The BJP's outreach to Paswan, son of late stalwart Dalit leader Ram Vilas Paswan, underscores its push to bring him back into the NDA's fold after he walked out of the alliance in Bihar in the 2020 state assembly polls to campaign against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was then the BJP's biggest ally.
Five of the six Lok Janshakti Party MPs in Lok Sabha have joined hands against their leader Chirag Paswan and elected Pashupati Kumar Paras, the youngest brother of Paswan's late father and party founder Ram Vilas Paswan, in his place, causing a big churn in Bihar politics.
There is a view that heavyweight portfolios like home, finance, defence and external affairs besides education and culture, two ministries with strong ideological hues, will be kept by the BJP, while its allies can get anywhere between five to eight cabinet berths.
'The Congress is trying to reinvent itself -- the caste census demand, OBC emphasis, the anti-corporate thrust, especially on Adani etc -- all this is not standard Congress strategy.'
The RJD polled the highest vote share in Bihar, but it was not reflected in the number of seats it won.
Over 65 Union ministers are likely to take oath, going by the visual of the meeting Modi held with his likely council of ministers.
The invite to Paswan from the BJP assumes significance as this made it clear that the LJP remains a member of the NDA despite walking out of the alliance in Bihar during the state assembly polls.
The LJP leader said that the party's Jharkhand unit has been for contesting the assembly polls on its own as the party's organisation has become stronger and it has better candidates than before.
2023 was marked by outstanding sporting achievements, shattered records, and the crowning of new champions, all captured by photographers documenting every significant twist and turn.
'The people of Gujarat understood this a long time ago and has since been rejecting the party and its programmes.'
Within minutes of Gohil's announcement of the Congress' action, Der called a press conference at his residence, saying he was not aware when he was suspended by the party and announced he will join the BJP at its state headquarters 'Kamalam' in Gandhinagar on Tuesday.
Sources in both the BJP and the Janata Dal-United suggested such a possibility but it remained unclear if Kumar, the unquestioned leader of his party, has finalised a deal with the BJP top brass.
In his poll rallies, Modi framed Pitroda's comments in his wider onslaught against the Congress, asserting that they have exposed its hidden agenda and that the party has become so removed from the country's social and family values that it wants to legally rob people of their assets and lifelong savings they want to bequeath to their children.
Modhwadia emphasised that he was not joining the BJP due to any coercion or allurement as claimed by the Congress.
Mohun Bagan routed Chirag United 4-1 in the IFA Premier League.
Anti-incumbency against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's 15-year-old rule in Bihar is stronger that what Lalu Prasad Yadav-led RJD regime faced in 2005, LJP president Chirag Paswan said on Monday, asserting that he walked out of the ruling alliance in the state so as not to have any 'guilt' of playing a role in continuation of the current dispensation.
A round-up of the Ranji Trophy quarter-final matches played on Sunday.
In the women's section, defending champion Unnati Hooda, national champion Anupama Upadhyaya, Ashmita Chaliha, Imad Farooqui Samiya, Tasnim Mir reached the pre-quarterfinals.
Addressing a press conference, Paswan said he was happy that the BJP had emerged "much bigger and stronger" in Bihar, and ruled out any possibility of a truck with the opposition Grand Alliance, comprising RJD, Congress and three Left parties, citing "ideological differences".
I-League champions Salgaocar, were held to a goalless draw by Mumbai FC but Prayag United rode on Joshimar Dasilva's strike to beat Chirag United Kerala 1-0 in their respective Federation Cup matches in Pune on Sunday.
Captain Mike Okoro helped Mohammedan Sporting salvage a 2-2 draw against Chirag United SC who wasted chances galore in their Round 18 ONGC I-League encounter at the Vidyasagar Krirangan in Barasat on Saturday.
Concealed beneath the feat, which testifies to his political acumen and survival instincts, is the fact that the 72-year-old leader could never remain at peace with his allies which also made him change partners frequently.
Defending champions Mohun Bagan outplayed Mahindra United 2-0 in their last Group B match to book a berth in the semi-finals of the Federation Cup football tournament in Guwahati on Saturday.
With more than a 100 runs still to get, it would be an uphill task for Maharashtra to turn the match around on Day 3.
A jinx seems to have descended upon the Cooperage in Mumbai with a drought of goals continuing to plague the spectators like an incurable epidemic. The 16th round encounter between Mahindra United and Mohammedan Sporting on Saturday was the fourth consecutive I-League match at the venue where the scorer was not disturbed at all.
Defending champions Mohun Bagan were on Monday clubbed in a tough group along with Mahindra United in the Federation Cup final round which begins on December 21 in Guwahati and Silchar.
Defending champions Dempo kick-off their campaign in the second edition of the I-League on September 28. This I-League will commence on September 26, with East Bengal taking on debutantes Chirag United at Barasat Stadium and Sporting Clube de Goa meeting Vasco in Goa.
Cheteshwar Pujara's presence did not help Saurashtra as a gritty Tripura humbled the defending champions
BJP sources said a meeting of the National Democratic Alliance is expected to take place soon to highlight its growing strength and to dispel the impression that the departure of some of its oldest allies such as the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, Shiromani Akali Dal and the Janata Dal-United have the left the saffron party without a major partner.
Bengal's star performer Denson Devadas might be a Keralite but the regional factor does not matter for the diminutive midfielder.
Mohun Bagan and East Bengal two giants in Kolkata football - have failed to groom new talents since quite a long time and that, in turn, has contributed to a downslide of the beautiful game's standard in the city, feels former India player Subrata Bhattacharya.
Defending champions Churchill Brothers rode on skipper Okolie Odafe's hat-trick to blank Army Red 3-1 and qualify for the semi-finals of the 123rd Durand Cup Football Tournament, at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday.
Spurred by Chirag Jani's a five-wicket haul, defending champions Saurashtra scripted their first knockout win of the season with a 238-run thrashing of Vidarbha on the third day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group A match in Nagpur on Sunday.
Mumbai Football Club (MFC) wants to put behind their two losses and vows to snatch a point against defending champion Churchill Bros when they meet them at Nehru stadium, Margao in the third round of the I-League on Friday.
Despite beating Chirag United 1-0 in their season-ending match on Friday, Sporting Clube de Goa finished 13th in the standings and could not avoid relegation to the second division.
The defending champions scored a 1-0 victory over Kolkata's Chirag United in the opening match of the tournament.
Leaders of 38 parties have confirmed their participation in a meeting of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to be held in the national capital on Tuesday, Bharatiya Janata Party president J P Nadda said.
Dempo overcame a first-half deficit to defeat a fighting Viva Kerala 3-1 and returned to the top of the points table after the eighth round of the ONGC I-League at Nehru stadium in Margao on Thursday.
He was administered the oath of office by Governor Rajendra Arlekar at the Raj Bhavan in Patna.
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