Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said the decision of the merger has already been taken and there was no question of going back on it.
With polling of votes coming to an end in Bihar, exit poll prediction by various media outlets have started pouring in.
Known for weighing his options carefully before making any move, Kumar, upon a closer look, comes across as a risk taker who has not shied away from going against the tide.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday challenged Congress president Sonia Gandhi to provide details of the 'additional' financial assistance provided by the Centre to the state.Kumar was reacting to remarks made by Gandhi earlier, when she had claimed that Bihar had received the maximum amount of financial assistance from the Centre for development and welfare programmes during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance's tenure.
PDP leader Iltija Mufti defends a cricketer who displayed the Palestine flag on his helmet, criticizing restrictions on freedom of expression in Jammu and Kashmir and accusing the BJP of imposing Hindutva ideology.
Kishor, once considered a close confidant of Kumar, said the impact of the political developments in Bihar will remain limited to the state at present.
Will Amit Shah's meetings with Nitish Kumar improve BJP-JD-U relations?
With nominations for the first phase of Bihar elections closing soon, the INDIA bloc is struggling to finalize seat sharing, while the NDA has announced its candidates. Key political figures are actively campaigning.
This was probably the largest such gathering in the country to protest the Waqf (Amendment) Act.
Nitin Nabin held a roadshow in Patna on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, marking his first visit to his native Bihar after being appointed the Bharatiya Janata Party's national working president.
As the Bihar assembly results swept in, Patna's Veerchand Patel Marg, the city's political artery, split into two starkly different worlds, with celebrations at the BJP and JD(U) offices and disappointment at the RJD headquarters.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday ducked queries about exit polls predicting wins, in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly polls, for his former ally Bharatiya Janata Party which he has vowed to defeat with the help of a united opposition in the next general elections.
As per the trends, the NDA was leading in the elections.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Janata Dal-United national president Lalan Singh arrived together at the party's office in New Delhi on Thursday to attend its office-bearers meeting amid intense buzz about changes within the organisation.
Water sprayers splashed with the images of Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad and his bete noire Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar are selling like hot cakes in the state with Holi revellers wanting to add a dash of political colour to their celebrations.
'Nitish Kumar's government has proved during these floods that it is a helpless government.'
The Janata Dal-United supremo was replying to queries from journalists in Darbhanga district which he visited as part of his state-wide mass outreach programme 'Samadhan Yatra'.
The JD-U leader was seen sitting with Tej Pratap and Tejashwi Yadav, the sons of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar engaged in a heated exchange with Leader of the Opposition Rabri Devi in the Legislative Council, dismissing her as "inconsequential" without her husband, RJD president Lalu Prasad. The spat stemmed from RJD MLCs wearing badges promoting quota hikes passed during Tejashwi Yadav's tenure as Deputy CM, which Nitish Kumar perceived as an attempt to claim credit for the populist move. Kumar also remarked that Rabri Devi was only propped up by her husband when he was in trouble, referring to her becoming Chief Minister in 1997 while Lalu Prasad faced corruption charges. The war of words between the two rivals has intensified, with the RJD accusing Kumar of losing his mental balance and being unfit to rule.
'Are elections still fair in India, or are we all witness to a macabre style of 'selection' of lawmakers? The jury will be out on this for a long time because there is no definitive evidence on either contention, at least as yet,' notes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, author, Narendra Modi: The Man, The Times.
A SWOT analysis of the INDIA bloc, led by the RJD-Congress combine, as Bihar prepares for Assembly elections. Examines strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats facing the opposition alliance.
Bihar recorded its highest-ever voter turnout of 67.14 per cent in the second and final phase of the assembly elections. The election is seen as a referendum on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Kishanganj recorded the highest polling percentage at 76.26.
'They (INDIA bloc leaders) were not doing anything. Nothing happened after the first meeting of INDIA bloc that took place in Patna last year. Now, I have come back to the same place, where I was earlier (with NDA)'
The veteran socialist leader, who ended his long alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party last year, was responding to queries from journalists about the 'Hindu Rashtra' clamour, which was openly endorsed earlier this week by his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday said the new President Pranab Mukherjee had accepted his invitation and might undertake a visit to the state after August 15.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to brief him about his recent visit to Pakistan.
A day after addressing a massive rally at the Ramlila Ground in New Delhi for demanding 'special status' for his state, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Monday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the record turnout in the first phase of the Bihar assembly polls indicates people's trust in the NDA government. He predicted victory for the NDA, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and lauded the Election Commission for conducting successful elections.
What piques the narrative is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah decide on crucial matters, they play it close to their chest, and revel in springing a surprise.
An ECI statement issued from New Delhi put the voter turnout at 68.76 per cent. The female turnout (74.03 per cent) was significantly higher, compared with males (64.1 per cent).
Kumar, whose NDA-allied Janata Dal-United has won 12 of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, has emerged as a key player in government formation
'We all are united and intact. We have been working for the people and will continue to serve people. We have done a lot of developmental work in Bihar. From constructing good roads, bridges, electricity, and drinking water facilities to several other infrastructural projects, we have done a lot of work in the state. The electorate will make the final decision'
'The campaign by the Mahagathbandan has failed to capture the imagination of the electorate given the fatigue factor with the Nitish government.'
Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad on Tuesday challenged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi to contest the state assembly elections against former chief minister Rabri Devi, who is contesting from two constituencies.
Two motorcycle-borne gunmen opened fire in a high-security zone in Bihar's capital Patna, where official residences of several ministers, the leader of opposition and bureaucrats are located, police said.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar arrived in Mumbai on Saturday evening to attend centenary celebrations of his state, a day after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray withdrew his threat to disrupt the event slated for Sunday.
Two individuals claiming to be members of the Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) in Bihar announced their "resignation" from the party, citing dissatisfaction with its support for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. The JD(U) denied the resignations, claiming the individuals were not party members. However, some senior JD(U) leaders have expressed discontent over the passage of the bill, which they believe is detrimental to Muslims. The controversy over the Waqf Bill is likely to influence the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar.
The boat was carrying 30 children, and 20 of them have so far been rescued, they said.
A street vendor in Bihar's Nawada district died after a group of youth tortured him for hours because he was Muslim.
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