Page 14 - Bihar Assembly Elections

US lists TRF as global terrorist outfit, Modi launches projects in Bihar & Reliance buys Kelvinator

The US State Department has designated The Resistance Front, a shadow group of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Just over a quarter of Bihar's first-time voters have a birth certificate

Election Commission exercise has people scrambling for papers that are arduous to obtain

PM Modi flags off 4 Amrit Bharat trains, launches several projects in Bihar

PM Modi launched development projects in rail, fisheries, and other sectors, joined by chief minister Nitish Kumar, governor Arif Mohammad Khan, and deputy CM Samrat Choudhary

SC refuses to stay proceedings against Lalu Yadav in land-for-job case

The decision to refuse a stay on trial proceedings against RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav comes at a politically sensitive moment, as Bihar prepares for assembly elections later this year

576,000 Bihar electors enrolled at multiple places, 1.2 mn dead: ECI data

According to the EC data, enumeration forms of over 86.32 per cent electors have been collected so far

Bihar CM launches projects worth ₹21,406 cr to improve rural connectivity

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday launched projects worth Rs 21,406.36 crore under the Rural Works Department (RWD), marking a major step toward improving rural connectivity across the state. The projects include the construction of 11,346 roads and 730 small bridges. The CM virtually inaugurated the projects during a function held at his official residence at 1, Anne Marg, here. According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), "It is worth noting that under the Rural Roads Strengthening and Management Programme, a new component, Mukhyamantri Gramin Sadak Unnayan Yojana, was launched in 2024. Under this programme, construction of 5,047 roads (total length of 8,893 km) commenced on Thursday, with a total approved cost of Rs 6,198 crore. Additionally, foundation stones were laid for 4,079 roads (total length of 6,484 km), with a total approved cost of Rs 5,627 crore". Through the Mukhyamantri Gramin Setu Yojana, the previously implemented Mukhyamantri

Rahul slams EC over Bihar SIR, calls it BJP's 'election chori branch'

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday claimed that the Election Commission has been caught "red handed" stealing votes in the name of Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, and asked whether the poll body has completely become BJP's 'Election chori branch'. The EC has all along maintained that the revision, being held after 22 years, will cleanse the voters' list of ineligible people, duplicate entries and include those eligible as per law to vote. Gandhi shared a post by Ajit Anjum, whose YouTube channel is running a series on special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. "Election Commission in Bihar has been caught red handed stealing votes in the name of 'SIR'. Work - just theft but name is 'SIR' and FIR will be lodged against the one who exposes it!" Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X. 'Is EC still 'Election Commission' or has it completely become BJP's 'Election Chori' branch?" the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said. Anjum has bee

Nitish Kumar's poll sop: Free electricity for consumers upto 125 units

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said the move to provide free electricity will benefit around 16.7 million families in Bihar

PM Modi to launch ₹7,000 crore development projects during Bihar visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch development projects worth more than Rs 7,000 crore during his visit to Bihar on Friday, a senior party leader said. According to state BJP president Dilip Jaiswal, Modi will address a public meeting at Gandhi Maidan in Motihari town, the headquarters of East Champaran district. "That Bihar is high on the Prime Minister's agenda can be gauged from the fact that he will be visiting the state for the 53rd time since he assumed power. The state will be showered with development projects worth Rs 7,196 crore," Jaiswal said. He added that the projects are related to diverse sectors, including railways, national highways and roads, rural development, animal husbandry and dairy farming, and Information Technology. "The projects relating to railways are worth Rs 5,398 crore while national highways and roads would account for another Rs 1,173 crore. IT projects, aimed at strengthening digital infrastructure, would involve a cost of Rs 63 crore," Jais

Bihar elections 2025: What's at stake, who's competing, and why it counts

Caste equations, shifting alliances, and regional power bases will define Bihar's high-stakes 2025 election as major parties and smaller players vie for control of the 243-seat Assembly

83.66% of 78.9 mn Bihar electors to be included in draft electoral roll: EC

The names of over 6.60 crore out of the total 7.89 crore electors of Bihar will be included in the draft electoral roll, the Election Commission (EC) said on Monday amid the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of the voters' list. The poll authority said with 11 more days left for the last date of submission of the filled enumeration forms (EFs) in the ongoing Bihar SIR, EFs of 6,60,67,208 or 83.66 per cent of the 7,89,69,844 electors in Bihar have been collected after two rounds of door-to-door visits by booth-level officers (BLOs). So far 1.59 per cent of electors have been found deceased, 2.2 per cent permanently shifted and 0.73 per cent were found to be enrolled at more than one place. "Therefore, 88.18 per cent of electors have either already submitted their EF or died or retained their names at one place or permanently shifted out of their previous place of residence. Only 11.82 per cent of electors now remain to submit their filled EFs and many of them have sought time

BSP's Mayawati takes jab at Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's 'job promises'

BSP chief Mayawati on Monday dismissed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's recent job-related promises as mere "rhetoric and electoral deception." The announcements, she alleged, were aimed at distracting from the "deteriorating law and order situation in Bihar" and questioned their credibility ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in the state. "In the midst of national discussions over the poor law and order situation in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of the NDA government appears to be making announcements to divert public attention," Mayawati posted on X. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister particularly referred to Kumar's recent declaration that if re-elected, his government would provide employment to one crore people in the next five years. "Such a claim seems more like rhetoric and electoral deception, similar to the 'achhe din' slogan, rather than a practical promise, going by people's past experiences," she said. Mayawati alleged that most political parties ma

Exclusion errors: ECI must ensure genuine voters are not left out

Ever since it was set up, and without a definitive proof of citizenship issued under the Citizenship Act, the ECI has done a commendable job in preparing inclusive electoral rolls

A poll quest for Bihar's 'forgotten people': Contesting for the tribal vote

As the JMM weighs its options ahead of the Assembly polls, including contesting on its own, others chalk out plans to attract the elusive tribal voter

Rahul, Kharge accuse BJP of poll manipulation in Bihar; slam ECI

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and stalwart Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused the BJP of making attempts to "steal (chori) the elections in Bihar, as it did in Maharashtra" last year. Addressing the party's 'Samvidhan Bachao Samavesh' here, the Congress leaders also accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of not doing its duty but working for the interest of the BJP. We will prevent the BJP and ECI from stealing the elections in Bihar," Gandhi said. The Congress has been alleging that the manipulation of the voters' list helped a BJP-led alliance win the Maharashtra assembly polls in 2024. Gandhi alleged that Odisha's new BJP government is run by industrialist Gautam Adani, for whom, the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha claimed, the Rath Yatra in Puri was halted. He also wooed the party's grassroot workers, saying: You are Babbar Sher' (lions), do not fear anyone and fight for justice. At closed door meetings after the public meeting, the party top brass, in a mes

Bihar CM releases first instalment of hiked pension to 10 mn beneficiaries

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday disbursed the first instalment of the hiked pension amount of Rs 1,100 per month to the bank accounts of 1.11 crore beneficiaries, including senior citizens, widows and people with disabilities. Over Rs 1,227 crore was credited under six different pension schemes during a function here, officials said. The Bihar government had on June 24 increased the pension amount from Rs 400 per month to Rs 1,100. The elderly are an important part of society and ensuring a dignified life for them is top priority of our government. It will continue to make efforts in this direction. We will ensure that this amount is disbursed on the 10th of every month, Kumar said on the occasion. The Bihar government is also committed to the overall development of women in the state, he said. Our government has been consistently working towards the empowerment and welfare of women. We have set an example in terms of women's empowerment by prioritising their educatio

Tej Pratap eyes new party? 'Public will decide,' he says post-RJD exit

Tej Pratap Yadav was expelled from the RJD by his father Lalu Prasad for six years after he posted, and later deleted, a message about being in a long-term relationship on social media

SC puts brakes on 'disenfranchisement', parties welcome Bihar SIR directive

A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi did not stay the SIR process but asked the ECI to consider allowing Aadhaar, ration cards, and electoral photo identity cards

Consider Aadhaar for Bihar voter roll revision: Supreme Court to EC

The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission of India to accept Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards as valid documents for the Special Intensive Revision of Bihar electoral rolls

SC refuses to stay Bihar voter list revision, urges ECI to allow Aadhaar

SC urges ECI to consider Aadhaar cards, EPIC (electoral photo identity) cards, ration card as ID proof; seeks response by July 21, next hearing scheduled for July 28