Bihar Assembly Election 2020 highlights: Bihar Congress leaders meet Governor Phagu Chauhan; seek dismissal of Nitish Kumar government

In the first phase of the Bihar Assembly election with 55.69% of the nearly 2.15 crore eligible voters having exercised their franchise on Wednesday. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar addressed rallies in 4 constituencies. It's a twin challenge for the JD(U) president -- retaining power in Bihar and keeping his party's top position within the ruling alliance -- but a sense of uneasiness seems to be creeping in, including in his home district Nalanda.

Thanks for tuning in to DH's coverage of Bihar Assembly polls.

PM Modi calls Tejashwi Yadav 'Yuvaraj' of 'Jungle Raj'

The war of words during the Bihar Assembly election got shriller on Wednesday when Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed Tejashwi Yadav, the Mahagatbandhan Chief Ministerial candidate, as the “Yuvraj of Jungle Raj.”

Read more

Observers have not recommended repolling in any of the 71 seats that went to polls in the first phase of theBiharassembly elections on October 28, an Election Commission statement said on Friday.

State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) H R Srinivas, in his report based on inputs provided by returning officers and district election officers, has also concluded that repolling was not required in any of the seats, it said.

Bihar Congress leaders meet Governor Phagu Chauhan; seek dismissal of Nitish Kumar govt

Bihar Congress leaders met Governor Phagu Chauhan on Friday and demanded dismissal of the Nitish Kumar government in the midst of the ongoing state assembly polls, holding it responsible for the firing in Munger during a Durga Puja event that claimed a life.

Read more

Large number of posts vacant; Bihar health services on ventilator: Surjewala

Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Friday alleged thatBiharChief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi have put the health services in the state on a ventilator by keeping a large number of posts of doctors and nurses vacant.

Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala alleges that Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi have put health services in the state on a ventilator by keeping a large number of posts of doctors and nurses vacant. (PTI)

Bihar polls: Nitish Kumar brings in 'parivar' versus 'praja' connotation in rallies

From Jungle Raj Ka Yuvraj, to "biwi, bachche (wife, kids) jibes, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA)in Bihar, battling hard against a numerically strong Opposition alliance, has launched a blistering attack on the RJD-led grand alliance on defensive.

Read more

Bihar polls: Coming of age for Chirag Paswan

All eyes are on Chirag Paswan this election season in Bihar.

Read more

Attacking Opposition RJD,BiharChief Minister Nitish Kumar Friday appealed to people to not "get misled" by those who "ignored" women and backward classes during their rule.

Addressing an election rally at Parbatta here, he said, "They are talking today, but how was the condition of women earlier? They were ignored, nobody paid attention to their issues."

Bihar polls: How Tejashwi Yadav turned a one-sided battle into a close fight

Till the Election Commission announced the poll dates for the Bihar Assembly elections, the battle of Bihar looked like a one-sided contest, with Nitish Kumar all set to get a fourth straight term.

Read more

Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) sealing officers check EVMs and Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) ahead of the second phase of Bihar assembly polls, in Patna. Credit: PTI Photo.

Nitish Kumar insecure over BJP-LJP ties, says Chirag Paswan

Amid speculations that the BJP may form the government in Bihar with the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), partyleaderChiragPaswan attackedBihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar saying thatthe JD(U) leader is suffering from insecurity.

Read more

In BJP bastion Bankipur, Shotgun's son brings in an element of curiosity

An element of curiosity has been introduced in the Bankipur assembly segment where a strongly placed young BJP MLAs attempt at a hat-trick has been challenged by, a still younger, Congress candidate with a formidable pedigree.

Read more

Some trying to create confusion by praising Modi, slamming Nitish, says J P Nadda

Some trying to create confusion by praising Modi, slamming Nitish, says J P Nadda hinting at LJP leader Chirag Paswan who quit the NDA ahead of assembly polls.

Addressing an election rally in Begusarai, BJP president reiterated that NDA only consists of BJP, JD(U), HAM and VIP with Nitish as the leader. He also said that the election was the fight between 'loot raj' of the Opposition and 'kanoon raj' of the NDA.

In BJP bastion Bankipur, Shotgun's son brings in an element of curiosity

An element of curiosity has been introduced in the Bankipur assembly segment where a strongly placed young BJP MLAs attempt at a hat-trick has been challenged by, a still younger, Congress candidate with a formidable pedigree.

The candidature of 37 years old Luv Sinha, whose father Shatrughan Sinha had lost Patna Sahib in the Lok Sabha polls last year when he fought on a Congress ticket, came as a surprise to residents of the Bihar capital, a major part of which is covered under the constituency named after a locality in the city.

Nitish Kumar's mindset is against the youth of Bihar, says Chirag Paswan

"Nitish Kumar's midset is against the youth of Bihar because if youth are educated, they will question CM during elections. They don't want to give education or degree because later employment has to be provided. How will they give employment?" LJP leader attacks Nitish Kumar.

Rs 6,000 relief to Bihar flood victims proved to be farce: Congress

The BJP-JD (U) makes big announcements of appearances, but fails to implement them. The announcement of Rs. 6000 to the flood victims has also proved to be a mere farce, INC tweeted.

Tejashwi Yadav shares greetings on Eid Milad-un-Nabi.

Nitish Kumar bets on his govt's 'women empowerment' work

Girls in Bihar have become 'confident' after the NDA government provided them with bicycles to go to schools, Nitish Kumar said, attacking the opposition for not doing enough for women in the state.

Speaking at an election rally in Parbatta, Kumar attacked RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav. "After he went to jail, he made his wife Chief Minister,. That's it," Kumar said accusing the opposition of not doing enough for women empowerment in the state.

Kumar has been reiterating that his government has done work in the area of women empowerment. He claimed that more women are part of the work and more girls are going to the schools in Bihar than ever. In metric examinations, there are more girls than boys, he said.

"When men and women work together, the state if Bihar will move ahead," he added.

Yogi Adityanath targets Grand Alliance over Bihar's 'jungle raj' identity

After ending terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, it's time to wipe out Naxalism from across the country, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said here Thursday. In the ongoing Bihar polls, he attacked the opposition Grand Alliance for allegedly trying to bring "jungle raj" in the state once again.

Addressing an election rally at Daraunda here, the BJP star campaigner mentioned the beginning of construction of a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya, enactment of a law against instant triple talaq and abrogation of provision of Article 370. Coming back to Bihar, he said "Who had created the jungle raj situation? These casteist and nepotistic forces have to be defeated".

Read more here

Reservation should be proportionate to caste population, says Nitish Kumar

As far as the question of population is concerned, that is decided only after the census & that decision is not in our hands. We would like that reservation should be proportionate to caste population, there is no second opinion about it: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar.

(ANI)

Modi govt gave special priority to Bihar by doubling funds compared to UPA: Anurag Thakur

The Modi government has given special priority to Bihar by giving double funds and assistance compared to the UPA's tenure reflecting commitment towards transforming the state, Union minister Anurag Singh Thakur has said.

To accelerate growth of the state, the Modi government, during 2014-2019, provided Bihar double the amount totalling Rs 1,09,642 crore as compared to Rs 50,008 crore during the UPA 2009-14 through grants-in-aid, he said.