Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday accused the BJP of making elections a "mockery", asserting that people will remove it from power as it has "stolen votes". Addressing a rally in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar, the DMK leader alleged that the deletion of the names of 65 lakh voters from the electoral rolls of Bihar during the special intensive revision was "more dangerous than terrorism". "Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD's Tejashwi Yadav have joined hands to protect democracy. The BJP-led NDA will be defeated in the upcoming assembly polls in Bihar," he asserted. Accusing the BJP of making the Election Commission its "puppet", he said, "Rahul Gandhi has exposed the EC, but the poll panel did not respond to his charges. It asked him to file an affidavit... Rahul Gandhi won't be scared." Earlier in the day, Stalin and DMK MP Kanimozhi arrived in Bihar to join the Congress's 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Muzaffarpur district. Soon after joining the yatra, Stalin, in a
The Bihar government on Tuesday announced a new policy under which free land and interest subvention of up to Rs 40 crore would be provided to those investing in the industrial sector. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar asserted that the 'Bihar Industrial Investment Promotion Package 2025 (BIPPP-2025)' will boost industrial growth in the agrarian state and provide jobs to around 1 crore youth over the next five years. "To encourage industries in Bihar, the government has implemented the new Bihar Industrial Investment Promotion Package 2025 (BIPPP-2025) after the BIADA Amnesty Policy 2025. Under this, interest subvention of up to Rs 40 crore will be provided to the investors," he said in an X post. The new policy was approved by the state cabinet in a meeting chaired by Kumar during the day. "Under the new industrial package, free land allocation will be done to promote investment. Industrial units investing more than Rs 100 crore and creating more than 1,000 direct jobs will be allocated
Samajwadi Party MP from Azamgarh, Dharmendra Yadav, has said the opposition's grand alliance in Bihar will decide its chief ministerial face for the upcoming assembly polls and acknowledged the RJD, being the principal party of the grouping, has a legitimate claim. His remarks came as the BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of being "arrogant" after he parried a media query on why the Congress has not yet made it clear that RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav would be the opposition grand alliance's chief minister face in the upcoming Bihar assembly polls. Tejashwi Yadav was seated by Gandhi's side when he was asked about the Congress' reluctance to declare the RJD leader as the Mahagathbandhan's chief ministerial candidate. He had recently made an open pitch for making Gandhi the prime minister after the next Lok Sabha polls. Speaking to reporters late on Sunday night, Dharmendra Yadav said, "The Mahagathbandhan will decide on the chief ministerial face in Bihar. "Everyone knows which party is dominan
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD's Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday rode motorcycles as they made their way through the streets of Araria in Bihar's Purnea district during the Voter Adhikar Yatra'. The 1,300-km yatra was launched on August 17 from Sasaram. It will cover more than 20 districts over a period of 16 days, and conclude with a rally in Patna on September 1. Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, and Yadav were seen riding motorcycles as the yatra entered Araria, with people lining the streets to see the two leaders. The former Congress chief and the RJD leader will address a joint press conference in Araria later in the day, along with other leaders of the INDIA bloc. Gandhi, addressing a rally in Katihar district on Saturday evening as part of the yatra, had deplored "attempts to steal votes" in Bihar ahead of the assembly polls, in favour of the BJP, which has "shut the doors of opportunities" for the poor since coming to power at the Centre. The BJP and the R
The exercise to collect their documents with the help of BLOs and volunteers is going on
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday asserted that he was "not afraid" of an FIR lodged in BJP-ruled Maharashtra, over his social media post about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and he will "continue to speak the truth". Yadav has been booked in Gadchiroli district for a post on his X handle, ahead of the PM's tour of Bihar on Friday, in which he had alleged that Modi's promises to the people were a "jumla" (rhetoric). When approached by PTI video for comments, the young leader shot back, "Who is afraid of an FIR? Is jumla an objectionable word? I was simply telling the truth. And I will continue to do so. They may lodge as many cases against me as they please." The former Bihar deputy CM spoke while touring fish markets and makhana fields in the north Bihar district of Katihar, along with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is touring the state as part of the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra'. Gandhi was seen chatting with fishermen and cultivators of makhana (fox nuts) and listening to their .
Eight people were killed and four others injured in a head-on collision between a mini-van and a truck on the outskirts of Patna on Saturday, police said. The accident took place in the early hours in Shahjahanpur near the Patna-Nalanda border, they said. Among the deceased were seven women, they added. The injured were admitted to a nearby government hospital, said SP (Rural) Vikram Singh. "The driver of the truck managed to flee from the spot," he said.
The Supreme Court on Friday modified its August 11 order saying that stray dogs must be released back to their localities after sterilisation and immunisation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 1.86 km Aunta-Simaria Bridge in Bihar, reducing travel between Mokama and Begusarai by over 100 km and boosting connectivity
He made these remarks at a massive rally at Gayaji, Bihar, where elections are due this year
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched several projects, including the 660 MW Buxar thermal power plant, worth a total of Rs 6,880 crore in Bihar's Gayaji district on Friday, officials said. The PM also flagged off two trains -- Amrit Bharat Express between Gayaji and Delhi and Buddhist Circuit train between Vaishali and Koderma. The latter will give a boost to tourism and pilgrimage across key Buddhist sites in the region. The Buxar thermal power plant will significantly enhance power generation capacity, improve energy security, and meet the growing electricity demand of the region, they said. Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and several Union ministers, state ministers, MPs and MLAs were also present on the occasion. The PM also inaugurated the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre at Muzaffarpur. The medical facility includes advanced oncology OPD and IPD wards, operation theatres, modern
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bihar on Friday, where he will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate multiple development projects worth over Rs 13,000 crore, officials said. During his nearly four-hour tour of Bihar, the PM will undertake whistle-stop visits to Gayaji, Patna and Begusarai districts. The trip will begin at Gayaji, where he will inaugurate projects including a 660 MW power project situated in Buxar built at a cost of Rs 6,880 crore, and also address a public rally, they said. He will also inaugurate the 1.86-km-long six-lane Aunta-Simaria Bridge project on Ganga River, constructed at a cost of over Rs 1,870 crore. It will provide direct connectivity between Mokama in Patna and Begusarai. The PM will also inaugurate the four-lane Bakhtiyarpur-Mokama section of NH-31, built at around Rs 1,900 crore, which will ease congestion, reduce travel time, and enhance passenger and freight, the officials said. He will also inaugurate the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital a
The list also contained the reasons for their non-inclusion, including death, shifting of ordinary residence or duplicate entries, ECI told Supreme Court
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Bihar on Friday when he is scheduled to inaugurate development projects worth more than Rs 13,000 crore, including a bridge over the river Ganges, besides addressing a rally. The PM's programmes will be held at a time Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Voter Adhikar Yatra' is underway in the state. Assembly elections are due in the state this year. During his nearly four-hour-long tour of Bihar, the PM will undertake whistle stop visits to Gaya, Patna and Begusarai district. The trip will begin at Gaya, where he will inaugurate projects like a 660 MW power project, situated at Buxar and built at a cost of Rs 6,880 crore. Another project to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister is the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in the north Bihar district of Muzaffarpur, which promises advanced and affordable cancer care to patients in Bihar and neighbouring states. The PM will also inaugurate a Rs 520 crore Sewerage Treatment Plant at Munger,
An FIR has been registered against the driver of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's vehicle, which had hit a police constable in Bihar's Nawada district during the Voter Adhikar Yatra' two days ago, police said on Thursday. The police constable fell in front of Gandhi's vehicle on Tuesday while the Congress MP was passing through Bhagat Singh Chowk during the ongoing yatra. Yes, a case has been registered against the driver. Further details will be made known in due course, Nawada SP Abhinav Dhiman told PTI over the phone. The SP had earlier said the constable tripped in front of a vehicle in the convoy, which "barely brushed against his feet", and sustained injuries. The BJP shared a video clip claiming that the policeman was crushed by the vehicle. Video footage of the incident went viral on social media, and Gandhi could be seen asking his supporters to bring the injured policeman to his open jeep. After offering water to the constable, who was visibly in pain, walking with a limp
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday transferred over Rs 456 crore directly to the bank accounts of more than 6.51 lakh families affected by the recent flood. Each family hit by the deluge received Rs 7,000 as gratuitous relief, according to a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) here. The amount was transferred at a function held at the official residence of the CM in Patna. A total sum of Rs 456.12 crore was transferred directly to the bank accounts of 6,51,602 flood-affected families in 12 districts," the CMO statement said. The CM had recently announced an increase in the gratuitous relief money from Rs 6,000 per family to Rs 7,000. A large number of people have been affected by the floods in Bihar, where several rivers are in spate due to torrential rain in the past 24 hours, officials said on Wednesday. The affected districts include Bhojpur, Patna, Saran, Vaishali, Samastipur, Begusarai, Lakhisarai, Munger, Khagaria, Bhagalpur and Katihar, the ..
Bihar's economy is likely to grow to USD 1.1 trillion by 2046-47 considering the huge underlying potential of the state, according to a report released on Tuesday. In the immediate term, the state's economy is estimated to grow more than double at USD 219 billion by 2030-31, in an optimistic scenario, industry body CII said in its report. "CII estimates Bihar's economy to more than double by 2030-31 and reach USD 219 billion levels (the optimistic scenario). Over a longer horizon, the economy is expected to reach the size of USD 1.1 trillion by 2046-47," said the report titled "Bihar: A USD 1-trillion Economy," released at the 4th CII East India Summit here. According to the report, Bihar is emerging as a unique opportunity for investors buoyed by rapid economic transformation, demographic advantage, and policy-driven dynamism. The state is one of the fastest-growing states in the country. In 2023-24, Bihar recorded a GSDP of Rs 8.54 lakh crore, growing at 14.4 per cent at current
Asserting that "vote chori" is an attack on 'Bharat Mata', Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday warned the chief election commissioner and the two election commissioners of stern action when the INDIA bloc forms government. Intensifying his attack on the Election Commission, Gandhi also said the whole country would ask the poll body for an affidavit and if given time, his party would bring out the "vote chori" in every assembly and Lok Sabha constituency. The fresh attack on the EC by the Congress leader came a day after CEC Gyanesh Kumar served a seven-day ultimatum on him to submit a signed affidavit to back his vote theft claims, else his allegations will be considered baseless. Gandhi said that just like Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about special package, the poll body also brought in a "new special package" for Bihar, which is named SIR (Special Intensive Revision), a "new form of vote theft". His remarks came on the second day of the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' which began
The Election Commission (EC) on Monday came out with the names of 65 lakh people who were removed from the draft electoral rolls published as part of the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise, officials said. The development came in the backdrop of the Supreme Court's direction that details of the deleted names be made public by August 19 and a compliance report be filed by August 22. The EC is publishing the names of 'ASD' (Absentee, Shifted, and Dead) voters across polling booths, and is likely to do so online as has been directed by the apex court, they said. According to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Bihar, ASD lists have been displayed at polling booths in Rohtas, Begusarai, Arwal and other places.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi will on Sunday begin from here his 1,300 km-long 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' that will cover over 20 districts in Bihar, as the Congress steps up its campaign against what it claims to be "vote chori". With the Assembly polls barely three months away, Gandhi, along with RJD's Tejashwi Yadav and other Mahagathbandhan leaders, will launch the yatra from BIADA Ground Sasaram, and after 16 days, the yatra will conclude with a rally in Patna on September 1. Gandhi is also expected to address a gathering later this evening at Ramesh Chowk, Aurangabad. In a post in Hindi on X on Saturday, Gandhi had said, "16 days, 20+ districts, 1,300+ km. We are coming among the people with the Voter Adhikar Yatra. This is a fight to protect the most basic democratic right - 'one person, one vote'." "Join us in Bihar to save the Constitution," he added. The 'yatra' will be in a hybrid mode, on foot and by vehicle, as was Gandhi's Manipur to Mumbai Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra ahea