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The Wire
23-07-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
'Forcefully Imposed' Versus 'Necessary Cleaning': Are There Rifts in BJP Ally JD(U) Over the Bihar SIR?
JD(U) MP Giridhari Yadav said to The Wire that it took him 10 days to find his own documents. Party MLA Sanjeev Singh said migrant voters are being excluded. JD(U) MP and working president Sanjay Kumar Jha, has, however, welcomed the exercise. From left, JD(U)'s Sanjay Kumar Jha, Giridhari Yadav, and Sanjeev Singh. In the background is an image of the Bihar SIR uploaded by the Election Commission to X. New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party's key ally in the Union and Bihar governments, the Janata Dal (United), has begun to display signs of discontent in its ranks over the Election Commission of India's 'special intensive revision' of rolls in Bihar. While opposition parties have already been up in arms over it, JD(U) MP from Banka, Giridhari Yadav on Wednesday (July 23) said that it was his 'personal opinion' that the exercise had been "forcefully imposed' on Bihar and it took him 10 days to find his documents alone. Speaking to The Wire, Yadav said that at least six months should have been given for the SIR. 'This is my personal opinion and not the party's. At least six months should have been given for the exercise. It took me 10 days myself to find my documents. During this time there is rain and flood in Bihar, many people live outside the state. How will they find the documents for this exercise?' he said to The Wire. When asked if he had raised the matter with the party, Yadav reiterated that this was his personal opinion. 'What will I say to the party? This is my personal opinion,' he said. Earlier on the same day, while speaking to a news agency outside parliament, Yadav criticised the SIR and said that the Election Commission has 'no practical knowledge.' 'The Election Commission has no practical knowledge. It neither knows the history nor the geography of Bihar. It took 10 days for me to collect all the documents. My son stays in America. How will he do the signatures in just a month? This (SIR) has been imposed on us forcefully. This is just like a Tughlaqi farmaan,' he said. 'At least six months' time should have been given for this. I am giving my personal opinion. It doesn't matter what the party is saying. This is the truth. If I can't say the truth, why have I become an MP?' Yadav's remarks come amid ongoing opposition agitation in parliament, demanding a discussion on the Bihar SIR. Opposition MPs of the INDIA bloc continued to protest on the third day of the monsoon session, holding placards and banners, demanding that the exercise be stopped. Inside parliament, the first half of the day's proceedings saw adjournments amid loud protests from the opposition benches demanding a discussion on the issue, with many MPs holding placards and banners in the well of the House. The government is yet to yield to the opposition's demand, and has not admitted any of the adjournment notices submitted by opposition members demanding a discussion on the issue. The exercise which requires voters to provide proof of citizenship as well as of their parents' has been criticised amid fears of mass exclusions and disenfranchisement. The ongoing SIR is due to be completed by July 25, two days from now. The draft electoral roll will be published on August 1. Voters will have until September 1 to make claims and objections and the final electoral roll is set to be published on September 30. 'Cleaning should be done' While his party MP has raised concerns about the exercise, JD(U) working president and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha said that the Election Commission's exercise was a 'welcome move'. 'The purpose of conducting a survey was to avoid bogus voting in case of deaths, or if one person's name is in two places or if one is not a citizen of India. That is why this extensive revision is being done. This is a welcome move by the Election Commission. The cleaning should be done. Till yesterday 98% people applied to the voter list. So the Election Commission is doing the right thing and they have said no genuine voter will be left out,' he said. On Wednesday, the Election Commission's daily release revealed a dramatic overnight surge in electors classified as deceased or or permanently shifted in Bihar. The figures showed that 8,37,262 voters were added to the 'not found at their addresses' category in a single day, while the total number of 'electors not found' jumped from 43.93 lakh on July 21 to 52.30 lakh on July 22. 'Migrants' In Patna, JD(U) MLA Sanjeev Singh has also echoed concerns about migrant workers being excluded from the electoral rolls and said that in his constituency there are no Bangladeshi and Pakistanis, yet names have been excluded. "Those who have been found deceased are genuine [exclusions]. But those who have not been found to be deceased, on what basis have their names been excluded? In my Vidhan Sabha [seat] several names have been excluded. There are no Bangladeshi or Pakistanis in our Vidhan Sabha [seat]. Despite this their names have been excluded,' he said to PTI. 'Those who are migrant workers, their names have been excluded. These people are not able to fill the forms online. They will not be able to give their vote. I want to request the Election Commission to help them. The revision should be done. But more time should have been given. If they started this in March and April these people could have filled their forms. These migrant workers will get holiday during Durga Puja and Chhatth Puja in October-November. By that time our elections will be over. What will they do then?' Singh said that the exercise will not only affect voters of the NDA but other parties as well. 'This will lead to losses not just to NDA but to other parties also. I myself am worried. I have not been able to get in touch with our voters who live outside,' he said. Find The Wire's coverage of the Bihar SIR here. 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Hindustan Times
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Nitish announces free electricity up to 125 units months before Bihar polls
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday announced free electricity for all domestic consumers up to 125 units, months before assembly elections are due in October-November this year. This is the first such move in the state and the latest in the series of sops ahead of polls. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. (HT PHOTO) 'We have been providing electricity to everyone at affordable rates from the beginning. We have now decided that, starting from August 1, 2025, and effective for the July bill, all domestic consumers in the state will not have to pay for electricity up to 125 units,' Kumar posted on X in Hindi. He said the move will benefit 16.7 million families in the state. 'In the next three years, with the consent of all these domestic consumers, solar power plants will be installed on their rooftops or at nearby public places.' He said that the state government will cover the cost of installing solar power plants for extremely poor families under the Kutir Jyoti scheme. '...for the rest, the government will provide appropriate support. This means domestic consumers will no longer have to bear any cost for electricity up to 125 units, and at the same time, it is estimated that within the next three years, up to 10,000 megawatts of solar energy will be available in the state.' The fresh announcements came days after Bihar's finance department denied reports that the state government was going to provide free electricity to up to 100 units. Urban domestic consumers in Bihar were charged ₹7.42 per unit for the first 100 units and ₹8.95 per unit above 100 units. These rates exclude the subsidy the government offers to power consumers. Rural domestic consumers pay at a flat rate of ₹7.42 per unit. The state government provides ₹15000 crore for the power subsidy. In April, the Bihar Electricity Regulatory Commission offered around six million smart prepaid meter consumers of the total 20.8 million in the state 25 paise per unit (kilowatt per hour or kWh) rebate. The rebate was earlier 3% (2% prompt payment rebate within the due date, and 1% rebate on online recharge). The ruling Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) hailed Kumar's latest announcement, calling it historic. 'When Nitish Kumar formed the government, 700 MW of electricity was produced here. There was no electricity for even an hour in the villages. There was electricity for 7-8 hours in the cities. Today, the electricity production in Bihar has increased by 12 times to 8500 MW,' said JD (U) national working president Sanjay Jha. 'Today, 100% of the houses in Bihar are electrified.'
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Business Standard
06-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
India-US BTA negotiations throw up tricky farm trade riddles to solve
Any decision on granting access to maize from the US may send the ruling JD(U)-BJP-led coalition back to the drawing board in poll-bound Bihar, writes Sanjeeb Mukherjee Sanjeeb Mukherjee Delhi Listen to This Article As the India-United States (US) Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) negotiations enter a crucial phase, the fate of three key agricultural commodities — maize, soybean, and soyoil — would be keenly watched. According to sources, the US boasts of huge surpluses of all three commodities and is pushing to ease entry barriers as part of the deal. If the US has its way, it could have repercussions for farmers in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. But, the most immediate impact could be in Bihar, which goes to polls later this year.
Malaysia Sun
03-06-2025
- General
- Malaysia Sun
Malaysian Parliament Speaker affirms support to All-Party Delegation in India's approach to terror
Kuala Lumpur [Malaysia], June 3 (ANI): All-Party Parliamentary Delegation, headed by JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, met Speaker of the House of Representatives, Parliament of Malaysia (Dewan Rakyat), YB Tan Sri Dato' Johari bin Abdul in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, a statement by the High Commission of India in Malaysia said. As per the High Commission, Abdul reaffirmed Malaysia's commitment to peace, and thanked the All-Party Parliamentary Delegation for the briefing on India's approach in dealing with terrorism at large. In a post on X, it said, 'All-Party Parliamentary Delegation, led by Hon'ble MP Mr. Sanjay Kumar Jha, met with Hon'ble Speaker of the House of Representatives, Parliament of Malaysia (Dewan Rakyat), H.E. YB Tan Sri Dato' (Dr.) Johari bin Abdul and briefed on India's unwavering policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism, and sought cooperation of Parliamentarians of Malaysia in our collective fight against terrorism. Hon'ble Speaker of Malaysia reaffirmed Malaysia's commitment to peace, and thanked the All-Party Parliamentary Delegation for the briefing on India's approach in dealing with terrorism at large.' An all-party delegation from India, led by JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, held a series of key diplomatic engagements in Malaysia, meeting with representatives of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), as part of a broader outreach to strengthen regional ties and convey India's stance on peace and counter-terrorism. The first meeting was held with the DAP, where the Malaysian delegation was headed by YB Tuan M. Kulasegaran V. Murugeson, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reforms). The meeting focused on matters of mutual interest, including regional peace, legal cooperation, and the fight against terrorism. The Indian delegation later met with representatives of PKR, the People's Justice Party. The Malaysian side was led by YB Senator Saraswathy Kandasami, Deputy Minister of National Unity. Both meetings highlighted the growing collaboration and diplomatic engagement between India and Malaysia. Expressing concern over the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Malaysian leaders acknowledged India's 'measured' response and reiterated their support for peace and regional stability. The Indian delegation includes BJP MPs Aparajita Sarangi, Brij Lala, Pradan Baruah, Hemang Joshi; TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee; CPI-M's John Brittas; and Congress leader Salman Khurshid, among others. Their visit is part of a multi-nation tour to brief international partners on India's counter-terrorism efforts and promote regional cooperation. The delegation's tour includes stops in Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, and Singapore, underscoring India's commitment to regional peace, security, and development. (ANI)
India Gazette
03-06-2025
- General
- India Gazette
Malaysian Parliament Speaker affirms support to All-Party Delegation in India's approach to terror
Kuala Lumpur [Malaysia], June 3 (ANI): All-Party Parliamentary Delegation, headed by JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, met Speaker of the House of Representatives, Parliament of Malaysia (Dewan Rakyat), YB Tan Sri Dato' Johari bin Abdul in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, a statement by the High Commission of India in Malaysia said. As per the High Commission, Abdul reaffirmed Malaysia's commitment to peace, and thanked the All-Party Parliamentary Delegation for the briefing on India's approach in dealing with terrorism at large. In a post on X, it said, 'All-Party Parliamentary Delegation, led by Hon'ble MP Mr. Sanjay Kumar Jha, met with Hon'ble Speaker of the House of Representatives, Parliament of Malaysia (Dewan Rakyat), H.E. YB Tan Sri Dato' (Dr.) Johari bin Abdul and briefed on India's unwavering policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism, and sought cooperation of Parliamentarians of Malaysia in our collective fight against terrorism. Hon'ble Speaker of Malaysia reaffirmed Malaysia's commitment to peace, and thanked the All-Party Parliamentary Delegation for the briefing on India's approach in dealing with terrorism at large.' An all-party delegation from India, led by JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, held a series of key diplomatic engagements in Malaysia, meeting with representatives of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), as part of a broader outreach to strengthen regional ties and convey India's stance on peace and counter-terrorism. The first meeting was held with the DAP, where the Malaysian delegation was headed by YB Tuan M. Kulasegaran V. Murugeson, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reforms). The meeting focused on matters of mutual interest, including regional peace, legal cooperation, and the fight against terrorism. The Indian delegation later met with representatives of PKR, the People's Justice Party. The Malaysian side was led by YB Senator Saraswathy Kandasami, Deputy Minister of National Unity. Both meetings highlighted the growing collaboration and diplomatic engagement between India and Malaysia. Expressing concern over the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Malaysian leaders acknowledged India's 'measured' response and reiterated their support for peace and regional stability. The Indian delegation includes BJP MPs Aparajita Sarangi, Brij Lala, Pradan Baruah, Hemang Joshi; TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee; CPI-M's John Brittas; and Congress leader Salman Khurshid, among others. Their visit is part of a multi-nation tour to brief international partners on India's counter-terrorism efforts and promote regional cooperation. The delegation's tour includes stops in Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, and Singapore, underscoring India's commitment to regional peace, security, and development. (ANI)
