Its strength is set to increase by 3 seats once the current round of Rajya Sabha polls for 27 seats are concluded on June 28.
Omar Abdullah has so far laboured hard to make best of a bad bargain. Even so, the ground reality is anything but reassuring. The Opposition parties, including notably the PDP, appear to be gaining ground, though more by default. Public patience with Omar's government has nearly run out, notes Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is set to chair a crucial Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, April 14.
JD(U) president Nitish Kumar has stated his intention to continue monitoring development work in Bihar, despite stepping down as chief minister. He plans to spend most of his time in Bihar, ensuring the continuation of previous good work under the new government.
'Shivraj Chauhan is coming with a secret slip in which the next chief minister's name is mentioned, it will be known on Tuesday.'
The JD(U) stated that it supported the BJP for the Bihar chief minister's post to reciprocate past support, as the new government prepares for a vote of confidence.
Mokama will witness one of this Bihar assembly election's hottest battles as Janata Dal-United candidate Anant Singh takes on the Rashtriya Janata Dal's Veena Devi, whose husband Surajbhan Singh, like her JD-U rival, is considered one of the state's tough guys or as they say in these parts, a Bahubali.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed anger when a group of women left an event where he was speaking about government initiatives for women's empowerment.
In the first electoral battle since the new government under Chief Minister D K Shivakumar took charge in Karnataka, the ruling Congress on Thursday won five of the seven Legislative Council seats that went to polls, while the opposition Bhjaratiya Janata Party bagged two.
The Opposition had the numbers to win one Rajya Sabha seat from Bihar. As it turned out, four MLAs skipped the voting, helping the NDA to sweep the polls.
Samrat Choudhary's appointment as Bihar's Chief Minister marks a significant milestone for the BJP, ushering in a new era of leadership in the state's political landscape.
The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) has named Jyotiprakash Chatterji as its new president, a development that follows the merger of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) rebel Lok Sabha faction with the party. This announcement by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, a key figure in the dissident camp, comes amidst speculation about the party's leadership after its founder stepped down. However, details about Chatterji and the party's internal workings remain unclear, with some existing members expressing unawareness of the change.
Facing revolt by 6 Lok Sabha MPs of his party, Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said he was ready to quit his post if the party didn't have faith in him, while his opponent and Maharashtra deputy CM Eknath Shinde hinted at more defections from the rival camp.
Former Bihar CM Rabri Devi has been allotted a new residence by the Nitish Kumar government, requiring her to vacate the bungalow she has occupied for years. The decision has sparked reactions from RJD leaders and family members.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi told INDIA bloc leaders that despite public anger indicating a win for the opposition, the main challenge is the alleged lack of free and fair elections due to the BJP's control over state institutions. He urged unity and a strategy of 'resistance' against what he termed election 'theft'.
The BJP will use Samrat Choudhary to make a dent into Nitish Kumar's traditional social support base of Kurmi and Koeri/Kushwaha communities.
Political activity in Bihar is all set to intensify once the inauspicious kharmas period ends on April 14. Will Nitish Kumar pull another rabbit out of his hat? M I Khan reports.
The BJP has announced its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections across multiple states, including Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, and Haryana.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar praised the Narendra Modi government's support for the state's progress and urged voters to support the NDA in the upcoming assembly elections. He also criticized Lalu Prasad's governance and dynastic politics.
Petitions have been filed in the Patna High Court challenging the election of 45 members of the Bihar legislative assembly, including Speaker Prem Kumar.
Nishant Kumar, son of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, has joined the Janata Dal (United) and committed to strengthening the party's organisation. His entry into politics sparks speculation about a future role in the state government.
Veteran BJP leader Prem Kumar was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the Bihar assembly. The election took place on Tuesday, with Kumar being the sole candidate for the position.
Lobbying has intensified among NDA partners in Bihar for the post of Speaker in the assembly, with BJP MLA Prem Kumar considered a frontrunner. A special assembly session will be convened soon to elect the Speaker.
Despite claims that he is tired and unwell, Nitish Kumar has addressed 84 election rallies, urging voters to give him 'one more chance'.
People of Bihar wait with bated breath for Friday's counting of votes polled in the recent assembly elections, which will decide whether Janata Dal-United supremo Nitish Kumar, the state's longest-serving chief minister, will get a record fifth term or whether a change in government will be witnessed.
'This combination of immaturity and desperation somehow becomes lethal; it is unhealthy for democracy'
It now has become clear that he will have to quit his post.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United made public the names of candidates for all 101 seats it will be contesting in the assembly polls, with more than half of them from the backward and extremely backward classes.
The INDIA bloc faces a significant challenge as the Congress and DMK part ways, raising questions about the alliance's future and unity.
'The seats which we would be contesting have been identified. Respective candidates have also been finalised. Four non-performing sitting MLAs will be replaced with fresh faces.'
Tej Pratap Yadav, the estranged son of Lalu Prasad Yadav, attended a feast hosted by BJP leader Vijay Kumar Sinha, sparking speculation about his political future.
Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday asserted that the opposition coalition was certain to form the next government in Bihar, and the swearing-in will take place four days after the results of assembly polls are declared.
According to Yadav's post-mortem examination report, he died of cardiorespiratory failure due to shock caused by injury to the heart and lungs by a hard and blunt substance, the SSP said.
The BJP team under the new national president Nitin Nabin, who took charge in January, is expected to be announced within this month, with sources suggesting that some holding positions in the government may move to the party.
The list included turncoats like Shyam Rajak, who returned to the JD-U, quitting RJD about a year ago, and don-turned-politician Anant Kumar Singh, who had filed nomination papers from the Mokama assembly seat on Tuesday.
Nitish Kumar was chosen as the leader of the JD(U) legislature party and is expected to be chosen as the leader of the NDA alliance in Bihar. He will take oath as Bihar CM for a record 10th time.
There is no cause for concern, as the overall situation arising out of the crisis is firmly under control, the Centre informed while briefing political parties at the all-party meet.
Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal-United supremo Nitish Kumar on Friday thanked people of the state for giving a 'landslide' victory for the ruling National Democratic Alliance in the assembly polls.
'Nitish Kumar is the only leader who gave us everything.'
Senior BJP leaders, including Amit Shah and J P Nadda, met with party leaders and allies to discuss the upcoming Bihar polls. Seat-sharing arrangements with NDA partners are expected to be announced soon.
