Electoral fortunes of 1,302 candidates, including over half a dozen ministers in the Nitish Kumar government, will be sealed on Tuesday with 3.70 crore voters eligible to exercise their franchise across 122 assembly segments in the second and final phase of the Bihar polls.
Janata Dal-United supremo Nitish Kumar is set to be sworn-in as Bihar chief minister for a record 10th time on Thursday, days after the National Democratic Alliance secured a landslide victory in the assembly elections.
This divergence is likely to intensify political dynamics both within the party and across the state, particularly as the opposition Mahagathbandhan -- comprising the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Congress, and Left parties -- has been aggressively protesting the SIR and demanding its immediate scrapping.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president J P Nadda and several other top leaders of the NDA.
'We have been struggling with problems, but we want to elect Tejashwi to see him as the next chief minister.'
'The name will be declared at the right time.'
Confusion prevailing in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) showed little signs of let up on Saturday, with just two days to go before the filing of nomination papers for the second and final phase of assembly elections comes to a close.
Internal discord within the INDIA bloc has led to alliance partners contesting against each other in at least eight assembly seats in Bihar. The Congress, RJD, and Left parties are facing challenges in seat-sharing arrangements for the upcoming elections.
Ranvir Sena's front organisation Akhil Bharatiya Rashtrawadi Kisan Sanghathan has urged people, particularly supporters and sympathisers of upper caste Bhumihars, to socially boycott Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United MLA Sunil Pandey, his MLC brother Hulas Pandey and the families of Hareram Pandey, suspected to be involved in the murder of Ranvir Sena chief Brahmeshwar Singh Muhiya on June 1.
Each leader will look after six assembly constituencies.
Most of these leaders are known for their organisational skills and successful management of elections in their respective states.
A NDTV reporter of Bihar Prakash Singh was forcibly held hostage for two hours, attacked and mercilessly beaten by a ruling Janata Dal-United legislator Anant Singh and his henchmen in Patna on Thursday.
Bima Bharti, a member of Legislative Assembly from Bihar, has opposed the bail petition of her husband Awadhesh Mandal, a gangster and history-sheeter. Bharti has informed the court that she no longer wants to live with him as she fears for her life, police officials said on Friday.
A first information report (FIR) has been lodged by an MLA of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United against a party colleague, alleging that he was offered a bribe of Rs 10 crore and a ministerial berth for switching over to the Rashtriya Janata Dal-led 'Mahagathbandhan' ahead of the trust vote.
'When the time comes, we will take a decision following a discussion with the alliance partners.'
Now it's all jibes about his chameleon-like politics and fading grip on the administration. But there was a time Nitish had the BJP trembling in the state, points out Aditi Phadnis.
Ahead of Holi, controversial statements by leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its ally Janata Dal-United in Bihar have heated up politics in the state which goes to the polls this winter.
The former deputy chief minister was replying to queries about the JD-U president's outburst inside the assembly on Tuesday where he had told Yadav, "It was I who helped your father Lalu Prasad, the RJD president, become the leader of opposition when he did not have the support of even his own caste men."
'Nitish Kumar is our CM today and he will be CM going forward also. Nitish Kumar will continue as CM till he wishes.'
The Janata Dal-United state unit in Manipur has withdrawn support to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Biren Singh government and the party has informed its decision to governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla.
The Janata Dal (United) has demanded action against BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla for his comments targeting an AAP leader, which the regional party said has caused deep displeasure among people from Purvanchal. The JD(U) said Poonawalla's remarks, made during a TV debate, were offensive and demanded action from the BJP leadership. The incident comes ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, where the AAP is facing a tough challenge from the BJP.
RJD president Lalu Prasad has expelled his elder son, Tej Pratap Yadav, from the party for six years for "irresponsible behavior" and snapped all family ties with him. The decision comes after a viral Facebook post claimed that Yadav, a former Bihar minister, was "in a relationship" with a young woman.
Former MLA Ranveer Yadav was convicted in a murder case that dates back to 1988. M I Khan reports from Patna.
At least 17 BJP members of legislative assembly and one member of Parliament were present in the meeting at BJP MLA Ravindra Rai's house.
Sada, who was away in his constituency in Saharsa district, was asked to come to Patna by Kumar soon after Suman announced his resignation.
A careful calculation of the BJP's support base seems to have been at work in the cabinet expansion that took place a day after the party's national president chaired a meeting of the "core group" here.
The demand was made by Akhtarul Iman, state president of Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM no sooner than he rose to take oath in Urdu.
Nishant Kumar's demand that the NDA name Nitish Kumar as its chief ministerial nominee is seen as a gambit to consolidate the CM's position in the ruling alliance.
'The RJD is a family centric party and its top leadership's main concern is only to promote the family.'
The National People's Party (NPP) has withdrawn support from the BJP-led government in Manipur, citing the government's failure to resolve the ongoing crisis and restore normalcy in the state. The NPP, which has 7 MLAs in the Manipur Assembly, made the decision after recent incidents of violence and protests in the state. The BJP continues to hold a majority in the Assembly, with 32 legislators, and the withdrawal of support is not expected to affect the government's stability.
The builder who had complained in court that JD(U) MLA Anant Singh forcefully secured his signatures on blank cheques and threatening him, has now approached the court seeking to withdraw the petition.
Claiming the support of at least five legislators, expelled Aam Aadmi Party Member of Legislative Assembly Vinod Kumar Binny has threatened to pull down the Arvind Kejriwal-led government if his demands were not met within 48 hours.
Chaudhary is the first Dalit leader to occupy the august office.
And these colleges are affiliated to the Bihar School Examination Board.
A Janata Dal-United leader was allegedly murdered in Bihar's Nalanda district in the early hours of Monday, the police said.
'We used to discuss how image-conscious Nitish Kumar was and his sophisticated conduct in public life. All this has become a thing of the past.'
'There are differences over certain issues between the JD-U and BJP but we are in alliance and continuing.'
'Nitish Kumar may take a decision to dump the BJP alliance by November.'
Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas on Monday tendered apology after Janata Dal-United leader Shoaib Iqbal threatened to withdraw support to the AAP in Delhi over the former's remarks on Muharram.
Acharya said he has asked Rio to submit signatures of all the 32 MLAs supporting him by Monday.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances