The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced it will contest all 243 seats in the Bihar assembly elections and released its first list of 11 candidates.
The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), an NDA member, announced it will contest 153 seats in the upcoming Bihar elections after not being allocated any seats by the NDA. The party claims the BJP's Bihar unit provided a negative report regarding their strength.
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.
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee accuses the BJP of instigating violence during Ram Navami rallies in West Bengal, alleging the party uses the festival to create unrest and division.
One of the notable celebrations includes the Rath Yatra -- a spectacular procession through the streets with Lord Mahavir's idol on a chariot, with followers accompanying it while chanting hymns and performing prayers.
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee has accused the BJP of instigating violence during Ram Navami rallies in West Bengal, alleging the party is disrupting the state's tradition of communal harmony.
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee has accused the Congress party of indirectly supporting the BJP in West Bengal, urging voters to reject them in the upcoming elections. He alleged a nexus between the Congress, BJP, and Left parties, claiming that votes for Congress would split the opposition and benefit the BJP.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav promised that if the INDIA bloc comes to power in Bihar, it will ensure every family has a member with a government job, enacting legislation within 20 days of forming the government.
India imports nearly 60 percent of its LPG, with most cargo previously coming through the Strait of Hormuz, now closed for commercial shipping.
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).
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday asserted that Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, a former state Bharatiya Janata Party president, would be made 'big man' by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the assembly polls.
Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal, praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiatives for women's empowerment, citing the Swachh Bharat Mission and PM Awas Yojana. He also criticised the Trinamool Congress government's handling of food distribution and women's security in the state.
Uttar Pradesh Police have dismantled an illegal kidney transplant racket operating in Kanpur, arresting five doctors and the alleged ringleader. The investigation revealed a network exploiting vulnerable individuals for profit, with potential links to other major cities and even international connections.
A retired Army brigadier was killed in Dehradun during a crossfire between two groups following a dispute at a nightclub. Police have arrested four people in connection with the incident.
The Congress party has alleged that approximately 23 lakh women's names have been removed from the voter list in Bihar, particularly in constituencies with close contests in the 2020 elections. They claim this is a deliberate act of 'vote theft' orchestrated by the ruling party through the Election Commission.
A senior Maoist commander, Papa Rao, surrendered with his team in Chhattisgarh, signalling a significant blow to Left-Wing Extremism in the region. This event underscores the impact of sustained security pressure and rehabilitation efforts on the Maoist movement.
The first phase of Bihar assembly elections saw a moderate pace of polling across 121 constituencies, with 53.77% voter turnout reported till 3 pm. Sporadic incidents of violence were also reported. Key leaders are in the fray for both the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc.
The cost of the war is being counted not in the corridors of power in Washington or Tehran, but in Firozabad's darkened furnace rooms, Howrah's idle casting sheds, and a barbershop in Kochi where the wait is suddenly, inexplicably, an hour long, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
Former JD(U) leader KC Tyagi has joined the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), citing shared ideologies with Chaudhary Charan Singh and Ram Manohar Lohia. He aims to strengthen the party and champion the cause of farmers.
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.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday claimed that people were not voting for the Rashtriya Janata Dal-helmed opposition in Bihar as they fear that if voted to power, its regime will 'put katta to their heads and order them to hold their hands up'.
'The AIADMK and DMK have 75% of the total votes. 25% of the voters do not support the two majors,' says DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai.
The Supreme Court of India has transferred a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning the safety and longevity of bridges in Bihar to the Patna High Court. The court expressed concern over the state government's handling of bridge collapses, noting that officials were suspended after incidents but reinstated after the public outcry subsided. The court also criticized the state's voluminous response to the PIL, which lacked explanations for the collapses. The Patna High Court will now monitor the state's efforts to ensure structural and safety audits of bridges in Bihar.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has ordered strict action against illegal opium farming after several cases surfaced in the state. The government has instructed departments to investigate and ensure stringent action against those involved.
Police in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, have identified additional suspects in an illegal kidney transplant racket involving multiple private hospitals, following the arrest of five doctors and the alleged kingpin.
The Congress party has criticized the BJP's appointment of Nitin Nabin as its new president, questioning the election process and mocking the role of the Election Commissioner.
Delhi Police have arrested a Delhi University graduate and seized over 5,000 pirated NCERT textbooks from a godown in outer Delhi, dismantling a syndicate involved in the distribution of counterfeit educational material.
'This outcome is thoroughly unexpected.' 'I travelled extensively across villages, engaged in detailed discussions with residents, and consulted with party workers who had been canvassing from village to village, from one location to another, seeking grassroots feedback.' 'Not a single interlocutor suggested that there would be an NDA wave of this magnitude.'
In West Bengal's assembly elections, fish has become a potent symbol of Bengali identity, with the Trinamool Congress and BJP clashing over food habits and cultural representation.
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.
'The Bihar assembly polls will open the eyes of everyone once the Gau Bhakts receive votes.'
BJP state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar dismisses Rahul Gandhi's charge of a BJP-CPI(M) understanding in Kerala as baseless, asserting the NDA is competitive and criticising Congress's performance.
The death of an undertrial prisoner in Buxar Central Jail, Bihar, led to protests by family members and locals alleging foul play. The prisoner, Rajendra Kumar Singh, was lodged in jail for allegedly selling liquor. Relatives claimed there were injury marks on his body and alleged he was beaten to death, prompting demands for an investigation and action against jail officials.
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.
Delhi Police arrested four Indian Youth Congress workers for staging a shirtless protest at the AI Impact Summit venue, with officials investigating a potential wider conspiracy.
Asserting that liquor consumption is a social stigma, Nitish said that prohibition would improve society.
The BJP and JD(U) will each contest on 101 seats in the Bihar assembly elections, while the LJP will field candidates on 29 seats. Other NDA partners will contest on fewer seats.
According to the proposal of the state Tourism department, which was approved by the Cabinet, around Rs 137 crore will be spent on the renovation of the old Punaura Dham Janki Mandir and Rs. 728 crore for the development of tourist infrastructure around the temple. The remaining amount will be spent on the maintenance of the infrastructure for ten years.
Nitish thought that his stakes as chief minister were far greater than his stakes in protecting one of his party MLAs. He could not allow his rule-of-law train to be derailed by a small rock on the track. On the contrary, if he removed it to keep the train moving at a steady speed he would gain strong public admiration and sympathy that would help him take the masses along in carrying out other tasks. A fascinating excerpt from Arun Sinha's Nitish Kumar And The Rise Of Bihar.
'It would be similar to what happened during COVID-19.' 'They are not just losing income, but being pushed into distress.'
