The rumours have primarily been about the impending resignation of JD-U national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh 'Lalan', for alleged proximity towards ally Rashtriya Janaat Dal at the expense of loyalty to his own party.
This time Modi has no emotive message to take to the stump. Muscular nationalism doesn't work against the backdrop of China's successive inroads into Indian territory. Rising prices is a sore point that cuts across class and caste barriers; unprecedented levels of unemployment has the youth in a ferment. This has reduced the BJP campaign to a laundry list of recycled grievances and thinly veiled communal appeals, neither of which are working as well as they have in the past, argues Prem Panicker.
The man, who once lorded over Bihar, was pushed to the margins after the 2010 assembly elections.
Harping on putting up a united front, the Congress alleged that democracy is being "mercilessly murdered" and MPs who raise people's issues are suspended from the House.
Railway Minister Lalu Prasad was at his humourous best while presenting the Interim Railway Budget in the Lok Sabha on Friday, with a fair sprinkling of quotable quotes, couplets and witty replies to interventions.
Government has rejected former railway minister Lalu Prasad's request for further extension of his stay at the official bungalow at Tughlaq Road in Lutyen's zone in New Delhi.
Supporters of Yadav created ruckus in the hospital premises protesting the decision.
'His way of communication is different than the first yatra.' 'Maybe his anger and frustration stems from the fact that no one is asking hard questions to the government and he is trying to do that.'
The governor accepted Kumar's resignation, and asked him to continue as caretaker CM till a new government is formed, they said.
Factionalism is nothing new to Bihar cricket and the ugly infighting that has been running well over two decades has robbed the state of some notable talents, besides attracting the ire of the BCCI.
A day after Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad fielded his daughter Misa Bharti as party nominee to contest from the Patliputra seat in Patna, a senior party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Ramkirpal Yadav has revolted against him. He is now set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party to contest against Misa.
A link on the official website of the Ambala Railway Division provides access to a format a 11-page telephone directory in adobe which still lists Lalu Prasad Yadav as the 'Rail Minister'.
Lalu expressed his resolve to unite the opposition against Bharatiya Janata Party in the next general election.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was an experienced leader and it would be great if a proposal came to make him the convenor of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), his deputy Tejashwi Yadav said on Wednesday.
If the party's members aren't sure what it stands for, see no path to wealth or power, and endure control by a dynasty, which, almighty as it is within the party, cannot get them the votes, they are likely to explore options, notes Shekhar Gupta.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal on Sunday has expressed its full faith and confidence in its jailed leader Lalu Prasad and his wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi to lead the party.
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Nitish Kumar has spotted a secular trend in Bihar and with the minority's support he could trump Lalu Prasad, says Aditi Phadnis
Nitish Kumar's decision to resign as the state chief minister was as dramatic as the time he decided to tie up with old foe Lalu in 2015.
Former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi on Thursday said her husband Lalu Prasad Yadav was a victim of political conspiracy as there was "no proof against him".
Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav has termed Wednesday's landslide victory of the National Democratic Alliance in the Bihar assembly polls as mysterious and also said that his party will review their defeat.
Raising the 'Jungle Raj' pitch, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday warned that Lalu Prasad will "remote control" the affairs in Bihar and "kidnapping" will be only industry that will flourish if the opposition grand alliance comes to power.
Top leaders of the Opposition's Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) held talks in an informal setting in Mumbai on Thursday evening to chart out a concrete roadmap and evolve a structure for cooperation among the alliance partners to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Lalu, himself a leading light of the students' movement led by JP against Indira Gandhi government, said the socialist leader crusaded all his life for establishing an egalitarian society free of corruption and poverty.
The case involves fraudulent withdrawals amounting to Rs 33.67 crore from the Chaibasa treasury in undivided Bihar, when Lalu Prasad was the chief minister.
The original suggestion was to call it 'Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance', but the word 'democratic' was replaced with 'developmental' after Kumar and Yechury raised some objections saying it sounded too similar to the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), sources said.
Emerging from the meeting at 10 Circular Road residence of former Chief Minister Rabri Devi where he met RJD president Lalu Prasad, Raj Ballabh Yadav told reporters it was a courtesy visit to extend greetings of Durga Puja.
Wednesday's order to close a case against the RJD chief came close on heels of state government withdrawing a case against him, his two minister-sons and others for alleged vandalism and stopping government officials during an RJD-sponsored bandh last year.
Tej Pratap to play a cameo as Bihar CM in a Bhojpuri film.
Never a leader with a big base of his own, Sharad Yadav depended on state bigwigs like Lalu and Nitish to enter Parliament but enjoyed the aura and political weight which made him a strong presence at the high table of national politics in Delhi.
'We want to strengthen hands of Modiji and sure that LJP (Ram Vilas) will contest polls as an ally of NDA.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday made a scathing attack on Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad on his home turf, calling him a "tantrik" (occultist) and his party "Rashtriya Jadu Tona Party" as he reached out to the youth and weaker sections, promising a six-point programme for the state's development.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah himself sounded more open to such a possibility in a recent interview.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad announced in Patna on Sunday that the merger of the six parties of the erstwhile Janata Parivar was certain and necessary to stop and defeat the communally inclined BJP.
'So far we were fighting human beings. Now a shaitan has entered a human body which is after us.'
It's official now. After a gap of 23 years, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and senior Janata Dal-United leader Nitish Kumar will share dais and jointly address public meetings on Monday for by polls in Bihar's Hajipur and Mohiuddinnagar assembly constituencies.
The RJD chief rapped the BJP for "sensing an opportunity to destabilise the Grand Alliance government in Bihar" and asserted that the coalition was "intact".
A Central Bureau of Investigation court in Patna on Wednesday ordered Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad to appear in the court on September 6, in connection with the multi crore fodder scam, court official said The court in its orders made it clear to Lalu Prasad to appear physically in the court, a court sources said.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad took out a march on the main roads in Bihar capital on Sunday to protest against the Modi government's failure to bring black money.
'Singh was forced to submit his resignation to Nitish Kumar few days ago and convinced to announce his offer to resign at the party meeting.'
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