Bihar polls LIVE: Nitish Kumar slams RJD over its 15 years of misgovernance

Stay tuned for LIVE updates on Bihar election 2020

8:58 PM

BJP chief J P Nadda chides Tejashwi over his persistent landlocked Bihar jibe on Nitish

BJP president JP Nadda Friday threw "mind lock" jibe at RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, chastising him over his constant "landlocked Bihar" swipe at NDA ally and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

 

Addressing a poll rally here, Nadda also assailed the Lalu Prasad-led RJD, saying the party has a history of conducting "Tail Piyawan, Danda Bhanjan" rally, underlining its reputation of preferring muscle power to education. "These days even Tejashwi Yadav has started saying we will do this, we will do that. But who can trust you in an election?" he asked.

 

"Those who have done something good in the past will do so in the future. They (RJD) had in the past held 'Tel Piyawan, Danda Bhanjan' rally and in future too they will only wield lathis and do nothing else," Nadda wryly said.

 

Naddas reference to 'Tel Piyawan, Danda Bhanjan' (dipping lathis in oil and wielding them to assert power) was a throwback to an RJD rally in 2003, two years before the party was ousted from power in Bihar. READ ON...

 

8:36 PM

Bihar polls: Our govt provided 600,000 jobs in 15 years, says Nitish Kumar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday said that his government provided over 6 lakh jobs during its 15-year regime as compared to 95,000 people getting jobs during the RJD regime from 1990 to 2005.

 

"They (RJD) were in power for 15 years and Bihar and Jharkhand were one for 10 of these. Between 1990 and 2005, only 95,000 people were given jobs. In our administration, over 6 lakh jobs were given and besides this many others were enrolled in other services," Nitish Kumar said.

 

The Bihar CM further said that if voted to power, his government would install solar street lights in every village of the state.

 

"We have brought electricity to every house. If we are given a chance again, we will install solar street lights in every village. You can switch off your bulbs but the entire village will stay illuminated the entire night. It will be done by the state government," he said. READ ON...

 

7:52 PM

Bihar polls 2020: Focus shifts to Seemanchal for second phase of elections

After completion of the first phase of elections in Bihar, the focus has now shifted to Seemanchal where elections for the second phase are scheduled to be held on November 3. Districts such as West Champaran, East Champaran, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Araria, Purnea, Kishanganj, Katihar etc. fall under Seemanchal. Besides, elections for the second phase will also be held in districts like Samastipur, Patna, Vaishali and Muzaffarpur. Polling will done for 91 seats.

 

These elections hold great prominence for the political parties as districts like Kishanganj have over 60 per cent Muslim population followed by Araria with 45 per cent, Katihar with 40 per cent and Purnia with over 30 per cent. These four districts gives stability to Mahagathbandhan rather than NDA because of its secular image.

 

Leaders like Tariq Anwar of Congress, Asrarul Haque and Shahnawaz Hussain are prominent political figures in the region who are responsible for polarisation of votes. The supporters of late bahubali leader Mohammed Taslimuddin also have great influence on voters, especially in Kishanganj. READ ON...

7:28 PM

Shouldn't Nitish Kumar speak on issues of unemployment, migration: Tejashwi Yadav

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Friday asked Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to speak on issues of unemployment and migration.

 

In a tweet in Hindi, Tejashwi Yadav said, "Respected Nitishji accepts that in 15 years of his government he has destroyed education, health and industries of the state. He also ruined the present and future of two generations. This is the reason why he does not speak anything about unemployment, jobs industries, investment and migration. Shouldn't he speak on these issues ?"

 

On October 27, Tejashwi Yadav had said that by commenting on my family, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is targeting Prime Minister Modi and moreover he can only indulge in abusing me but he won't speak on the real issues like inflation and corruption that affects people.

 

"By commenting on my family, Nitish Kumar is targeting PM Modi as he also has 6 siblings. Using such language, Nitish Kumar has insulted women and my mother's sentiments. They don't speak on main issues including inflation, corruption, unemployment etc, he can only abuse us," said Yadav reacting to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's 'nine children' jibe at RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav. READ ON...

7:04 PM

Bihar Phase-II polls: Retaining seats challenging task for RJD, JD-U

With the second phase of Bihar Assembly elections slated to be held next week in 94 segments, both the ruling Janata Dal-United of the National Democratic Alliance and the opposition RJD of the Grand Alliance will have to sweat it out as they face a tough battle to retain their respective seats.

 

Elections for 243 Assembly seats were slated to be held in three phases. Polling for 71 seats has already taken place on October 28. Voting for 94 seats will be done on November 3 and the remaining 78 seats on November 7. The results will be announced on November 10, according to an IANS report.

 

The RJD has fielded 56 candidates in the second phase of elections, wherein it is in direct contest with the BJP on 27 seats and with the ally turned foe JD-U on 25 seats. The BJP is contesting 46 seats and the JD-U 43 seats.

 

The prestige of 27 MLAs of the Grand Alliance is on stake in the November 3 elections.

5:25 PM

Shiv Sena, Congress attack BJP for 'silence' over Munger firing

The Shiv Sena on Friday hit out at the BJP for its "silence" on the firing on people during Durga idol immersion in Munger in Bihar, where the latter is in power along with the Nitish Kumar-led JD(U). The Sena, in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana', said the BJP was, however, quick to pounce on and "communalise" the killing of two sadhus by a mob in Palghar district of Maharashtra in April this year.

 

One person was killed and over two dozen people, including security personnel, injured in firing and stone- pelting during goddess Durga idol immersion late Monday night in Munger's Deen Dayal Upadhyay Chowk.

 

"If this incident had happened in Maharashtra or West Bengal (opposition ruled states), the BJP would have raised a hue and cry. Why are those who tried to communalise the Palghar lynching quiet over Munger?" the editorial asked.

12:21 PM

Politics underway on Munger incident as election heat takes over

It won't be right to comment on Munger firing incident before the findings of the probe are out. But Bihar govt has taken swift action into the incident & is doing what is required: Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi on Munger firing incident

11:01 AM

Reservation should be proportionate to population, says Nitish Kumar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said that reservation should be proportionate to population. Speaking at a public rally on Thursday, Kumar said, "As far as the question of population is concerned, that is decided only after the census and that decision is not in our hands. We would like to say that reservation should be proportionate to the population, there is no second opinion about it." "You have given us the chance to work in the past and if you give the same in future, we will continue to work. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working for the whole country and is providing special assistance for the development of Bihar," he added.

 

9:07 AM

Watch | Nitish Kumar slam RJD over its 15 years of misgovernance

8:25 AM

Tejashwi Yadav takes on Nitish Kumar

8:12 AM

Congress attacks Nitish government in Bihar

7:41 AM

Our govt provided 6 lakh jobs in 15 years: Nitish Kumar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday said that his government provided over 6 lakh jobs during its 15-year regime as compared to 95,000 people getting jobs during the RJD regime from 1990 to 2005. "They (RJD) were in power for 15 years and Bihar and Jharkhand were one for 10 of these. Between 1990 and 2005, only 95,000 people were given jobs. In our administration, over 6 lakh jobs were given and besides this many others were enrolled in other services," Nitish Kumar said. The Bihar CM further said that if voted to power, his government would install solar street lights in every village of the state.

 

7:29 AM

Rajnath Singh to campaign for BJP in Bihar today

7:18 AM

Focus shifts to Seemanchal for second phase of elections

Districts such as West Champaran, East Champaran, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Araria, Purnea, Kishanganj, Katihar etc. fall under Seemanchal. Besides, elections for the second phase will also be held in districts like Samastipur, Patna, Vaishali and Muzaffarpur. Polling will done for 91 seats. These elections hold great prominence for the political parties as districts like Kishanganj have over 60 per cent Muslim population followed by Araria with 45 per cent, Katihar with 40 per cent and Purnia with over 30 per cent. These four districts gives stability to Mahagathbandhan rather than NDA because of its secular image.

 

8:30 PM

55.69% final voter turnout recorded in first phase of Bihar assembly elections: EC

The first phase of the Assembly elections in Bihar recorded 55.69 per cent voter turnout, the Election Commission said on Thursday. A total of 71 assembly constituencies of Bihar went to polls on Wednesday in the first of the three-phase elections amid tight security and with COVID-19 guidelines in place.

 

As compared to corresponding assembly constituencies which went to poll in the 2015 assembly elections and the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the turnout this time was higher. In the 2015 assembly elections, the turnout was 54.94 per cent in the corresponding constituencies. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls -- with the same assembly seats mapped to parliamentary seats -- the turnout was 53.54 per cent.

 

"So turnout in phase one is higher than both the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections," a spokesperson said.