Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday launched a scathing attack on Janata Dal-United leader Nitish Kumar, accusing him of breaking ties with it to pursue his 'personal ambition' of becoming prime minister even as it asserted that its 'Vijay Rath' would roll in Bihar when Assembly polls are held there later this year.
Despite the BJP emerging as the largest party in the ruling alliance with 74 seats, 31 more than the JDU, the top leadership of the saffron party, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has emphatically endorsed Kumar as the next chief minister.
''Now the roads in Bihar are as good as any other Indian state. The power sector has improved.' 'Connectivity, law and order, gender justice...' 'Bihar now stands for all these things that were totally absent when it was under jungle raj.'
Kumar has to be elected to the legislative council within six months of assuming power as chief minister.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was on Wednesday sworn in for the eighth time, asserted that the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi needs to 'worry' about its prospects in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
'I felt anguished when I read the reports about my speech at the convocation of Mahatma Gandhi Central University. I wanted to underscore that the then Congress government had wanted to set up a central university only in Gaya but agreed to establish another one in Motihari (East Champaran) at my instance. Work began when the BJP was in power at the Centre. But it remains the fact that the university came up as a result of my initiative'
The JD-U leader's outbursts against his former ally came in response to queries from journalists about Shah's speech earlier in the day at Sitab Diara.
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.
The Nitish Kumar government has the support of 132 MLAs.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held a one-on-one meeting with senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani, with whom he is not on the best of terms since the party patriarch opposed his elevation as poll campaign head.
The JD-U leader rubbished speculations that he was maintaining an eloquent silence on the issue because of anxieties about tarnishing his own image for probity by aligning with "tainted" politicians and could even be thinking of breaking away with the "Mahagathbandhan", which besides RJD, also includes Congress and the Left.
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.
A case was filed in a Bihar court on Monday against Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party leader O P Dhankhar for his alleged remarks 'Bihari bride for Haryana boys'.
The parliamentary panel, headed by Bharatiya Janata Party's Sushil Kumar Modi, has also decided to examine remote voting and e-postal ballots for Indians residing abroad.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Thursday avoided giving a direct response to a question about whether Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will run as the opposition's candidate for prime minister, saying that the opposition parties would meet and make that decision.
The Aam Aadmi Party's MP and lone Lok Sabha member Sushil Kumar Rinku joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday along with party MLA Sheetal Angural, dealing a blow to the party already facing a crisis following the arrest of its leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
A day after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar formed the government in Bihar in alliance with the National Democratic Alliance, hectic lobbying started for the post of assembly speaker, and other legislators to be included in the council of ministers.
Sixty-eight Rajya Sabha members, including nine Union ministers, are completing their tenure this year, triggering a race of sorts among leaders across political parties to eye a six-year term in the Upper House of Parliament.
The longest-serving chief minister of any Hindi- speaking state, Nitish Kumar seems to have acquired an aura of indispensability when it comes to the highest seat of power in Bihar.
The BJP, which has traditionally been considered as the party of upper castes and Vaishyas/Baniyas, seems to be consolidating its base especially among Vaishyas and EBCs.
The Bihar Assembly on Tuesday strongly protested manhandling of students and parents hailing from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in Satara allegedly by workers of Maharashtra's Navnirman Sena of Raj Thackray.
Patna senior superintendent of police Manavendra Singh Dhillon courted trouble for having said that Popular Front of India members arrested from Phulwari Sharif in Patna underwent "physical training similar to what happens in RSS shakhas (branches)".
The Congress on Wednesday expressed sadness over 'pictures of Indians getting handcuffed and humiliated' while being deported from the United States and recalled that America had to express regret over the treatment meted out to India diplomat Devyani Khobragade in 2013 after the then United Progressive Alliance government retaliated sharply.
All the drama from inside Bihar's legislative assembly.
Signalling a thaw in the Janata Dal-United-Bharatiya Janata Party ties, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Sushil Modi accompanied Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in the last leg of his Vishwas Yatra to Gaya district.
Recalling his association with Jaitley, the CM said that "I had very close association with Arun Jailey ji since 1998 when I got the opportunity to work in Atal Bihari Vajpayee government... I am deeply hurt with passing away of Arun Jaitley ji."
In an apparent dig at the Bharatia Janata Party leaders like Narendra Modi for using Twitter to score points, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said they were turning the sweet chirping of birds (dictionary meaning of Twitter) into the jarring sounds of politics.
His chances of a third successive Olympic appearance hanging in balance, two-time medallist Sushil Kumar will not hesitate in going to Court if his demand for a trial against Narsingh Yadav is not accepted by the Wrestling Federation of India.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Saturday lashed out at Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray for his 'Bihari' bashing and asked the Centre to take strong action against him.
Deputy CM says a lot has been achieved, but the state has to go a long way.
"All your queries would be answered at an appropriate time," he told journalists.
Accusing the Janata Dal-United of betrayal, Bihar BJP on Sunday said it had walked out of National Democratic Alliance despite repeated assurances that it would be consulted whenever the prime ministerial candidate is chosen.
For Malegaon's Muslims, Rahul Gandhi's remarks were simply one more indication that the party they once supported no longer cares for them, notes Jyoti Punwani.
President Pranab Mukherjee has cut short his scheduled visit to Bihar by a day, possibly because it was clashing with a rally of Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in Patna.
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.
Bharatiya Janta Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's 'Hoonkar Rally' in Patna on October 27 has come under the scanner of the income tax department in Bihar, officials said on Thursday.
JD-U leaders came down heavily on the Begusarai MP for his snide remarks.
Quoting from the report of Central Statistics Office, the former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi said that Bihar's growth rate has reduced to half at 8.82 per cent in 2013-14 against 15.05 per cent in 2012-13.
'We want to strengthen hands of Modiji and sure that LJP (Ram Vilas) will contest polls as an ally of NDA.'
Kharge or somebody else, whoever becomes the chief, he will only be a face to show, Sushil Modi said.
