Janata Dal (United)

JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Monday took a dig at the Congress government in Karnataka for hoarding a massive human chain in the name of democracy, while questioning the delay over holding the polls to local bodies, which are "fundamental pillars of democracy". He urged the government to announce elections for local bodies. Karnataka government on Sunday marked the 'International Day of Democracy' by forming a 'historic' 2,500-km-long human chain across the state, as a symbol of equality, unity, fraternity, and participative governance. "In the guise of promoting human welfare you (government) formed a human chain. The Congress government in Karnataka shows no concern for democracy. If they did, they would first conduct elections for local bodies. Since coming to power, they have not conducted elections for the fundamental pillars of democracy -- the zilla and taluk panchayat and the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike). Why?," Kumaraswamy questioned in a

Janata Dal (United) spokesperson K C Tyagi, whose stand on different issues often highlighted his party's differences with ally BJP, has resigned, the regional party said on Sunday. The JD(U) said in a statement that its president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has appointed Rajiv Ranjan Prasad as its national spokesperson. It attributed Tyagi's resignation to "personal reasons". However, it is believed that frequent comments of Tyagi, who is based in Delhi and enjoys an unlikely high profile in the national media for a regional party leader due to his experience and articulation, on central government's policies were seen as unhelpful to the BJP-JD(U) ties. Be it on the Uniform Civil Code, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill or even the government's position on the Palestine issue among other issues, the socialist leader's outspoken stand did not go down well many within the party and embarrassed the BJP, sources said. With two senior JD(U) leaders, including Union minister Lalan Si

Prashant Kishor's coming involvement in the Bihar assembly elections represents a full circle, as he was the strategist of Nitish Kumar's 2015 victory against the BJP in the state

The Centre said that no new states are being awarded 'special category' status at present, as the Indian Constitution does not accommodate such classification

Cabinet ministers Updates: From PM addressing the PMO staff to the formulation of the new Lok Sabha, here are the latest updates

PM Modi's third term: Union Council of Ministers is 72-strong, consisting 30 Cabinet ministers, five Ministers of State (independent charge) and 36 Ministers of State. They will be assigned portfolio

Prime Minister Modi and the other leaders at the meeting could not stop laughing at the jibe of Kumar, key founder-member of INDIA bloc in 2023. who had swtiched sides to BJP

The JD(U), led by Nitish Kumar, emphasised the necessity of adjustments in implementing the Agniveer scheme, citing voter concerns that might have impacted the 2024 Lok Sabha election results

Senior BJP leaders, including Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, held deliberations on Thursday as the ruling National Democratic Alliance set in motion its government formation efforts under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They met at BJP president J P Nadda's residence in what is seen as part of the party's exercise to reach out to allies over issues like their share of ministerial berths and pick the probables from within their party for the coalition government. The NDA MPs are expected to meet on Friday to formally elect Modi as their leader, with the new government likely to be sworn in over the weekend. Preparing to take oath for a third straight term as the head of a coalition government, Modi had on Wednesday chaired a meeting of the ruling alliance's members who unanimously elected him as its leader. Leaders of the BJP's ally Janata Dal (United) also held deliberations with party president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Though the region

With the humbling verdict for the BJP, NDA partners Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu will step in with their 12 and 16 Lok Sabha seats respectively to help the coalition reach the majority of 272

Lok Sabha elections: For the Narendra Modi-led government to return to power for the third time, Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), which won 12 seats in Bihar, has a key role to play

Lok Sabha elections: Narendra Modi's BJP is expected to form a government for the third time with the help of its coalition partners, the JD(U) and the Telugu Desam Party

Lok Sabha election result: Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) is leading at 14 seats while the BJP is ahead on 13 seats, the vote counting trend till 3 pm showed

Lok Sabha polls: The RJD, which drew a blank in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, will fight on 26 seats in Bihar, while the Congress will contest on 9 seats, including its 2019 win - the Kishanganj constituency

Lok Sabha elections: The BJP revealed many surprising names in its latest list of candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, naming actors Kangana Ranaut and Arun Govil as debut nominees

Senior JD(U) leader Narendra Narayan Yadav was on Friday elected unopposed as the deputy speaker of the Bihar assembly. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary congratulated him after he was elected for the post. The post fell vacant on Wednesday after the resignation of his party colleague Maheshwar Hazari. Yadav, a former state minister, has been representing the Alamnagar seat of Madhepura district since the 1990s. According to JD(U) sources, Hazari, who had been holding the post since 2021, is likely to be inducted into the cabinet or considered for a party ticket in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

JD(U) legislators in Bihar will go into huddles this weekend ahead of the crucial trust vote to be sought by the Nitish Kumar government, party leaders said on Saturday. They, however, insisted that a luncheon to be hosted by Shrawan Kumar on Saturday and high tea at Vijay Kumar Chaudhary's place a day later are part of a "tradition of the JD(U) before every assembly session". "The party is confident of winning the trust vote on Monday. We usually meet before the beginning of every assembly session. Such gatherings were earlier held at the residences of the two senior party leaders", JD(U) national general secretary Afaque Ahmad Khan told PTI. The views were echoed by Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Shrawan Kumar, both of whom are counted among the most trusted cabinet colleagues of Nitish Kumar, the JD(U) president. Both JD(U) leaders have been retained as ministers in the new cabinet of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. While Chaudhary has been a member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly si

A key aide of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday asserted that the newly formed NDA government in the state will win the trust vote, defeating "mala fide intentions of scared detractors". The NDA government in Bihar is scheduled to face a vote of confidence on February 12. Talking to PTI, senior JD(U) leader Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, who has been retained as a minister in the new cabinet, said, "The NDA government will easily win the trust vote. It is very simple... we (NDA) have the majority. "Those (opposition leaders) who are scared of the NDA are spreading rumours about the trust vote. Their intentions are mala fide. What I am saying that the NDA government in the state will win the trust vote is bona fide," Chaudhary, a close confidante of the CM, said. Chaudhary has been a member of the Bihar Assembly since 1982, and is currently holding portfolios of six departments, including parliamentary affairs. "Floor test is basically a number game... and we have the numbers.

Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar has distinguished himself as a leader who ruled Bihar for the longest time, without his party having ever won a majority on its own. Concealed beneath the feat, which testifies to his political acumen and survival instincts, is the fact that the 72-year-old leader could never remain at peace with his allies which also made him change partners frequently. "The name of Nitish Kumar deserves to enter the Guinness Book of Records for the number of times he has aligned, dumped and realigned with the BJP, was a tongue-in-cheek remark by Congress MLA from Bhagalpur Ajeet Sharma. Sharma also cited Kumar's famous remark "mitti mein mil jaayenge magar BJP ke saath nahin jaaenge" (I shall be consigned to dust rather than going back to the BJP), soon after he had first snapped ties with the saffron party in 2013, following his objections to the national ascendance of Narendra Modi, his then Gujarat counterpart. No wonder, in a political career spannin

It is understood that Nitish will take oath as the CM for the ninth time along with two deputy chief ministers from the BJP at the swearing-in ceremony on Sunday