Page 10 - Bihar

March marking culmination of 'Vote Adhikar Yatra' begins in Bihar

The Congress' 14-day, 1,300-km-long 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' will conclude in Bihar's capital Patna on Monday, with several INDIA bloc leaders scheduled to join Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, in a procession marking the culmination of the political programme that gained significance ahead of the assembly polls in the state. Among those scheduled to participate in the 'Gandhi se Ambedkar' march are Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, CPI general secretary D Raja, CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, NCP working president Supriya Sule, and TMC leaders Yusuf Pathan and Lalitesh Tripathi. "The massive 'Gandhi se Ambedkar' procession will start at 11.15 am from the historic Gandhi Maidan, where floral tributes will be offered at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi. After that, the procession will pass throug

Bihar SIR: 200K pleas for removal and 33K for inclusion in voter list

The month-long period to demand inclusion or deletion of names from the electoral rolls of Bihar ends on Monday, with more than 33,000 electors filing pleas to add their names to the list. Over 2 lakh demands have been made by individuals seeking removal of names they claim have been wrongfully included in the draft rolls. The draft electoral rolls were published on August 1 and will remain open for "claims and objections" by individuals and political parties till September 1. People and parties have the right under election law to challenge inclusion of names who they think are ineligible. Similarly, people who think they are eligible but have been left out of the draft list can seek inclusion. The final electoral roll for Bihar, which will go to polls likely in November, will be published on September 30. The booth-level agents appointed by the political parties have so far filed 25 claims for inclusion and 103 for exclusion from the draft list. On Monday, the Supreme Court wil

Bihar polls: 8.9 million SIR complaints rejected by EC, says Congress

Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera on Sunday claimed that a staggering 89 lakh complaints of irregularities were flagged by the party's Booth Level Agents (BLAs) in Bihar during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, but all were rejected by the Election Commission. Alleging that the irregularities cast a doubt on the intention of the EC, Khera demanded that the entire exercise be conducted again. The EC keeps getting news planted through its sources that no complaints are coming from any political party. The truth is that the Congress submitted 89 lakh complaints pertaining to irregularities in the SIR to the EC, chairman of the media and publicity department of the Congress said in a press conference. When our BLAs went to file complaints, their complaints were turned down by the EC. The EC categorically told our BLAs that complaints could be accepted by individuals only, not by political parties, Khera claimed.

Akhilesh Yadav calls ECI 'Jugaad Commission' of BJP during Bihar visit

Earlier on Friday, the Voter Adhikar Yatra reached Bihar's Siwan, with both the Congress and RJD leaders being greeted by large crowds

SC to hear plea to extend Sept 1 deadline for Bihar SIR claim filing

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear on September 1 pleas of the RJD and AIMIM seeking extension of deadline for filing of claims and objections in the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. The deadline for filing claims and objections is also September 1. A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi said it will hear the applications of the political parties on Monday after advocate Prashant Bhushan and senior advocate Shoeb Alam, appearing for the Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD), said that several of them have filed applications for extension of deadlines. Advocate Nizam Pasha, appearing for the AIMIM, said time needs to be extended due to large scale filing of claims and objections. "The number of claims filed are exponentially rising. The deadline needs to be extended," Alam told the bench. Pasha submitted that 80,000 claims were filed before the August 22 order while post the order 95,000 claims have been filed. "We are ..

Political discourse turning toxic; parties must uphold principles: Mayawati

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Friday expressed concerns over the "declining level of politics" in the country, blaming self-interests of political parties for the trend. She urged all political parties to work in line with their constitutions and principles to safeguard interests of the poor and the common people. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister's comments came a day after alleged derogatory remarks were made about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his mother at an Opposition rally in Bihar. In a post on X, Mayawati said political discourse has become "toxic and violent" in recent years, especially during elections, even as India face mounting internal and external challenges. "It is extremely sad and worrying that, while parties are serving political self-interests, the level of politics is falling in the country," she wrote, adding that parties should act on their principles "in the interest of the nation and crores of poor and common people." Mayawati also

Bihar polls in sight, Nitish Kumar announces women's employment scheme

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said the new employment initiative aims to empower women while expanding local job opportunities, helping reduce the need for people to leave Bihar for work

Sachin Pilot slams indecent language against PM, says Congress not involved

Meanwhile, the man accused of hurling abuses at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother during a political rally in Bihar was arrested

Adani Power gets LoA for 2,400 MW thermal project in Bihar's Bhagalpur

Adani Power on Friday said it has received the Letter of Award (LoA) to set up a 2,400 MW greenfield thermal power plant with an investment of USD 3 billion at Pirpainti in Bhagalpur district of Bihar. In a statement, Adani Power said it has received the LoA for 25-year long-term procurement of electricity from Bihar State Power Generation Company Ltd (BSPGCL), which it will supply from a 2,400 MW (800 MW X 3) greenfield ultra super critical plant to be set up at Pirpainti. This would be followed by the signing of the Power Supply Agreement (PSA) between the entities, it stated. The Bihar State Power Generation Company Ltd (BSPGCL) has awarded the LoA to Adani Power on behalf of North Bihar Power Distribution Company Ltd (NBPDCL) and South Bihar Power Distribution Company Ltd (SBPDCL), the two state utilities. "With our upcoming ultra-supercritical, high-efficiency Pirpainti project in Bihar, we are setting new benchmarks in operational excellence and sustainability," S B Khyalia,

Names of 6.5 mn poor deleted from Bihar's electoral rolls: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday claimed that the names of 65 lakh people, who are poor and belong to socially weaker sections, have been deleted from the electoral rolls of Bihar. Addressing a rally in Sitamarhi as part of the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra', Gandhi said the people of Bihar would not allow the BJP and Election Commission to "rob" them of their right to vote. "We have exposed the BJP and the EC, who were indulging in stealing votes... They did it in Maharashtra, Haryana and Karnataka. Now they want to repeat it in Bihar, which we will not allow them to do," he said. Gandhi claimed he would provide more evidence of what he termed "vote chori" in the coming months. Ahead of the rally, he visited the famed Janaki Temple in the area and offered prayers. Bihar will go to the polls later this year.

Bihar needs private investment to sustain growth, says Nitish Mishra

Bihar Industry Minister Nitish Mishra outlines new land, policy, and startup initiatives to drive investment, job creation, and transform the state's economic landscape

TN CM Stalin accuses BJP of making elections a 'mockery', stealing votes

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

Bihar to provide free land, ₹40 crore incentives to investors: CM

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

Mahagathbandhan to decide Bihar CM face, RJD has legitimate claim: SP MP

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

Rahul, Tejashwi ride bikes during 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Bihar's Araria

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

Documents of 98.2% electors received during SIR exercise in Bihar: ECI

The exercise to collect their documents with the help of BLOs and volunteers is going on

Not afraid, will continue speaking truth: Tejashwi on FIR lodged in Maha

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 .

8 dead, 4 injured in mini-van, truck collision on Patna's outskirts

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.

SC modifies stray dog order, SC on Bihar SIR, OpenAI coming to India, Ex-Sri Lankan pres arrested

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.

PM Modi inaugurates Aunta-Simaria Bridge in Bihar: Check key details

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