There should be no politics on Pahalgam terror attack: CPI-M
Patna: The CPI-M on Monday asked all parties not to do politics on the Pahalgam terror attack and asked their leaders to refrain from making any adverse statements regarding the attack.
"There is a need for national unity and not political rhetoric. Whatever happened in Pahalgam now, the entire country is speaking in one voice. After the CCS meeting, the Prime Minister gave the army the authority to make decisions. Everyone should speak carefully. There should be no politics on this issue,' CPI-M General Secretary M.A. Baby told media persons here.
He also chaired a meeting with state leaders at the party office and chalked out preliminary election strategies.
The CPI-M General Secretary further accused Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of practising 'opportunistic politics' in the state. 'Nitish Kumar is a master of opportunism. He takes decisions based on self-interest, not ideology,' he said.
Reiterating confidence in the INDIA Bloc ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly Elections, Baby asserted that the alliance is united and actively coordinating.
'Regular meetings among top leaders of the INDIA Bloc reflect our unity. We will fight the elections with full strength and form the next government in Bihar," he declared.
On the caste census, Baby expressed scepticism over the government's preparedness.
"Questions remain on when and how the caste census will be conducted. No clear details have been provided by the Central government so far," he said.
He also reaffirmed the CPI-M's commitment to labour rights, highlighting the upcoming Bharat Bandh on May 20, called by the Left parties.
'The bandh will focus on workers' rights, and it will be successful as all Grand Alliance constituents have pledged their support,' he noted.
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Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
CPI MP writes to president alleging misuse of governor's office in opposition-ruled states
New Delhi, CPI Rajya Sabha MP P Sandosh Kumar on Friday wrote to President Droupadi Murmu alleging "misuse' of gubernatorial authority in the opposition-ruled states. Mentioning a recent incident in Kerala where a portrait of 'Bharat Mata' was used at an event at the Raj Bhavan, leading to a boycott of the function by a state minister, Kumar expressed serious concern over the "continued misuse of gubernatorial authority in the opposition-ruled states". Kumar said it was most recently reflected in the conduct of the Kerala governor during the Environment Day celebrations at the Raj Bhavan, where a "particular version of the Bharat Mata image" was displayed without consulting the state government. "The arbitrary imposition of a particular version of the Bharat Mata image – without consultation with the elected government – forced Agriculture Minister P Prasad to boycott the event," Kumar said. Claiming that it was not an isolated episode, the CPI leader said, 'We are witnessing a pattern where governors in states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu repeatedly act as political agents, converting Raj Bhavans into ideological outposts of the RSS, disregarding constitutional norms, federal principles and the mandate of democratically elected governments.' He alleged that the Kerala incident also "potentially contravened" the Emblems and Names Act, 1950, and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, "by misusing national symbols for political or sectarian purposes". "The Bharat Mata image, originally envisioned by Abanindranath Tagore during the Swadeshi movement as a unifying emblem of anti-colonial resistance, has in recent years been altered and weaponised by an organisation notorious for its divisive politics. 'It is unacceptable that such reimagined and controversial symbols are now being forced upon official functions and public institutions, further polarising our society," Kumar alleged. The CPI leader urged the president to "take serious note of this trend and take immediate steps to ensure that governors do not overstep their constitutional mandate". The presence of a Bharat Mata portrait, allegedly associated with RSS 'shakhas', at a World Environment Day event at the Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday led to the state government boycotting the programme. Kerala Agriculture Minister P Prasad, who boycotted the event, said while the state government respects Bharat Mata, using an image commonly associated with RSS 'shakhas' for an official function at the Raj Bhavan was 'unconstitutional'. In a statement issued by the Raj Bhavan, Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar said, "Whatever be the pressure from whichever quarters, there will be no compromise whatsoever on Bharat Mata."
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Jan Suraaj Party pitches Prashant Kishor as Bihar's ‘most popular' CM pick - a look at its poll strategy
'Declare Nitish Kumar as the Chief Minister candidate if he is the face of the NDA,' challenged Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) founder Prashant Kishor on May 30, as he toured the state in his 'Bihar Badlav Yatra'. Mr. Kishor, a political strategist, who was instrumental in strategising several political campaigns, including those of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar, is setting himself up as a third alternative in Bihar beside the Mahagathbandhan (RJD-Congress-Left) and the National Democratic Alliance (BJP-JDU-LJP). Speaking to The Hindu, on Thursday (June 5, 2025), JSP working President Mr. Manoj Bharti pitched Mr. Kishor as a potential CM candidate. 'He is the most popular choice for CM in Bihar. The whole country and Bihar should forget about Nitish Kumar in the coming election. There is just no way that he can be in any position to drive anything in the next government. We are not going to form any coalition with anyone before or after polls. We will not join anyone just for the sake of forming a government,' says Mr. Bharti. Since October 2022, Mr. Kishor has been touring Bihar on foot, highlighting key issues like unemployment, migration, and inflation in the State, spanning 5000 kilometres across 17 districts. Two years later, he launched the 'Jan Suraaj Party' with a 'human first' approach, aiming to build a Bihar where 'people from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana and Punjab come in search of work.' Within days, his new party's popularity among the masses was tested. While JSP failed to open its accounts in the November 2024 by-polls held for four seats – Ramgarh, Belaganj, Imamganj and Tarari— Mr. Kishor expressed satisfaction with polling 10% of the total votes in these seats. Here's a look at Jan Suraaj's origins, journey, objectives and poll strategy. Prashant Kishor's Bihar journey Prashant Kishor has been active in strategising poll campaigns since 2012. After successfully aiding Mr. Modi in his re-election as Gujarat CM in 2012 and later in 2014 as Prime Minister, Mr. Kishor first forayed into Bihar in 2015. Bringing rivals Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar together as the 'Mahagathbandhan,' Mr. Kishor was instrumental in limiting BJP to a mere 58 seats in the 243-member Assembly. Despite Mr. Kumar's shifting loyalties, he retained Mr. Kishor as his political advisor, even appointing him JD(U)'s vice-president and his potential 'successor.' However, Mr. Kishor's stint with JDU came to an end in 2020 after he vociferously opposed the party's support for the passing of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Expelled from JDU in January that year, Mr. Kishor launched 'Baat Bihar Ki' — a campaign to attract people to help him find Bihar its 'rightful place among top 10 States of India in next 10-15 years.' In the following two years, Mr. Kishor hit the ground with his 'Baat Bihar Ki' campaign, undertaking a padyatra across the State. Targetting Mr. Kumar for the poverty in Bihar, he claimed that the NDA's 15-year regime had brought no development to the state. As a caste survey was done across Bihar, Mr. Kishor questioned why Mr. Kumar had not increased the reservation limit, disbursed financial aid to poor and homeless families, or handed over land rights to Dalit farmers. JSP has promised to decide on the implementation of these promises once it forms government. In October 2024, Mr. Kishor announced the launch of JSP based on five principles, including a one-year tenure for its party president and two years for its council members, and selection of poll candidates in a process similar to the primaries held by parties in the United Statess. JSP has promised to announce initial nominees in March and the final candidate for every seat by November. The party has promised to advocate for the 'Right to Recall' system for public representatives and to display both Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar on their official flag. JSP's entry was opposed by RJD, which accused Mr. Kishor of acting as a 'B-Team of BJP.' Seeking to frame Mr. Kishor's entry as a ploy to pit the OBCs and the upper castes against each other, RJD MP Misa Bharti said, 'Who is Prashant Kishor Pandey? Pandeys have this business of abusing Yadavs.' In response, Mr. Kishor chose Madhubani-born Manoj Bharti, a former diplomat and a Dalit, as the party's first working president, promising to build a developed Bihar. JSP's electoral performance In November 2024, JSP faced its first electoral test as it fielded candidates for the by-elections in Tarari, Ramgarh, Belaganj and Imamganj, as their MLAs were recently elected to Lok Sabha. In Tarari, JSP fielded Kiran Singh against BJP's Vishal Prashant — son of baahubali (strongman) Narendra Kumar Pandey — and CPI-ML's Raju Yadav. BJP managed to wrest the seat from CPI-ML, while JSP finished a distant third with 5622 votes. In Ramgarh, JSP fielded Sushil Singh Kushwaha against BJP's Ashok Kumar Singh and RJD's Ajit Kumar Singh in a bid to woo the Kushwaha community and capitalise on the division of votes. However, BJP managed to wrest this seat too from RJD as JSP finished fourth with 6513 votes. In Belaganj, which has a sizable Muslim and Extremely Backward Classes (EBC) population, JSP fielded Mohd. Amjad against two heavyweights — Vishwanath Kumar Singh of RJD and Manorama Devi of JDU. Mr. Kishor's gamble failed as JDU's Manorama Devi, wife of baahubali Bindi Yadav, trumped Mr. Amjad by a margin of 56,049 votes. In Imamganj, JSP fielded Jitendra Paswan, a well-known pediatrician from the area, against Deepa Santhosh Manhi of NDA ally Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), who is the daughter-in-law of party chief Jitan Ram Manjhi. Mr. Paswan failed to dent Ms. Manjhi's vote share as he polled 37,103 votes. In the wake of the poll drubbing, former MPs Devendra Prasad Yadav and Monazir Hassan quit the party. However, Mr. Kishor remained undeterred, making a slew of promises to be fulfilled if voted to power – lifting prohibition and spending the liquor tax revenue on education, offering low-interest loans to working class with better disbursal, and providing a monthly pension of ₹2000 for senior citizens. JSP has also promised land reforms and easy loans to women with the State government providing the required guarantee. JSP also received a boost after Nitish Kumar's estranged aide R.C.P Singh merged his outfit Aap Sabki Awaz party with it on May 18, 2025. Mr. Singh, a former IAS officer known for his booth-level organisational skills in the JDU, fell out with Mr. Kumar and was removed from the Union Cabinet in October 2024. He has since then been a harsh critic of Mr. Kumar, calling Bihar's bifurcation and the prohibition a mistake. 'According to some estimates, almost ₹20,000 crore of tax revenue from liquor is not being utilized. Prohibition is only on paper. Liquor is not available in shops but is available for home delivery. Anyone who wants to consume it can get it at a premium price. A huge section of officers are earning ill-gotten money through corruption and in the name of stopping liquor sale, half of the police force is trying to control it and trying to have a piece of the cake,' explains Mr. Bharti. Factors affecting JSP's strategy and its prospects The passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, during this year's Parliamentary Budget Session gave rise to questions about the potential impact on the polls in Bihar, where Muslims make up around 18% of the population. According to a Lokniti-CSDS survey, the Mahagathbandhan has cornered the Muslim votes in the past three decades. In 2005, the Mahagathbandhan cornered 40% of the Muslim vote, while NDA polled only 4% of the community's votes. In subsequent elections (2010, 2015 and 2020), Nitish Kumar's shifting loyalties have swayed the Muslim vote towards either coalition. With the NDA, JDU helped the coalition by polling 21% support from Muslims, while RJD polled 32% of the Muslim votes, and Congress, which did not ally with the RJD, got 22% votes. In 2015, JDU allied with RJD and cornered the support of 69% of Muslims, while NDA got only 6% of the community's vote share. Five years later, 76% of Muslims voted for the RJD-Congress combine while only 5% of Muslims supported the NDA. The Lokniti-CSDS survey concluded that the JD(U)-BJP alliance has never been a primary choice for Muslim voters, making a significant electoral shift unlikely in 2025. 'There is little reason for the NDA to worry in Bihar,' mused Lokniti-CSDS analysts in a column in The Hindu, dismissing JSP's impact in these polls. However, Mr. Bharti disagrees. 'We have a selection process which entails feedback from the ground from the village level, from the block level, from the division level before evaluating candidates. Per seat, atleast 5-10 potential candidates have been nominated of which one will be chosen,' he says. The party is following the same pattern to identify candidates as that used by political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) —an organisation founded by Mr. Kishor. Instead of castes, JSP has divided Bihari society into five broad classes – forward, backward, extremely poor, Muslims and Dalits. 'Based on their percentage in the population, as per the caste census that was done in Bihar, we will distribute tickets for all 243 seats. For example, Muslims constitute 18-19%, so they will be given 40 seats,' says Mr. Bharti. When asked if a Muslim candidate will be chosen in a Muslim-majority constituency, he says, 'Yes, that will be the main criteria.' Mr. Kishor has hinted at his own poll debut from Raghopur. The seat has been held by Lalu Yadav's chosen heir, Tejashwi Yadav, since 2015. Not ruling out a potential clash between Mr. Kishor and the RJD scion, Mr. Bharti says, 'Mr. Kishor has said that he has no problem fighting from any seat the party decides, including Raghopur. He is not afraid of fighting anyone from anywhere.' Raghopur, which falls under the district of Vaishali, has a sizable population of Rajputs in the Yadav-dominated region, opening avenues for the JSP to split the upper caste vote in the seat.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Dasharath Manjhi's son to seek Congress ticket to contest Bihar Assembly polls
'Mountain Man' Dasharath Manjhi 's son Bhagirath, who recently quit Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar 's JD(U) to join the Congress, on Friday disclosed that he wanted a party ticket in the upcoming assembly polls. Bhagirath spoke to PTI ahead of Gandhi's visit to Beldaur, the village to which his legendary father belonged. He said, "You can look at our house. We still do not have a pucca house. The first thing that I would like to request Rahul Gandhi is to provide us with a pucca house". Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Este es el aliado número 1 de los hombres con disfunción. Salud Masculina Undo He also seemed unimpressed with the gesture shown by Nitish Kumar in the lifetime of his father, by getting the Dalit mason seated on his own chair. "What benefit did my father and his family get from that show? Of course, Nitish Kumar may have got some brownie points", said the embittered son. Live Events Dashrath Manjhi earned fame for his feet of flattening a hill, just with a hammer and a chisel, after his wife stumbled while bringing him food from their home. It took several years for Manjhi, who passed away in 2007, to achieve his goal which reduced by over 40 km the distance between two administrative blocks of the district of Gayaji. The poignant life story also inspired a biopic "Manjhi - The Mountain Man" in which the titular role was played by National Award-winning actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Bhagirath, who was inducted into JD(U) last year, but joined the Congress in February this year, weeks after attending Gandhi's 'Samvidhan Suraksha Sammelan' in Patna, also said he would seek a ticket in the polls which are barely a few months away. He said, with candour, "When Rahul Gandhi comes here, I am going to ask him for a party ticket from Bodh Gaya". Named after the international Buddhist pilgrim town, Bodh Gaya happens to be a reserved constituency. The seat is currently held by the RJD, the Congress' senior ally in Bihar.
