 to 1,100 per month
In a dramatic incident caught on camera on the Bhagalpur-Muzaffarpur Janseva Intercity Express near Bihar's Munger, a thief, after stealing a mobile phone from a passenger, clung to the footboard of the moving train and later jumped off while it was crossing a bridge.
Scrap dealer shot dead outside his shop in Bihar's Muzaffarpur
MUZAFFARPUR: A scrap dealer was shot dead by unidentified miscreants in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, police said on Thursday. The scrap dealer identified as Mohammad Gulab was shot dead outside his shop in Majhaulia area of Muzaffarpur district on Wednesday late evening, the police said. Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Town-II, Vinita Sinha, told reporters, Police received information that a scrap dealer was shot at by some unidentified miscreants outside his shop on Wednesday late evening. Police immediately reached the spot and took the victim, with bullet wounds, to the nearest hospital where he was declared brought dead. Now, the body has been sent for the post-mortem examination. A case has been registered and a manhunt has been launched to nab the accused. Prima facie, some land dispute suspected to be the reason behind the incident, the SDPO said, adding further investigation is on. As the news of Gulab's death spread, his relatives, along with a large group of locals, went on a rampage. Family members of the deceased took the body to National Highway-28 and blocked the movement of traffic and also set two vehicles parked outside the suspect's house on fire, a local police officer said. Additional security personnel were engaged to bring the situation under control. Senior officials reached the spot and got the NH cleared for the movement of vehicles.
Bihar SIR | BLOs in a fix over voter apathy
PATNA: Electors are finding excuses to delay the submission of filled enumeration forms (EFs) in the ongoing SIR exercise in Bihar, a ground zero investigation reveals. The excuses range from lack of time to awaiting required information. Come next day, we are busy with some other important work, is the common refrain. The delay is taking a toll on most Booth Level Officers (BLOs). BLOs complain that they find it difficult to submit filled EFs to the respective offices for upload on the app. We have to visit a house twice or thrice to collect filled EFs. People blame BLOs for delay in distributing EFs, but they often fail to admit to their own faults. After all, we have to report to our seniors/supervisors every day, said a visibly upset Dinesh Paswan, a BLO in Vaishali district. Paswan, a teacher in a government middle school under Patepur assembly constituency, was seen virtually begging the electors to return filled EFs. My job will be in danger if you fail to return filled EFs before the deadline, i.e., July 25. We have to collect forms from so many people, the BLO was heard telling electors. Bihar SIR exercise: Nepali, Bangladeshi nationals found with Indian documents He said filled EFs were submitted to the supervisors office at Panchayat Bhawan, Raj Davaichh, where computer operators uploaded them on the App. The dillydallying attitude of electors is not solely to blame. At some places, BLOs complained that the slow internet speed also delays the uploading process. I have been issued a show cause notice for slow progress in uploading EFs, said a BLO under Patepur assembly in Vaishali. An official under Baruraj assembly constituency in Muzaffarpur district said some people were exerting pressure to include names of those staying outside the state without providing their ID proof. Ambiguous EC diktat BLOs in Begusarai, Patna, Bhojpur and Jehanabad pointed out a remarkable shift in ECs orders. Earlier, we were told to collect enumeration forms with required documents. But now we take Aadhaar numbers, date of birth and signatures, they said. As per EC, SIR requires 11 documents, including proof of citizenship. Aadhaar is not included in the list. Inside the SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar: Process, concerns and political fallout
Bihar: Delay in enumeration forms raises fear of being left out of voter list
PATNA: Narendra Kumar, a resident of Muzaffarpur in north Bihar, is making frequent calls to his brother to ascertain whether the enumeration forms have reached home for verification. Currently in Pune for the treatment of his ailing mother, Narendra is worried as a simple mistake may lead to the deletion of his name from the voters list. The 23-year-old said that his name was included in the electoral rolls before the 2020 Assembly elections. I exercised my franchise for the first time during the last Assembly polls. If my name gets deleted, I will never forgive myself for the lapses not on my part but for others slackness, he told this reporter over the phone. INTERVIEW | Special rolls revision couldve begun earlier : OP Rawat He said, despite his frantic attempts, he could not connect with the Booth Level Officer (BLO) I will return to Muzaffarpur on July 27, two days after the last date of submission of the forms, he said, adding that he is at the BLOs mercy. Narendras family resides at Kanhaili under the Musahari block. His wife, Sabita, who works in a public school, said that the enumeration forms have been provided to some of the residents of the same locality. But the BLO did not visit us for the reason known to him, she said. Rambabu Prasad, a resident of Runnisaidpur in Sitamarhi district, said that only three forms have been provided by the BLO against seven voters in the family. I requested to the BLO to provide remaining enumeration forms. He promised to do so the next day, but has not turned up even after a week, he remarked. Nationwide SIR aims to snatch voting rights of those who won't vote BJP: Opposition People have submitted their enumeration forms without documents. This has led to confusion among voters, he added. While the EC has repeatedly stressed that enumeration forms should be submitted with required documents, the personnel in the field have not asked for documents. Who is correct? The EC or the personnel on the field? After all, we have to follow the diktats of personnel on field, he said. Om Prakash Sinha, a builder-cum-developer, who resides in AG Colony under Digha assembly constituency in Patna, said that they received the enumeration forms. Still the person concerned has not yet turned up to collect filled-up forms. We are waiting for him to collect the forms, he said. These people are not alone. Scores of residents in Patna and other districts are also still waiting for the enumeration forms. Rajbaallabh Prasad Sinha, a resident of Sandalpur under Kumhrar Assembly constituency in Patna, said that he has been waiting for the enumeration form. It is not ECs job to issue citizenship certificate: Former Election Commissioner Lavasa on Bihar poll roll revision Meanwhile, the EC claimed that 6,60,67,208 out of the 7,89,69,844 electors have already received the enumeration forms, which is about 83.66%. Till date, 1.59% electors have been found dead and 0.73% of them have registered their names at more than one place. Similarly, 88.18% of electors have either submitted their enumeration forms or have died or shifted to other places permanently. It means only 11.82% electors are left to fill up forms and submit them, the EC said. Till date (July 14, 2025), around 5.74 crore enumeration forms out of 7,89,69,844 electors have been uploaded, while 11 days are still left. BDO in Bihar resigns over harassment by senior Bihar public service officer Hariom Sharan posted as Block Development Officer (BDO) of Barsoi block in Katihar district has submitted a resignation letter to the district magistrate, Manesh Kumar Meena, accusing Sub Divisional Officer Dixit Shwetam of mentally harassing him amid the special intensive revision of the electoral rolls. Election Commission activates poll machinery for pan-India revision of electoral rolls from next month
As Bihar heads to polls, crime wave fuels law and order concerns
PATNA: Back-to-back killings targeting businessmen, politicians, lawyers, teachers and ordinary citizens have raised serious concerns about Bihar's law and order, with police blaming the surge on the widespread availability of illegal firearms and ammunition. Over the past 10 days, a string of killings including those of businessman Gopal Khemka, BJP leader Surendra Kumar, a 60-year-old woman, a shopkeeper, a lawyer, and a teacher has rocked the poll-bound state. According to the latest State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) data, the state recorded 1,376 murders with an average of 229 each month between January and June, compared to 2,786 in all of 2024 and 2,863 in 2023. According to senior police officers, proliferation of firearms, which are illegally manufactured or procured without a valid license, coupled with unchecked availability of ammunition, have contributed to the recent spurt in violent crimes. Bihar has consistently ranked among the top-five states in terms of violent crimes, including those involving firearms, according to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) figures. The state has held second position in violent crime rate in 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2022, NCRB data said. NDA turned Bihar into 'India's crime capital': Rahul slams Nitish, BJP over murder of Patna businessman Talking to PTI, DGP Vinay Kumar, said, Land disputes and property matters are the main reasons behind most of the killings. In such cases, role of police is limited and it starts after the crime takes place. Our force has achieved 100 per cent detection rate. The DGP, however, claimed that organised crime has come down compared to last year. Proliferation of firearms, illegally manufactured or procured without valid licenses, coupled with unchecked availability of ammunition are issues which are being looked into by the authorities, he said. A state with such a large population, having over 60 per cent population under the age of 30 and unemployed, is bound to be vulnerable to law and order problems, Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) Kundan Krishnan said. To check violent crimes, there is a need to plug the gaps in the existing system and standardise the process of issuing arms licenses, Krishnan, who is also the ADG of the Special Task Force (STF) of Bihar Police, told PTI. According to the National Database of Arms Licenses-Arms License Issuance System (NDAL-ALIS) portal (Ministry of Home Affairs), Bihar has 82,326 firearms holders and 77,479 active arms licences. Out of 141 licensed arms dealers in the state, only 114 are operational, while 27 have been found inoperative. This poses a serious threat of misuse. We have brought the matter to the notice of the authorities concerned. Licenses of such dealers must be suspended, Krishnan said. An analysis of district-wise firearm licences in relation to population reveals that Bhojpur has the highest density, with 205 firearms and 196 licensees per lakh population, surpassing Patna, which has 161 firearms and 156 licences per lakh. SCRB data further shows Patna as the leading district in Arms Act cases, averaging 321.7 cases annually, followed by Begusarai (167.7), Muzaffarpur (158.3), Nalanda (117.9), and Vaishali (117.8). In the last 10 years, the number of recovered country-made firearms has more than doubled from 2,356 in 2015 to 4,981 in 2024, it said. A correlation between arms Act cases and violent crimes shows Patna again topping the list, averaging 82 violent incidents annually, followed by Motihari (49.53), Saran (44.08), Gaya (43.50), Muzaffarpur (39.93), and Vaishali (37.90).Most violent crimes in the state involve the use of firearms. However, ammunition used in these crimes are manufactured by licensed industrial units. Therefore, the identity of the 25 inoperative arms dealers out of 138 listed in the state can be exploited by criminals to illegally procure arms/ammunition, the ADG added. Talking to PTI , Jitendra Rana, Inspector General (IG) of central range (Patna), said, It is not true to say that gun-related violence has increased in Patna. Yes, it is true that some sensational murder cases have taken place. But, the accused have also been arrested in those cases and arms and ammunition were also recovered. Commenting on the surge in violent cases, Abhayanand, former DGP, told PTI, I must say that the existing criminal justice system is not able to match up to the crime. The legislature must make laws to give more power to police to check such crimes effectively. Reacting to surge in crimes, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav in a post on X said, If the crumbling law and order and rampant corruption in Bihar aren't making anyone angry in the state, then we must say that the person's sense of justice and human compassion has died. Ignoring the government's failures and public sentiments in the name of caste and religion is disastrous for Bihar and the people of the state. Under the NDA's rule, 65,000 murders have taken place so far !!! Does the unconscious Chief Minister dare to make a statement on any such incident?. ! #Crime #Bihar #NDA #Corruption Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) July 10, 2025 Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha recently told reporters that, Increasing criminal incidents involve the sand mafia, land mafia and liquor mafia. These mafias are linked to the RJD. RJD members want to spread anarchy in Bihar before the elections.
20 river sites under flood risk, 3 locations in Assam and Bihar face severe inundation: CWC
Several regions in India are on high alert. The Central Water Commission reports twenty river sites are under flood threat. Assam and Bihar are experiencing severe conditions. Water levels have crossed danger marks in Golaghat, Muzaffarpur and Gopalganj. The Brahmaputra and Ganga river systems are most affected. Authorities are monitoring the situation closely.
Aadhaar saturation rate higher than 100 per cent in Bihar's Seemanchal region
PATNA: Aadhaar saturation rates in Seemanchal region of election-bound Bihar are above 100 per cent, official data revealed. The data was collected from Seemanchal region comprising Kishanganj, Purnea, Katihar and Araria districtsthat have Muslim populations ranging from 39 per cent to 68 per cent. According to official data collected during caste-based survey by the Bihar government, while the states average Aadhaar coverage stands at around 94 per cent, Kishanganj, with 68 per cent Muslim population, shows an Aadhaar saturation of 105.16 per cent of the districts total population. Similarly, Katihar (45 per cent Muslim population) and Araria (50 per cent) each have a saturation rate of 101.92 per cent and 102.23 per cent, respectively. Purnia (with 39 per cent Muslim population) stands at 101 per cent of the districts total population. The figures suggested that there were over 120 Aadhaar cards for every 100 residents in Seemanchal region, which shares its border with West Bengal and Nepal. This anomaly raised questions about who these additional Aadhaar cards were meant for and why they existed. Authoritative sources said that Aadhaar cards were being mostly used for obtaining domicile certificates in these districts. Sudden rise in applications for domicile certificates also raised doubts and officials posted in the districts shared their concerns with their seniors in the state secretariat. Deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary said that around 2 lakh applications have been submitted for domicile certificates in the past one week and so in Kishanganj district alone. A sudden jump in applications for domicile certificates in Muzaffarpur district has also raised concern, he added. The state government has ordered an investigation into sudden jump in applications for domicile certificates in Seemanchal region, especially after the Election Commission (ECs) Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls started on June 24, he told the media. Deputy chief minister did not rule out possibility of Bangladeshi citizens settling in these districts as countrys international border with Bangladesh is not far off from Kishanganj. An IAS officer posted as district magistrate in Seemanchal region, said on condition of anonymity that the district administration was keeping a close watch on applications for domicile certificates under his jurisdiction. According to official figures, 1,27,000 applications for domicile certificates were submitted to authorities concerned in Kishanganj district between July 1 and 6. The four districts of Seemanchal region have registered about 16 per cent growth in Muslim population between 1951 and 2011, as per census. The average Muslim population in the four districts stands at 47 per cent. The issue has stirred debate not only in poll-bound Bihar but also in neighbouring West Bengal, where Mamata Banerjees government is already grappling with Aadhaar card deactivation concerns. Many political observers have questioned whether this is an attempt by Opposition parties and the Left to position Aadhaar as proof of citizenship. Given the one person-one Aadhaar rule, the figures have triggered concerns over possible duplication or issuance to non-citizens. Seemanchals geographical location adds sensitivity to the issue, as the region borders West Bengal, Nepal, and is not far from Bangladesh, said a senior journalist Pramod Kumar, who earlier worked in Purnea. The Opposition, including RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, called for a Bihar bandh on July 9 to protest the ECs Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, which excludes Aadhaar as valid proof for voter verification.
Inside the SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar: Process, concerns and political fallout
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has triggered a major political controversy in Bihar, where assembly polls are due later this year, with the opposition INDIA bloc alleging that it was designed to enefit the ruling NDA, a charge denied by the Election Commission of India (EC) that is carrying out the exercise. The issue has also reached the Supreme Court , which will hear petitions on July 10 challenging the Election Commission's decision to carry out the exercise in Bihar. What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)? The Election Commission on June 24 issued a notification to begin a door-to-door verification of Bihar's eight crore voters. According to the process, all voters in the state are required to sign enumeration forms, in duplicates, that come with their names, addresses and photographs printed, and return these with fresh photographs along with a valid proof of residence. However, those whose names were not in the electoral rolls of 2003 will have to provide additional documents, a feature of the SIR that has been the main bone of contention. The objective of SIR is to ensure that the names of all eligible citizens are included in the electoral rolls so as to enable them to exercise their franchise. The revision is being carried out under Section 21 of the Representation of the People Act (RP Act), which authorises the EC to undertake special revisions at any time for reasons recorded in writing. The last intensive revision for Bihar was conducted by the poll panel in 2003. The exercise is being executed by one lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs), aided by four lakh volunteers and thousands of Booth Level Agents (BLAs) nominated by political parties. The EC has cited large-scale additions and deletions in the electoral rolls over the past 20 years, driven by migration and urbanisation, as a key reason for the fresh revision. The Commission has also noted that the presence of duplicate entries necessitates a clean-up. Although the plan is to extend SIR to the rest of the country, the exercise is currently being rolled out only in Bihar, which heads to polls later this year. Unlike the 2003 revision where enumerators conducted house-to-house verification using printed voter lists, the 2024 SIR requires voters to proactively submit enumeration forms to BLOs. Electors registered as of January 2003 do not need to submit additional documents beyond the 2003 roll extract. However, voters added post-2003 must furnish documentation establishing their date and place of birth, along with that of their parent(s), where applicable. It is not ECs job to issue citizenship certificate: Former Election Commissioner Lavasa on Bihar poll roll revision Why the political uproar? The SIR has been under attack from the opposition INDIA bloc, which has alleged that it was designed to enefit the ruling NDA, and that the poll panel, which had allegedly helped the BJP-led coalition in Maharashtra by adding fake voters, was now trying to wrongfully delete the names of many such people in Bihar who were unlikely to vote for the ruling dispensation. The opposition INDIA bloc, led by Tejashwi Yadav and supported by CPI(ML) leader Dipankar Bhattacharya, has moved the Supreme Court against the SIR. A protest march to the EC office in Patna was led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday. Concerns are also being voiced over a clause that states Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) will refer cases of suspected foreign nationals to the competent authority under the Citizenship Act, 1955, which, it is feared, could be used against a large number of unwanted voters in the Seemanchal region bordering Nepal. What are their key concerns? Targeted timing : Why is this being done only in Bihar and right before elections? Exclusion fears : Allegations that the EC aims to delete voters unlikely to support the NDA. Document burden : Over three crore people who weren't in the 2003 rolls face a heavier documentation process. Youth scrutiny : Voters born after 1987 must also furnish their parents' date and place of birth if the latter were not listed in 2003. Unacceptable exclusions : Common documents like Aadhaar and MNREGA cards are not accepted as valid ID. The EC has stated that Aadhaar is neither proof of citizenship nor date of birth, which is why it is excluded. Accepted documents include caste certificates, land allotment records and family registers. Fears over disenfranchisement and misuse : The clause empowering EROs to decide on claims and objections has raised alarms, with opposition leaders fearing misuse. Migrant exclusion concerns : Migrant workers and students, many of whom move frequently, may struggle to meet documentation deadlines. Critics argue that while the RP Act considers temporary absence as still meeting the ordinarily resident requirement, SIR implementation may overlook this nuance. What is the EC's response? The poll panel has maintained that the revision is lawful and constitutional. It says the exercise is necessary due to massive demographic shifts in the last two decades. So far, the door-to-door process has covered 2.88 crore voters (approximately 36.5%). Pure electoral rolls inevitable for strengthening democracy: CEC Gyanesh Kumar on Bihar SIR What opposition leaders say? Why has this exercise been ordered only in Bihar when in 2003 a similar revision of electoral rolls was undertaken for the entire country? And why just before the assembly polls? If it was so urgent, why was the work not started immediately after last year's Lok Sabha elections, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who leads the INDIA bloc charge in the upcoming elections, said. His ally Dipankar Bhattacharya, the general secretary of CPI(ML) Liberation, claims that the EC has opted for a logistical nightmare and that it was almost impossible to complete, by July 25, the exercise that involves more than eight crore voters, most of them living in areas that are ravaged by floods during monsoons. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi alleged that the EC was attempting to steal votes in Bihar, just as he claimed it had done in Maharashtra. Sharpening his criticism of the poll body and the ruling government, Rahul said, In Maharashtra, the mandate was stolen. Now in Bihar, the right to vote is under threat an old conspiracy in a new form. We will continue to expose these anti-Constitutional forces. Together with the people and the youth, we will give a fitting reply. Ground realities? Citizens are flagging serious issues in the implementation of SIR. I was aghast to see that my son's address was listed as a cremation ground ('shamshaan ghat'). My daughter-in-law's address was left blank, said a resident of Muzaffarpur, who requested anonymity. Plea in apex court The Supreme Court on Thursday will hear a batch of petitions challenging the SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar. Several fresh pleas, including a joint petition by opposition parties -- Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar), Shiv Sena (UBT), Samajwadi Party, JMM, CPI and CPI (ML) -- were filed in the apex court against the poll panel's decision to conduct the exercise before the state goes to polls later this year. (With inputs from PTI, ANI and ENS) Election Commission must justify need for Bihar voter roll revision
Massive protests, blockades hit Bihar over voter list revision
Patna: Bihar witnessed widespread protests and blockades as the Mahagathbandhan is agitating against the revision of the voter list in the state. The call for a Bihar bandh by the opposition bloc led to widespread protests and blockades across the state, affecting vehicular movement. RJD workers blocked Zero Mile Chowk In Muzaffarpur, RJD workers blocked Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Bihar Govt Engineer Stabbed To Death By Robbers In Muzaffarpur, Cops Launch Probe
Mumtaz was killed in front of his wife and children by the robbers who decamped with valuables from his house
2 IAF Personnel Drown In Lake As Heavy Rains Batter Uttarakhand
Prince Yadav (22) from Pathankot, Punjab and Sahil Kumar (23) from Muzaffarpur, Bihar, were part of a group of eight IAF personnel, including four women, vacationing in Nainital.
PATNA: A 25-year-old pregnant woman was allegedly raped by a self-proclaimed 'tantrik' in Bihars Muzaffarpur district after he lured her under the false pretext of curing her pregnancy-related health issues. Police arrested the accused on Tuesday. The woman had visited an alleged tantrik (exorcist) at a village under Siwaipatti police station limits on June 29 after she experienced persistent dizziness during her pregnancy. Despite consulting multiple doctors, she found no relief and was advised by co-residents to visit the self-proclaimed tantrik. According to the police complaint, the victim visited the exorcists house along with her husband. She was initially told that she would be cured through ritual practices and that she would need to visit a couple of times. Once alone in the room, the alleged exorcist undressed her, claiming it was part of the ritual. When she resisted, the exorcist raped her and threatened to kill her and her husband if she spoke to anyone or lodged a police complaint. The following day, on her husbands insistence, she visited the exorcists house again, where the assault was repeated. During the second incident, she experienced abdominal pain and finally disclosed the ordeal to her husband. Apprehending trouble, the accused fled the scene. The victim was then taken to a government facility for treatment, where she was reportedly kept waiting for nearly two hours. Despite receiving an appointment slip, we were asked to wait from 12.30 pm to 2.30 pm, during which my wife laid on the floor in acute pain, the victims husband said. In-charge of the SKMCH police outpost, Sarvari Khatoon, said that the victims statement has been recorded. The accused, identified as Shanker Shah, has been arrested and sent to judicial custody. Further investigation is underway, the SHO said.
PATNA: The Economic Offences Unit (EOU), an anti-corruption wing of the Bihar police, on Friday carried out searches at six locations of Rajesh Kumar, an accountant with the Bihar State Food Corporation (BSFC), in connection with a disproportionate assets case. A senior official said that the accountant is accused of accumulating disproportionate assets worth more than 201.94 per cent of his actual income. The searches, which began early in the morning, continued till the report was filed. The searches were conducted at the office and residential premises of Kumar in Patna, Motihari (East Champaran), Muzaffarpur and Hajipur (Vaishali). In addition, raiding teams also searched the houses of Rajesh Kumars close relatives. Initial searches led to the recovery of documents related to investments in real estate, insurance companies. Some suspicious transactions of money were discovered and some electronic devices were seized. Evidence of huge investment in real estate has been found during the operation, the officer said. Earlier, EOU registered a case against the accountant and obtained order for carrying out searches at the office and residential premises at multiple locations in the state capital and outside. The details will be available after the search operation concludes, the officer associated with the operation said. Meanwhile, the Director General of Police (DGP) Vinay Kumar has asked the officials of the Special Vigilance Unit (SVU), EOU and Vigilance Investigation Bureau (VIB) to intensify operations against corrupt public servants. More than 60 such operations have been conducted across the state in recent months. The frequent operation against corrupt public servants has created a flutter in the states administrative circles.
Bihar to grant arms licences to Panchayat representatives amid rising attacks
PATNA: In a significant move ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, the Bihar government has decided to issue arms licences to representatives of the three-tier panchayati raj institutions across the state. The decision follows a series of violent attacks on panchayat representatives, particularly mukhiyas (panchayat heads). The state government has directed all District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police to begin processing arms licence applications from elected panchayat members. However, the directive emphasises that the established rules for verifying arms licence applications must be strictly adhered to. The verification process should be completed promptly and without unnecessary delay, the government noted. The proposal, initiated by the Panchayati Raj Department, received approval during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday. Kumar instructed officials to expedite the licensing process, treating applications from panchayat representatives as a priority. The move comes in the wake of several high-profile killings. Just last week, a mukhiya and his aide were shot dead in Lakhisarai district while returning home from a function. In February, Mahesh Mishra, Deputy Mukhiya of Chiraila Panchayat in Gaya district and a JD(U) block secretary, was murdered. Similar incidents, including murder attempts and threats, have been reported from multiple districts such as Samastipur, Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Saran, Bhojpur, Jamui, and Nawada. Concerned by the deteriorating security situation, panchayat representatives had previously met senior state officials to demand protection. This measure adds to a series of steps taken by the state government to support local representatives ahead of elections expected in OctoberNovember this year. Allowances for panchayat members have already been increased. In another key decision, the government has approved the construction of marriage halls in every panchayat for the weddings of women from economically weaker backgrounds. A budget of Rs 4,026 crore has been sanctioned for the scheme, which will be implemented through 'Jeevika Didis', members of local womens self-help groups.
