Latest news with #Nitish
India Today
7 hours ago
- Business
- India Today
From 'Vote Katua' to Kingmaker? Chirag's return stirs unease in NDA ahead of Bihar polls
With Chirag Paswan hinting at contesting the upcoming Bihar elections, 'Chirag for CM' posters coming up across the state, and reports of his party demanding 33 seats, an eerie unease returns to the NDA, similar to the one witnessed during the 2020 Vidhan Sabha polls. Chirag aims to restore the past glory of the party and throw in his hat for the Chief Ministership in the state, staring at the political vacuum in a post-Nitish era. With the BJP still struggling to create a pan-state leader, this would pitch him in a direct battle with Tejashwi Yadav, party strategists 2020 Chacha-Bhatija SagaChirag Paswan, unhappy at being denied 30 seats in the alliance, decided to contest on a standalone basis. To the utter surprise of everyone, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) put up candidates against the JDU and not against the BJP, ostensibly at the behest of the saffron party, even fielding some rebels of the saffron party. The strategy allegedly was to weaken Nitish Kumar while at the same time crowding out the opposition and damaging Mahagathbandhan's (MGB) prospects by bagging a section of anti-NDA votes. In a very close election where NDA and MGB were tied at around 37 per cent vote share, NDA edged out MGB 125-110 in assembly strength of LJP(R) candidates received a higher number of votes than the victory margin in 73 of the 137 seats contested, damaging the prospects of NDA in 40, MGB in 32 and Others in 1 seat. Chirag specifically targeted JD(U), bagging a section of BJP voters unhappy with its decision to continue to project Nitish as chief was largely responsible for bringing down JDU's tally from 71 in 2015 to 43 in 2020. LJP(R) damaged JDU in 33 seats. In the 28 seats where JDU was runner-up, LJP(R) got more votes than the margin of victory. On five seats, it pushed JDU to the third spot, emerging as runner-up. While the party could win just one seat, it played spoilsport to the cause of JDU-LJP(R) riftLJP(R) is eyeing more seats to take advantage of a weakening JDU and the fragile health of Nitish. There is a strong historical reason for the unease in the relationship between the two parties. In its first election in Bihar in March 2005, LJP(R) emerged as the choice of Dalits, bagging a 12 per cent vote share and winning 29 seats, forcing a hung assembly. In the elections which followed in six months, while LJP(R) more or less retained the vote share, its tally fell to 10 seats, resulting in the onset of the Nitish era. The Dalit population in Bihar was 16 per cent as per the 2011 census. Acting on recommendations of the State Mahadalit Commission, Nitish created a separate category for marginalized SCs in 2007 in a bid to cultivate his constituency among them and politically weaken Ram Vilas Paswan (Chirag's late father).All Scheduled Caste groups accounting for 10 per cent of the population were included under Mahadalits, leaving out only the Paswans or Dusadhs accounting for 6 per cent. Since this move, the LJP(R)'s vote share has halved from 11 per cent in 2005 to 7 per cent in 2010 and further to 6 per cent in 2020. Its seat tally has declined from 29 in 2005 to 3 in 2010 and then to just 1 in the 2020 Vidhan Sabha polls. The LJP(R)'s clout has declined in the Nitish era as he emerged as the leader of Mahadalits, restricting Paswan's hold to just their contrasting poll fortunesLJP(R) exhibits contrasting performance in Bihar. Its tally has been reduced from three in 2010 to just one in 2020 state elections, highlighting inconsistency in its alliance strategy. In 2010, it contested with the RJD. In 2015, it shifted to a BJP-led alliance, while in 2020, it contested alone, rebelling from the NDA, or rebelling from part of the NDA. In the Lok Sabha elections, on the other hand, it has achieved a 100 per cent / near 100 per cent strike rate. It won 6/7 seats in 2014 as an NDA ally, 6/6 in 2019 and 5/5 in 2024, riding on the Modi wave during this period. Chirag's father, called a political mausam vaigyanik, shifted to NDA from UPA before the 2014 general elections, sensing public mood in favour of from 2020 DebacleThe lesson for Chirag after the 2020 debacle is that he cannot risk dabbling alone again in 2025. He was labelled a vote katua party during 2020. He needs to stick with the alliance to win a handful of seats and regain relevance in state is why, despite overzealous party workers, Chirag has clearly mentioned that there is no vacancy for the CM post in NDA, Nitish would continue to be the CM face, and that he is not throwing his hat in the ring. At the same time, he is aware that the LJP(R) brings an extra 6 per cent of votes to the alliance, and is looking to leverage it in seat distribution party's goal is to reclaim the past glory under the late Ram Vilas Paswan in state politics and equal the best-ever 12.6 per cent vote share, emerging as the choice of the entire SC community and not only Paswans/Dusadhs, which account for 5.31 per cent of population as per Bihar Caste Survey. The BJP has given an NOC to the LJP(R)'s desire to field Chirag as a candidate and that too from a general seat as the party hopes to extend influence beyond his entry may be seen suspiciously by JDU as another ploy by the BJP to weaken Nitish. BJP Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, who nurses CM ambitions, may also not be happy at this prospect as it weakens his claim for the top post. Chirag is young and is believed to have a decent statewide presence. The BJP, which lacks leaders, wishes to pitch him against Tejashwi, who is emerging as the number one choice of the youth reeling from the unemployment Paswan has risen in the CM preference ratings in the C-Voter survey from 5.8 per cent in April to 10.6 per cent in May (+4.8 per cent). He has gained at the expense of Samrat Chaudhary, whose ratings have declined from 12.5 per cent to 6.6 per cent (-5.9 per cent).(Views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author)Must Watch
India Today
9 hours ago
- Business
- India Today
Can Prashant Kishor be the third force in Bihar?
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated June 9, 2025)It's a Prashant Kishor encore, so none of the mainstream parties had exactly wished for it. The October 2024 birth of Jan Suraaj Party was preceded by a good bit of labour: two full years, about 5,000 km, of pacing up and down the natal ward of Bihar. That hard-earned paternity is now entering its logical phase: the JSP aims to make it good in the coming state election. Prashant ('PK') has hit the ground running—with a rerun. He plans to criss-cross all 243 assembly constituencies before October-November with his 'Bihar badlaw yatra'.advertisementBad law is just about right, as a spot of starting trouble proved. On May 18, under a blistering sun in Nalanda, PK found himself stopped on way to Kalyanbigha, CM Nitish Kumar's ancestral village. 'Yahaan koi British Raj hai jo gaon mein jaane ke liye aapka permission chaahiye?' he was heard fulminating, at a stone-faced SDM and a phalanx of officials. PK's caravan was out to test Nitish's three pledges on his own home turf. Had Rs 2 lakh been really given to each of the 9.4 million low-income families identified in Bihar's caste survey? Had Mahadalits been allotted land? Have land records been digitised and freed from corrupt local babus?In the event, those remained a mystery. PK turned back, and instead held a rally at Biharsharief on May 20 where he formally launched his Yatra 2.0. As his caravan rolls into each village gathering, it unfolds with the same refrain: 'You vote by caste or for 5 kg of grain. When was the last time you considered your children's future? Lalu Yadav is plotting his son's rise; what of yours? For once, look beyond the immediate.' Bihar's villagers, long habituated to transactional voting, listen in rapt silence. Something His vocabulary brims over with the promise of a post-caste politics, but as PK revs up for the hustings, the chess moves he's making show he's not without a keen eye towards the electoral potential of caste. On May 18, he secured the merger of Ramchandra Prasad 'RCP' Singh's Aap Sabki Awaaz Party into JSP. Who's RCP? An ex-bureaucrat and Nitish favourite, once his principal secretary, who leapt to great heights: JD(U) president, Rajya Sabha MP, and towards the end of that 2010-22 phase, even Union steel minister. More crucially, he's a Kurmi from Nalanda, like Nitish.'RCP's entry will fortify our appeal among a key demographic,' admits a JSP insider. RJD'sTejashwi Yadav JD(U) chief NitishKumar NUMERICAL NUANCESSimultaneously, Kishor anointed Uday Singh. Resume: younger brother of the estimable ex-bureaucrat N.K. Singh, resourceful man from a prominent family who was twice BJP MP from Purnea and, after a bitter falling out and detour in the Congress, turned a benevolent patron for JSP in its salad days. Also, a Rajput face—so saffron territory. Counting Manoj Bharti, the Dalit state chief with an IIT/IFS bio, that's three caste boxes ticked. With top-tier lieutenants in place, Kishor can devote himself to the trail, promising governance over identity nuances frame his strategy as he goes tilting at the nearly four-decade-long RJD-JD(U) duopoly, with the BJP playing the long game. As many as 40 of Bihar's 243 assembly seats had victory margins lower than 3,500 votes in 2020. In November 2024, JSP contested four bypolls and finished third in two seats. In Imamganj, its 37,103 votes ensured the RJD's defeat. Overall, JSP got approximately 10 per cent of the votes. So the sight of PK wading through rice paddies and dusty lanes, talking his new talk in cramped huts and at bustling chaupals, can't be too soothing for the entrenched to India Today MagazineMust Watch advertisement
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Shooting victim, another held for misleading cops
1 2 Chatra: Two youths were arrested on Monday for misleading police about a shooting incident on May 30. Nitish Kumar (18) was injured when his friend, Hemant, was trying to unload a pistol that belonged to another friend, Bablu. The bullet and the pistol were seized from Nitish's room. A resident of Bhaurudih village in the Kunda police station area of Chatra district, Nitish resides in Deepa Mohalla with his two friends in a rented room. SDPO Sandeep Suman said, "Nitish's friend Bablu had come to his room with a pistol and bullets. Hemant, a resident of Lawalong block, was unloading when it accidentally went off. A case has been registered against Nitish, Bablu, and Hemant at Sadar police station under the Arms Act. Nitish and Hemant have been arrested, while Bablu is still absconding." Nitish tried many tricks to mislead the police. "During the investigation, a forensic team was also called from Ranchi to investigate the incident, after which the truth was uncovered," Suman said.
India.com
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
Meet Mahabharata fame Nitish Bhardwaj's two wives, first marriage broke after 14 years, second after 10 years, now he is…
You must remember actor Nitish Bhardwaj who played the role of Shri Krishna in BR Chopra's Mahabharata. The actor is in the news these days for his personal life. Nitish recently won everyone's heart in the role of Shri Krishna, is going through a lot of troubles in his personal life. Recently, the actor has filed a complaint against his ex-wife Smita Bhardwaj accusing her of mental harassment. In such a situation, we are introducing you to the painful story of the actor's real life. Nitish Bhardwaj, who earned a lot of fame in the film world, had married twice. But both the marriages of the actor broke after some time. Nitish Bhardwaj's first marriage was with Monisha Patil in the year 1991. She is the daughter of the director of a popular magazine of that era. Nitish had two children, a son and a daughter, from his first wife Monisha. But then there was a rift in their relationship and the couple separated. Then IAS officer Smita came into Nitish's life and both got married in the year 2009. But after 10 years of marriage, this relationship also cracked. The couple became parents of two daughters. But then in the year 2019, Nitish separated from Smita. However, this separation was not at all easy for him. The actor was very broken after the divorce. Let us tell you that now the actor has filed a complaint against his ex-wife and has alleged that she tortures him mentally. Also, she does not allow him to meet his daughters.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Name game: Man who tricked cops to walk out of Neemka jail nabbed in Bihar
Faridabad: A man, who tricked his way out of Neemka jail in the city using a namesake's identity, found that freedom was short-lived as police caught up with him in his village in Bihar. Accused in a Pocso case from 2021, Nitesh Pandey escaped police custody on May 26 when a local court granted bail to Nitish (with an 'i', not 'e') of Old Faridabad. This Nitish was arrested in connection with a case of trespass and physical assault. What confused the cops was that both accused had their fathers' names as Ravinder in jail records. Pandey sniffed the opportunity last week after coming to know that Nitish would walk out on bail. "When Nitish's name was called out in the jail premises, the actual person was absent. Pandey falsely identified himself as Nitish of Old Faridabad and deceived the jail staff into releasing him, despite knowing that the bail documents weren't in his name," a police officer said. For two days, jail officials weren't even aware of the deception. The escape finally came to light on May 28 when the actual Nitish enquired about his release. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Bolsas nos olhos? (Tente isso hoje à noite) Revista Saúde & Beleza Saiba Mais Undo An FIR was registered at Sadar Ballabgarh police station and two jail officials were suspended for negligence. A crime branch team, which led the investigation, was sent to Bihar and tracked down Nitesh at his village in Kalyanpur in Patna on Saturday. During interrogation, Pandey confessed to the impersonation. "He was aware of Nitish's bail and exploited the confusion to secure his release through deception. By posing as Nitish from Shastri Colony, he successfully walked out of jail," an official said. Pandey was produced before a local court and remanded in judicial custody. "We are investigating whether any jail staff were involved in his escape," another official added. Police officials assured strict action against anyone found negligent in the verification process of inmates. They also announced that security protocols in jails would be reviewed to prevent similar incidents in the future.
