<p>Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seems to be hitting right chords over the past three months by pushing BJP to a corner in the state. It would be safe to say that Karnataka is the only state where BJP is facing a resurgent Congress under&nbsp;Siddaramaiah, who after 3 years of bad press has turned the table around and pushed BJP to the corner on issues central to the people of the state.<strong> </strong>In every other state but Karnataka, BJP has successfully used corruption, dynasty and disunity themes to marginalise the Congress. It is only&nbsp;in Karnataka that the state&#39;s chief minister has successfully played the &lsquo;son of the soil&rsquo; card to push back an aggressive BJP.</p>

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<h5>It is only&nbsp;in Karnataka that the state&#39;s chief minister has successfully played the &lsquo;son of the soil&rsquo; card to push back an aggressive BJP.</h5>
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<p>Whether it his position on the language or the flag, the sentiments which the CM has evoked is that of a person who cares intensely about the cultural landscape of the state. He has also shown an inclination to implement a new cultural policy which would be dedicated to promoting local cinema and literature. The policy is also inclusive. It also entails local harmony cells. It also intends to curb moral policing which has become a scourge in some of the state ruled by BJP where the male aggressor is always imagined as a minority. The state also intends to set aside a sum of money to promote local artists. People may dismiss it as populist or superficial, but for a state with the rich history of literary culture and modern aspiration, Siddaramaiah has taken the right step.<br />
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<br />
Many can still accuse Siddaramaiah of pushing state level chauvinism but if you look all across India, successful chief ministers have been the ambassadors of the state pride and have successfully positioned themselves as the custodian of culture and political pride of their respective regions as opposed to the Centre. Whether it is a resurgence of TDP in united Andhra or TRS of Telangana or BJD of Orissa, all of them represent&nbsp;unique political aspirations of the state within the Indian democratic setup.</p>

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<h5>The concept of undivided Hindi vote is an accepted academic and political jargon then exceptional Kannadiga linguistic pride too shouldn&rsquo;t bother the Indian right.</h5>
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<p>Nitish Kumar, when opposed to the BJP, won Bihar on the issue of Bihari asmita. For Mamata, it was &#39;Ma Maati and Maanush&#39;. Similarly, the Karnataka chief minister has very successfully deployed the son of the soil culture card, which is laced with the sensitivity attached to the language.</p>

<p>Though polishing off Hindi names from metro and railway station is extreme but if seen through the prism of sending a message to the electorate then the job has been done. It is like saying that if the concept of undivided Hindi vote is an accepted academic and political jargon then exceptional Kannadiga linguistic pride too shouldn&rsquo;t bother the Indian right. It is expected of them to oppose it from the position of nationalism but they understand that such politics is replete with danger. It can get TV eye balls in Delhi, but will definitely cut votes in Karnataka.</p>

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<h5>For BJP&nbsp;to win it, will have to come down from the issue of corruption as Siddaramaiah has changed the rule of the game.</h5>
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<p>If BJP wants to fight the elections against Siddaramaiah then it will have to intelligently focus on meatier issues rather than using the department of income tax and Central Bureau of Investigation liberally. For BJP&nbsp;to win, it will have to come down from the issue of corruption as Siddaramaiah has changed the rule of the game. Karnataka, this time too, might keep up with its reputation of voting against the national trend. It will also reaffirm how important prominent regional faces are which Congress today finds bereft of. A lot of people might not like Karnataka CM in Delhi, but he is the only one who can take the might of an aggressive BJP in the country.<br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />
Siddaramaiah might have lost the earlier rounds by generating bad press in Bengaluru, but the canny old politician seems to have learned his lesson well, namely, publically associating with issues which are central to the Kannadiga pride and making other issues irrelevant. Lastly, he has an added advantage in Karnataka: he neither has the baggage of a Laloo type of a politician nor internal bickering which is jeopardising BJP&#39;s prospect in the state.</p>


BJP is finding the charges of corruption, dynasty and disunity themes irrelevant to corner the Congress party in Karnataka

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seems to be hitting right chords over the past three months by pushing BJP to a corner in the state. It would be safe to say that Karnataka is the only state where BJP is facing a resurgent Congress under Siddaramaiah, who after 3 years of bad press has turned the table around and pushed BJP to the corner on issues central to the people of the state. In every other state but Karnataka, BJP has successfully used corruption, dynasty and disunity themes to marginalise the Congress. It is only in Karnataka that the state's chief minister has successfully played the ‘son of the soil’ card to push back an aggressive BJP. It is only in Karnataka that the state's chief minister has successfully played the ‘son of the soil’ card to push back an aggressive BJP. × Whether it his position on the language or the flag, the sentiments which the CM has evoked is that of a person who cares intensely about the cultural landscape of the state. He has also shown an inclination to implement a new cultural policy which would be dedicated to promoting local cinema and literature. The policy is also inclusive. It also entails local harmony cells. It also intends to curb moral policing which has become a scourge in some of the state ruled by BJP where the male aggressor is always imagined as a minority. The state also intends to set aside a sum of money to promote local artists. People may dismiss it as populist or superficial, but for a state with the rich history of literary culture and modern aspiration, Siddaramaiah has taken the right step. Many can still accuse Siddaramaiah of pushing state level chauvinism but if you look all across India, successful chief ministers have been the ambassadors of the state pride and have successfully positioned themselves as the custodian of culture and political pride of their respective regions as opposed to the Centre. Whether it is a resurgence of TDP in united Andhra or TRS of Telangana or BJD of Orissa, all of them represent unique political aspirations of the state within the Indian democratic setup. The concept of undivided Hindi vote is an accepted academic and political jargon then exceptional Kannadiga linguistic pride too shouldn’t bother the Indian right. × Nitish Kumar, when opposed to the BJP, won Bihar on the issue of Bihari asmita. For Mamata, it was 'Ma Maati and Maanush'. Similarly, the Karnataka chief minister has very successfully deployed the son of the soil culture card, which is laced with the sensitivity attached to the language. Though polishing off Hindi names from metro and railway station is extreme but if seen through the prism of sending a message to the electorate then the job has been done. It is like saying that if the concept of undivided Hindi vote is an accepted academic and political jargon then exceptional Kannadiga linguistic pride too shouldn’t bother the Indian right. It is expected of them to oppose it from the position of nationalism but they understand that such politics is replete with danger. It can get TV eye balls in Delhi, but will definitely cut votes in Karnataka. For BJP to win it, will have to come down from the issue of corruption as Siddaramaiah has changed the rule of the game. × If BJP wants to fight the elections against Siddaramaiah then it will have to intelligently focus on meatier issues rather than using the department of income tax and Central Bureau of Investigation liberally. For BJP to win, it will have to come down from the issue of corruption as Siddaramaiah has changed the rule of the game. Karnataka, this time too, might keep up with its reputation of voting against the national trend. It will also reaffirm how important prominent regional faces are which Congress today finds bereft of. A lot of people might not like Karnataka CM in Delhi, but he is the only one who can take the might of an aggressive BJP in the country. Siddaramaiah might have lost the earlier rounds by generating bad press in Bengaluru, but the canny old politician seems to have learned his lesson well, namely, publically associating with issues which are central to the Kannadiga pride and making other issues irrelevant. Lastly, he has an added advantage in Karnataka: he neither has the baggage of a Laloo type of a politician nor internal bickering which is jeopardising BJP's prospect in the state.

Karnataka CM plays 'son of the soil' card to corner BJP in the state

<p>Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday urged the Centre to allocate funds to strengthen the subordinate judiciary.</p>

<p>Kumar requested the Centre for funds to provide speedy justice to the litigants.</p>

<p>Urging the Centre for allocation of funds, Kumar said that Bihar&#39;s budget, which was around Rs&nbsp;25,000 crore in 2005, was now Rs&nbsp;1.40 lakh crore.</p>

<p>He added that the Janata Dal (United) had already sanctioned Rs&nbsp;169 crore for expanding the Patna High Court.</p>

<p>The Chief Minister was addressing a function to launch the &#39;Tele Law: Mainstreaming Legal Aid Through Common Service Centre&#39; scheme.</p>

<p>According to the scheme a common villager can have access to legal aid services with the help of the para-legal volunteers at the Common Service Centre (CSC), which would be equipped with computers and Internet facility.</p>

<p>This was the first function at a large scale after the formation of the JD(U)-BJP led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government in Bihar, where Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and the Chief Minister shared the stage</p>


Urging the Centre for allocation of funds, Kumar said that Bihar's budget, which was around Rs?25,000 crore in 2005, was now Rs?1.40 lakh crore

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday urged the Centre to allocate funds to strengthen the subordinate judiciary. Kumar requested the Centre for funds to provide speedy justice to the litigants. Urging the Centre for allocation of funds, Kumar said that Bihar's budget, which was around Rs 25,000 crore in 2005, was now Rs 1.40 lakh crore. He added that the Janata Dal (United) had already sanctioned Rs 169 crore for expanding the Patna High Court. The Chief Minister was addressing a function to launch the 'Tele Law: Mainstreaming Legal Aid Through Common Service Centre' scheme. According to the scheme a common villager can have access to legal aid services with the help of the para-legal volunteers at the Common Service Centre (CSC), which would be equipped with computers and Internet facility. This was the first function at a large scale after the formation of the JD(U)-BJP led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government in Bihar, where Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and the Chief Minister shared the stage

Nitish Kumar urges Centre to give more funds to strengthen lower judiciary

<p>The commentators and the politically influential people in this country have started writing the epitaph of the Congress party.</p>

<p>They have all the right to believe so because, since past three years or so, the electoral fortunes of the party have seriously dithered, particularly after the miserable defeat of 2014.Their intense speculation about the future of the Grand Old Party is something which passionate flag bearers like me cannot discount, but are profoundly anguished with. The Liberals are angry at us. But we need to convert that anger into love. I am a Congressman and will remain a Congress party admirer even if I am the last man standing, although I shall do everything within my means to prevent that &lsquo;last man&rsquo; scenario.</p>

<p>I know I may be painting a pessimistic picture, and some of you who will read this will definitely not agree with my assessment. Some of you may also question my locus-standi for writing this- since I am also part of that very system, albeit a very small part in which the Congress system works, I am responsible too. But, considering that I am an eternal optimist, I shall always yearn that such an eventuality shall never come.</p>

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<h5>Congress will remain strong and&nbsp;will&nbsp;overcome its present problems. We shall again redeem India and will not let it slip into the darkness.</h5>
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<p>Congress will remain strong and&nbsp;will&nbsp;overcome its present problems. We shall again redeem India and will not let it slip into the darkness. <a href="http://countryawake.blogspot.in/2015/01/the-idea-of-congress.html">Our ideals and ideology</a> are rock solid and our commitment to secularism is unflinching. Compassion, brotherhood, love and respect are the pillars on which the Congress party stands.There are lots of inherent flaws with which our inner party system works, but there are innumerable positive aspects too.</p>

<p>In the initial years of the Modi Government, the Congress party believed that as the BJP lacks the ability to solidly govern and administer, it will never be able to live up to the expectations of people. This has actually led to the former&#39;s complacency that has turned it into a reactive force. &ldquo;Jab yeh galitiya karenge, abhi nahi toh 5-10 saal baad humara waqt aayega&rdquo; (When they will make mistakes, not today, but eventually after 5-10 years we will be back in power) was the drawing room chatter of every Congressman.&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>Both critics and admirers would agree that the single biggest mistake which the Congress party made in the UPA era was not to build its cadre, especially in states where it was organisationally weak.</h5>
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<p>Then came a period during which failures&nbsp;after failures marred BJP&#39;s image but the Congress merely acted as a reactionary force, failing to capitalise the blunders of the ruling party. Both critics and admirers would agree that the single biggest mistake which the Congress party made in the UPA era was not to build its cadre, especially in states where it was organisationally weak. An Opposition needs a rank of robust and committed workers to carry on its political work. The Congress is a mass-based party and not a cadre based one, yet it has certain unique organisational strengths, which could have been tapped into. The party&#39;s frontals are more or less defunct and, at the most, have become extremely sycophantic in nature- with almost no vision or plan of action.</p>

<p>After three years&nbsp;into the Modi Government, where the BJP is using every trick in the political book to expand its bases, the Congress is making last ditch attempts to somehow foster unity among the Opposition, without much success. The Nitish Kumar fiasco may have its opportunistic and political strokes, and broad ones indeed, yet the Congress has to somehow take its share of the blame too. I know, I will again be accused of crossing the Lakshman Rekha (Red Line) while I try to objectively put forth this assessment, but acceptance of failures is the first stepping stone to success.</p>

<p>I have been hinting and posting on social media, <a href="http://countryawake.blogspot.in/2014/05/humbled-by-mandate-thoughts-unlimited.html">since long</a>, that the Congress needs a positive agenda. A solid, implementable narrative and a new vision to take along those committed liberal voters who still believe in those ideals on which the edifice of our Constitution was laid. Time and again, I have come to the conclusion that only a positive narrative can resurrect the Congress.</p>

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<h5>Time and again, I have come to the conclusion that only a positive narrative can resurrect the Congress.</h5>
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<p>For starters, we should look at our own 2014 Manifesto. This 45-page document should be our Magna Carta to attack and question the BJP. It will give us more credibility because we shall not be merely criticising the policies, but also put forth a positive policy solution, for instance, we would go to the people of the country pointing out, &ldquo;Had the Congress been in power, there were the 5 steps it would have taken to solve agrarian distress&rdquo; and &ldquo;These are the steps that the Congress party would have taken to create more jobs&rdquo;.</p>

<p>It is not that the Congress party is not taking steps to revamp its organisational structure. The election process will be completed this year and a new team is slowly and steadily been set up. New General Secretary in-charge of the states are being appointed. The Communications department of the party is seeing new faces and a newer strategy for the same is in place now. Research and Social Media wings have also been refurbished and are working with a new vigour. Yes, we lack in media management, and that needs to be proactively dealt with. The voter connect is only possible when you gather small constituencies of groups together and focus on the liberal supporters. Laziness, complacency and arrogance should be done away with. A strong ideological resolve is needed so as solidify our support base. We all know what ails the Congress party, we should&nbsp;have solutions for the same.&nbsp;</p>

<p>No political party that has a closed system and is secretive in nature can function in a vibrant democracy. We have to open the doors for the converts as well as for the swing ones.</p>

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<h5>A large section of media has become the mouthpiece for the BJP, and the Congress needs to find an alternate for the same.</h5>
</blockquote>
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<p>The Congress should aim to unite with other opposition parties, but that does not mean that it can tie up with any political party which is ideologically not on the same page as it is. At the end of the day, such an alliance falls through as we have seen in West Bengal and in Uttar Pradesh. Let us not repeat that. The Congress should try and build consensus, but if that is not possible, just leave these regional parties to fend for themselves. We should stop pandering to them. Let us built our own identity, we were successful because we had one. We should not leave it. Opposition unity is good for short term goals, but in the long term, we should strive for our own national space. In states, where we are dependent on regional satraps, we have only declined. Even if we win one seat, it should be on our own.</p>

<p>If we do not implement a positive agenda and restructure ourselves, then even our forefathers, who so painstakingly built this country, will not forgive us for sending India to the dark ages.</p>

<p>(All the views expressed in the article by the author are strictly personal.)</p>


The Liberals are angry at Congress. But Congress needs to convert that anger into love.

The commentators and the politically influential people in this country have started writing the epitaph of the Congress party. They have all the right to believe so because, since past three years or so, the electoral fortunes of the party have seriously dithered, particularly after the miserable defeat of 2014.Their intense speculation about the future of the Grand Old Party is something which passionate flag bearers like me cannot discount, but are profoundly anguished with. The Liberals are angry at us. But we need to convert that anger into love. I am a Congressman and will remain a Congress party admirer even if I am the last man standing, although I shall do everything within my means to prevent that ‘last man’ scenario. I know I may be painting a pessimistic picture, and some of you who will read this will definitely not agree with my assessment. Some of you may also question my locus-standi for writing this- since I am also part of that very system, albeit a very small part in which the Congress system works, I am responsible too. But, considering that I am an eternal optimist, I shall always yearn that such an eventuality shall never come. Congress will remain strong and will overcome its present problems. We shall again redeem India and will not let it slip into the darkness. × Congress will remain strong and will overcome its present problems. We shall again redeem India and will not let it slip into the darkness. Our ideals and ideology are rock solid and our commitment to secularism is unflinching. Compassion, brotherhood, love and respect are the pillars on which the Congress party stands.There are lots of inherent flaws with which our inner party system works, but there are innumerable positive aspects too. In the initial years of the Modi Government, the Congress party believed that as the BJP lacks the ability to solidly govern and administer, it will never be able to live up to the expectations of people. This has actually led to the former's complacency that has turned it into a reactive force. “Jab yeh galitiya karenge, abhi nahi toh 5-10 saal baad humara waqt aayega” (When they will make mistakes, not today, but eventually after 5-10 years we will be back in power) was the drawing room chatter of every Congressman. Both critics and admirers would agree that the single biggest mistake which the Congress party made in the UPA era was not to build its cadre, especially in states where it was organisationally weak. × Then came a period during which failures after failures marred BJP's image but the Congress merely acted as a reactionary force, failing to capitalise the blunders of the ruling party. Both critics and admirers would agree that the single biggest mistake which the Congress party made in the UPA era was not to build its cadre, especially in states where it was organisationally weak. An Opposition needs a rank of robust and committed workers to carry on its political work. The Congress is a mass-based party and not a cadre based one, yet it has certain unique organisational strengths, which could have been tapped into. The party's frontals are more or less defunct and, at the most, have become extremely sycophantic in nature- with almost no vision or plan of action. After three years into the Modi Government, where the BJP is using every trick in the political book to expand its bases, the Congress is making last ditch attempts to somehow foster unity among the Opposition, without much success. The Nitish Kumar fiasco may have its opportunistic and political strokes, and broad ones indeed, yet the Congress has to somehow take its share of the blame too. I know, I will again be accused of crossing the Lakshman Rekha (Red Line) while I try to objectively put forth this assessment, but acceptance of failures is the first stepping stone to success. I have been hinting and posting on social media, since long, that the Congress needs a positive agenda. A solid, implementable narrative and a new vision to take along those committed liberal voters who still believe in those ideals on which the edifice of our Constitution was laid. Time and again, I have come to the conclusion that only a positive narrative can resurrect the Congress. Time and again, I have come to the conclusion that only a positive narrative can resurrect the Congress. × For starters, we should look at our own 2014 Manifesto. This 45-page document should be our Magna Carta to attack and question the BJP. It will give us more credibility because we shall not be merely criticising the policies, but also put forth a positive policy solution, for instance, we would go to the people of the country pointing out, “Had the Congress been in power, there were the 5 steps it would have taken to solve agrarian distress” and “These are the steps that the Congress party would have taken to create more jobs”. It is not that the Congress party is not taking steps to revamp its organisational structure. The election process will be completed this year and a new team is slowly and steadily been set up. New General Secretary in-charge of the states are being appointed. The Communications department of the party is seeing new faces and a newer strategy for the same is in place now. Research and Social Media wings have also been refurbished and are working with a new vigour. Yes, we lack in media management, and that needs to be proactively dealt with. The voter connect is only possible when you gather small constituencies of groups together and focus on the liberal supporters. Laziness, complacency and arrogance should be done away with. A strong ideological resolve is needed so as solidify our support base. We all know what ails the Congress party, we should have solutions for the same. No political party that has a closed system and is secretive in nature can function in a vibrant democracy. We have to open the doors for the converts as well as for the swing ones. A large section of media has become the mouthpiece for the BJP, and the Congress needs to find an alternate for the same. × The Congress should aim to unite with other opposition parties, but that does not mean that it can tie up with any political party which is ideologically not on the same page as it is. At the end of the day, such an alliance falls through as we have seen in West Bengal and in Uttar Pradesh. Let us not repeat that. The Congress should try and build consensus, but if that is not possible, just leave these regional parties to fend for themselves. We should stop pandering to them. Let us built our own identity, we were successful because we had one. We should not leave it. Opposition unity is good for short term goals, but in the long term, we should strive for our own national space. In states, where we are dependent on regional satraps, we have only declined. Even if we win one seat, it should be on our own. If we do not implement a positive agenda and restructure ourselves, then even our forefathers, who so painstakingly built this country, will not forgive us for sending India to the dark ages. (All the views expressed in the article by the author are strictly personal.)

How the Congress party can be revived in India

<p>Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar today took a dig at Lalu Prasad Yadav saying the RJD chief hadn&#39;t given any clarification on corruption charges levelled against him.</p>

<p>The Bihar chief minister said,&quot;Nobody&nbsp;has the strength to compete with Narendra Modi.&quot;</p>

<p>Nitish Kumar had broken his ties&nbsp;with the RJD&nbsp;and joined hands with <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bihar-chief-minister-nitish-kumar-resigns-reports-18300">BJP to form the government in Bihar amid high political drama </a>last week. Nitish&#39;s JD(U) effectively broke up the &quot;mahagatbandhan&quot;(grand alliance) comprising of the JD(U), RJD and&nbsp;Congress which had come together to beat the BJP during the 2015 state assembly polls in Bihar. However, Nitish&#39;s political U-turn took everyone by surprise even though it was in the offing for some time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Bihar chief minister broke his silence on the <em>mahagatbandhan</em>, saying: &quot;RJD made objectionable statements against the <em>mahagatbandhan</em>.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;There were corruption charges and cases were filed by the CBI (against Lalu Prasad and family). I had only told them to come out with proper answers. Instead , they made fun of me saying whether I was a CBI official or the police,&quot; he told a press conference.</p>

<p>&quot;How could I remain silent as I talked about zero tolerance on corruption,&quot; he asserted.</p>

<p>&quot;I had tolerated every criticism for the sake of the <em>mahagatbandhan</em>. But none from the JD(U) had said anything against RJD&#39;s supreme leader.&quot;</p>

<p>On the issue of secularism, Nitish Kumar said: &quot;I don&#39;t need any certificate from anybody on secularism.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;What does secularism mean? Does secularism mean making property worth thousands of crores?&quot;, he asked.</p>

<p>However, there were fissures within the JD(U) over the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rift-in-jdu-sharad-yadav-hits-out-at-centre-18409">issue of the&nbsp;</a><em class="gr-progress"><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rift-in-jdu-sharad-yadav-hits-out-at-centre-18409">mahagatbandhan</a></em><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rift-in-jdu-sharad-yadav-hits-out-at-centre-18409"><em class="gr-progress">&nbsp;</em>with Sharad Yadav </a>declaring that he does not agree with Nitish Kumar&#39;s decision to leave the grand alliance.</p>

<p>&quot;I don&#39;t agree with the decision in Bihar. It&#39;s unfortunate,&quot; he said. &quot;The mandate by the people was not for this,&quot; he felt.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the Patna High Court today dismissed petitions challenging the formation of the government in Bihar by Nitish Kumar&#39;s JD(U) along with the BJP. The court said no intervention of the court was required after the party had won the floor test in the state assembly.</p>

<p>Two PILs had challenged the formation of the new government on the ground that it had violated the judgement in the S R Bommai case.</p>


Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said Lalu Prasad Yadav hadn't given any clarification on corruption charges levelled against him

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar today took a dig at Lalu Prasad Yadav saying the RJD chief hadn't given any clarification on corruption charges levelled against him. The Bihar chief minister said,"Nobody has the strength to compete with Narendra Modi." Nitish Kumar had broken his ties with the RJD and joined hands with BJP to form the government in Bihar amid high political drama last week. Nitish's JD(U) effectively broke up the "mahagatbandhan"(grand alliance) comprising of the JD(U), RJD and Congress which had come together to beat the BJP during the 2015 state assembly polls in Bihar. However, Nitish's political U-turn took everyone by surprise even though it was in the offing for some time. The Bihar chief minister broke his silence on the mahagatbandhan, saying: "RJD made objectionable statements against the mahagatbandhan." "There were corruption charges and cases were filed by the CBI (against Lalu Prasad and family). I had only told them to come out with proper answers. Instead , they made fun of me saying whether I was a CBI official or the police," he told a press conference. "How could I remain silent as I talked about zero tolerance on corruption," he asserted. "I had tolerated every criticism for the sake of the mahagatbandhan. But none from the JD(U) had said anything against RJD's supreme leader." On the issue of secularism, Nitish Kumar said: "I don't need any certificate from anybody on secularism." "What does secularism mean? Does secularism mean making property worth thousands of crores?", he asked. However, there were fissures within the JD(U) over the issue of the mahagatbandhan with Sharad Yadav declaring that he does not agree with Nitish Kumar's decision to leave the grand alliance. "I don't agree with the decision in Bihar. It's unfortunate," he said. "The mandate by the people was not for this," he felt. Meanwhile, the Patna High Court today dismissed petitions challenging the formation of the government in Bihar by Nitish Kumar's JD(U) along with the BJP. The court said no intervention of the court was required after the party had won the floor test in the state assembly. Two PILs had challenged the formation of the new government on the ground that it had violated the judgement in the S R Bommai case.

Nitish backs Modi, takes a dig at Lalu over corruption

<p>The JD(U)&#39;s Sharad Yadav has said he does not agree Nitish Kumar&#39;s decision to leave the mahagatbandhan&nbsp;-- the JD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance that was ruling the state -- and join hands with the BJP.</p>

<p>&quot;I don&#39;t agree with the decision in Bihar. It&#39;s unfortunate,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>&quot;The mandate by the people was not for this,&quot; he added. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had unexpectedly &quot;resigned&quot;&nbsp;as chief minister last week, only to be sworn in again as chief minister the following morning; this time with support from the BJP.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I don&#39;t agree with the decision in Bihar, its unfortunate.The mandate by the people was not for this: Sharad Yadav,JDU <a href="https://t.co/RZDKlpKn2p">pic.twitter.com/RZDKlpKn2p</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/891893392736624640">July 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Janta se karar todna sabse badi cheez hai, logon ne mahagatbandhan ko vote diya tha:Sharad Yadav <a href="https://t.co/y5t0iRcvuV">pic.twitter.com/y5t0iRcvuV</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/891926847453188097">July 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sharad Yadav is not interested in Bihar&#39;s politics. He is simply restless: Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy <a href="https://t.co/7LFgK5F9ja">pic.twitter.com/7LFgK5F9ja</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/891927311016120320">July 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Yadav earlier hit out at the Centre on Sunday saying that neither had the government been able to get back black money from abroad -- one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s poll promises -- nor had anyone named in the Panama Papers been caught.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Neither black money slashed abroad returned, one of d main slogans of d ruling party nor anyone caught out of those named in Panama papers,&quot; he tweeted on Sunday.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Neither black money slashed abroad returned, one of d main slogans of d ruling party nor anyone caught out of those named in Panama papers.</p>
&mdash; SHARAD YADAV (@SharadYadavMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/SharadYadavMP/status/891503285147803648">July 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Yadav&#39;s barbs came a little after Lalu Prasad spoke with him, appealing to him &quot;to take command of this fight&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I talked to Sharad Yadav over phone. I appeal to him that come &amp;go to every corner of country, take command of this fight: Lalu Prasad Yadav <a href="https://t.co/waErUnIKN8">pic.twitter.com/waErUnIKN8</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/891315180436561920">July 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The BJP responded to Yadav, with party leader&nbsp;Ashwani Choubey telling ANI, &quot;We admire Sharad Yadav and he has worked with the NDA Government as well. As a fellow politico, I will suggest Yadav to not lose hopes in Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he will bring back the black money from abroad as well as clear the corruption from the entire nation,&quot; BJP leader .</p>

<p>&quot;Now Bihar will flourish under the guidance of our Prime Minister,&quot; he added, saying the BJP had taken an oath to make Bihar corruption-free.</p>

<p>&quot;Sharad Yadav should think for a while before blaming the Prime Minister. Promises made by Prime Minister Modi will get fulfilled,&quot; he said.</p>


'The mandate by the people was not for this,' Yadav added

The JD(U)'s Sharad Yadav has said he does not agree Nitish Kumar's decision to leave the mahagatbandhan -- the JD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance that was ruling the state -- and join hands with the BJP. "I don't agree with the decision in Bihar. It's unfortunate," he said. "The mandate by the people was not for this," he added. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had unexpectedly "resigned" as chief minister last week, only to be sworn in again as chief minister the following morning; this time with support from the BJP. I don't agree with the decision in Bihar, its unfortunate.The mandate by the people was not for this: Sharad Yadav,JDU pic.twitter.com/RZDKlpKn2p — ANI (@ANI_news) July 31, 2017 × Janta se karar todna sabse badi cheez hai, logon ne mahagatbandhan ko vote diya tha:Sharad Yadav pic.twitter.com/y5t0iRcvuV — ANI (@ANI_news) July 31, 2017 × Sharad Yadav is not interested in Bihar's politics. He is simply restless: Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy pic.twitter.com/7LFgK5F9ja — ANI (@ANI_news) July 31, 2017 × Yadav earlier hit out at the Centre on Sunday saying that neither had the government been able to get back black money from abroad -- one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's poll promises -- nor had anyone named in the Panama Papers been caught. "Neither black money slashed abroad returned, one of d main slogans of d ruling party nor anyone caught out of those named in Panama papers," he tweeted on Sunday. Neither black money slashed abroad returned, one of d main slogans of d ruling party nor anyone caught out of those named in Panama papers. — SHARAD YADAV (@SharadYadavMP) July 30, 2017 × Yadav's barbs came a little after Lalu Prasad spoke with him, appealing to him "to take command of this fight". I talked to Sharad Yadav over phone. I appeal to him that come &go to every corner of country, take command of this fight: Lalu Prasad Yadav pic.twitter.com/waErUnIKN8 — ANI (@ANI_news) July 29, 2017 × The BJP responded to Yadav, with party leader Ashwani Choubey telling ANI, "We admire Sharad Yadav and he has worked with the NDA Government as well. As a fellow politico, I will suggest Yadav to not lose hopes in Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he will bring back the black money from abroad as well as clear the corruption from the entire nation," BJP leader . "Now Bihar will flourish under the guidance of our Prime Minister," he added, saying the BJP had taken an oath to make Bihar corruption-free. "Sharad Yadav should think for a while before blaming the Prime Minister. Promises made by Prime Minister Modi will get fulfilled," he said.

JD(U)'s Sharad Yadav: 'Don't agree with the decision in Bihar'

<p>The swearing-in of ministers for Bihar Assembly is underway at Raj Bhavan in Patna.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="in"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a> Oath-taking ceremony of Bihar ministers at Raj Bhawan in Patna <a href="https://t.co/uUFNU27ECD">https://t.co/uUFNU27ECD</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/891261864797102081">July 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Zee News accessed a final list of a total of 27 ministers who will be taking&nbsp;the oath.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A cabinet meeting is expected to take place at 7.30 pm.&nbsp;</p>

<p>12 ministers are from the BJP, 14 from JD (U) and 1 from LJP.</p>

<p>The names include:&nbsp;Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Prem Kumar, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Nand Kishore Yadav, Shravan Kumar, Ram Narayan Mandal, Jai Kumar Singh, Krishnanandan Prasad Verma, Mangal Pandey, Maheshwar Hazari, Vinod Narayan Jha, Shailesh Kumar, Suresh Kumar Sharma, Manju Verma, Vijay Kumar Sinha, Santosh Kumar Nirala, Rana Randhir Singh, Khurshid Ahmed, Vinid Kumar Singh, Mandan Sahini, Krishna Kumar Rishi, Kapil Dev Kamat, Dinesh Chandra Yadav, Ramesh Rishidev, Brij Kishore Bind, Pashupati Kumar Paras.</p>


A cabinet meeting is expected to take place at 7.30 pm

The swearing-in of ministers for Bihar Assembly is underway at Raj Bhavan in Patna. #WATCH Oath-taking ceremony of Bihar ministers at Raj Bhawan in Patna https://t.co/uUFNU27ECD — ANI (@ANI_news) July 29, 2017 × Zee News accessed a final list of a total of 27 ministers who will be taking the oath. A cabinet meeting is expected to take place at 7.30 pm. 12 ministers are from the BJP, 14 from JD (U) and 1 from LJP. The names include: Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Prem Kumar, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Nand Kishore Yadav, Shravan Kumar, Ram Narayan Mandal, Jai Kumar Singh, Krishnanandan Prasad Verma, Mangal Pandey, Maheshwar Hazari, Vinod Narayan Jha, Shailesh Kumar, Suresh Kumar Sharma, Manju Verma, Vijay Kumar Sinha, Santosh Kumar Nirala, Rana Randhir Singh, Khurshid Ahmed, Vinid Kumar Singh, Mandan Sahini, Krishna Kumar Rishi, Kapil Dev Kamat, Dinesh Chandra Yadav, Ramesh Rishidev, Brij Kishore Bind, Pashupati Kumar Paras.

Bihar Assembly: Oath-taking ceremony underway

<p>The Bihar Assembly on Saturday saw the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bihar-assembly-oath-taking-ceremony-underway-18378">swearing-in of as many as 27 new ministers</a>, including 14 from the Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)), 12 from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and one from the LJP.</p>

<p>Nitish Kumar was sworn in as the Chief Minister and BJP&#39;s Sushil Modi as the Deputy on Thursday, a day after the former ended the &#39;mahagathbandhan&#39; and came back to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fold, with taking the oath for the sixth time.</p>

<p>JD(U)&#39;s Kapil Dev Kamat, Dinesh Chandra Yadav, Santosh Kumar Nirala, Maheshwar Hazari, Shailesh Kumar, Jay Kumar Singh, Krishna Nandan Prasad Verma and Shrawan Kumar and BJP&#39;s Ramesh Rishidev, Brij Kishor, Rana Randhir Singh, Vinod Narayan Jha, Pramod Kumar and Ram Narayan Mandal among other took oath as ministers in the Bihar Government.</p>

<p>Nitish Kumar won the floor test in the Bihar Legislative Assembly with 131 votes in favour and 108 against.</p>

<p>The Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) and the BJP MLAs met Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi to stake claim to form the government in the state, after Nitish ended the &#39;mahagathbandhan&#39; in the state and resigned from his post, instead of Tejashwi Yadav, as was being speculated and expected.</p>

<p>Nitish resigned citing political differences with former ally, Lalu Prasad Yadav-led RJD, over corruption charges against Tejashwi, following which the state saw a rigmarole of political events including dharnas and probationary orders.</p>

<p>The development came hours after Lalu took a jibe at Nitish, saying he was aware of his longtime friend&#39;s party&#39;s growing bonhomie with the BJP.&nbsp;</p>


A total of 27 ministers took oath during the swearing-in ceremony for Bihar assembly today

The Bihar Assembly on Saturday saw the swearing-in of as many as 27 new ministers, including 14 from the Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)), 12 from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and one from the LJP. Nitish Kumar was sworn in as the Chief Minister and BJP's Sushil Modi as the Deputy on Thursday, a day after the former ended the 'mahagathbandhan' and came back to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fold, with taking the oath for the sixth time. JD(U)'s Kapil Dev Kamat, Dinesh Chandra Yadav, Santosh Kumar Nirala, Maheshwar Hazari, Shailesh Kumar, Jay Kumar Singh, Krishna Nandan Prasad Verma and Shrawan Kumar and BJP's Ramesh Rishidev, Brij Kishor, Rana Randhir Singh, Vinod Narayan Jha, Pramod Kumar and Ram Narayan Mandal among other took oath as ministers in the Bihar Government. Nitish Kumar won the floor test in the Bihar Legislative Assembly with 131 votes in favour and 108 against. The Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) and the BJP MLAs met Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi to stake claim to form the government in the state, after Nitish ended the 'mahagathbandhan' in the state and resigned from his post, instead of Tejashwi Yadav, as was being speculated and expected. Nitish resigned citing political differences with former ally, Lalu Prasad Yadav-led RJD, over corruption charges against Tejashwi, following which the state saw a rigmarole of political events including dharnas and probationary orders. The development came hours after Lalu took a jibe at Nitish, saying he was aware of his longtime friend's party's growing bonhomie with the BJP.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar expands cabinet

<p>Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today won the&nbsp;confidence motion in the Bihar Assembly to prove the majority of his new government. 131 legislators voted in favour of his government and 108 against, comfortably crossing&nbsp; 122 votes to win the trust vote.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bihar CM <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NitishKumar?src=hash">#NitishKumar</a> wins floor test, 131 votes in favour, 108 against. <a href="https://t.co/CxsWOKV8j1">pic.twitter.com/CxsWOKV8j1</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890838324050411520">July 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The JD(U) chief&nbsp;was sworn in as chief minister on Thursday, just one day after he resigned as chief minister,&nbsp;called off the &quot;grand alliance&quot; of his party, the JD(U) with the Congress and the RJD, and allied&nbsp;his party with the BJP. The JD(U) chief resigned as chief minister after RJD chief Lalu Prasad said his son Tejashwi Yadav would not step down as deputy chief minister despite the alleged corruption charges against him.</p>

<p>Tejashwi Yadav spoke first on the confidence motion, slamming Nitish Kumar for dumping the Grand Alliance and joining hands with former ally, the BJP. &quot;The mandate to the<em> </em><em>mahagathbandhan</em><em> </em>(grand alliance) was of the people. Today the BJP and Nitish Kumar have insulted the mandate,&quot; Tejashwi Yadav said after Nitish Kumar said after the trust vote. He had spoken&nbsp;first on the confidence motion, slamming Nitish Kumar for dumping the Grand Alliance and joining hands with former ally, the BJP.</p>

<p>The JD(U)&#39;s 71 MLAs and the BJP&#39;s 53, gave the&nbsp;alliance a support of 124 legislators in the 243-member assembly. They also had the&nbsp;support of seven&nbsp;others, bringing the&nbsp;total to 131 legislators.</p>

<p>Former coalition partners, the RJD and the Congress,&nbsp;had 80&nbsp;and 27 lawmakers on their side.</p>

<p>The RJD has appealed the Bihar governor&rsquo;s invitation to JDU and NDA to form the government and Nitish Kumar&#39;s appointment as chief minister.</p>

<p>It has also&nbsp;called for a &quot;conscience vote,&quot; a secret ballot in which legislators are not bound to vote for their party.<br />
<br />
<strong>Here are the live updates:</strong></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar leaves from Bihar Assembly after winning the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/floortest?src=hash">#floortest</a>. <a href="https://t.co/Ch1rYqkIqt">pic.twitter.com/Ch1rYqkIqt</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890848950621585409">July 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Happy that govt led by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NitishKumar?src=hash">#NitishKumar</a> has won vote of confidence, we will sit down soon to discuss about the cabinet: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bihar?src=hash">#Bihar</a> Dy CM Sushil Modi <a href="https://t.co/j1aqy5Fc7N">pic.twitter.com/j1aqy5Fc7N</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890848511926820864">July 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">People of Bihar will teach them a lesson; when they couldn&#39;t answer my questions in assembly, then how will they answer the people?:Tejashwi <a href="https://t.co/1057HXIRUJ">pic.twitter.com/1057HXIRUJ</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890842543482478592">July 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Asked several questions in assembly today, but BJP &amp; Nitish Kumar had no answers to them: Tejashwi Yadav after <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NitishKumar?src=hash">#NitishKumar</a> wins floor test</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890841622396641281">July 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The mandate to the<em> </em><em>mahagathbandhan</em><em> </em>(grand alliance) was of the people. Today the BJP and Nitish Kumar have insulted the mandate: Tejashwi Yadav<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p>The people&#39;s verdict was not to safeguard <em>benami</em> (illegal) transactions. It was not for becoming the owner of 26 <em>benami</em><em> </em>properties: Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Would like to thank Congress and RJD, if Tejashwi had resigned I would not have been here: Sushil Modi,Bihar Deputy CM said in assembly</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890834491660316673">July 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The government will move forward, work for the welfare of the people of Bihar. We will not tolerate corruption and injustice: Nitish Kumar</p>

<p>The chair is not for misusing political power but for service: Nitish Kumar<br />
<br />
Secularism should not be used to justify corruption, Nitish Kumar says in Bihar Assembly&nbsp;ahead of trust vote</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Yogi &amp; some BJP leaders have serious cases registered against them, Nitish ji will you ask all of them to resign?:Tejashwi Yadav in assembly</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890824416640225280">July 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Nitish <em>ji</em> aren&#39;t you ashamed to sit beside Sushil Modi: Tejashwi Yadav&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We did not put any pressure on the Chief Minister ever, says Tejashwi Yadav in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bihar?src=hash">#Bihar</a> assembly <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Floortest?src=hash">#Floortest</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890818252904873984">July 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Everything was completely planned; the way <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NitishKumar?src=hash">#NitishKumar</a> gave resignation is saddening says Tejashwi Yadav in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bihar?src=hash">#Bihar</a> assembly <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Floortest?src=hash">#Floortest</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890817813929107457">July 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Which thought process, what morality, the world wants to know, Nitish Kumar: Tejashwi Yadav in Bihar Assembly</p>

<p>If it&#39;s a question of image, then the entire country knows what grounds Nitish Kumar has: Former Bihar Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We have 80 MLAs, Nitish ji knew he could not have removed me: Tejashwi Yadav in the assembly. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bihar?src=hash">#Bihar</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890813667821748224">July 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bihar?src=hash">#Bihar</a> floor test: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav says in the assembly &quot;People of Bihar have suffered immensely&quot;</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890813020191862784">July 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="et">Patna: Tejashwi Yadav outside <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bihar?src=hash">#Bihar</a> assembly ahead of CM <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NitishKumar?src=hash">#NitishKumar</a>&#39;s floor test. <a href="https://t.co/RkwT3bECIc">pic.twitter.com/RkwT3bECIc</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890804490252591106">July 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Patna: RJD MLAs protest outside <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bihar?src=hash">#Bihar</a> assembly ahead of CM <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NitishKumar?src=hash">#NitishKumar</a>&#39;s floor test. <a href="https://t.co/wJGCOHDvxQ">pic.twitter.com/wJGCOHDvxQ</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890802060664356866">July 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Deputy CM Sushil Modi reaches <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bihar?src=hash">#Bihar</a> assembly ahead of the floor test. <a href="https://t.co/AWARme3vWG">pic.twitter.com/AWARme3vWG</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890801200307642369">July 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Very clear that we will win trust vote as we have support of 132 MLAs: Mangal Pandey, BJP <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bihar?src=hash">#Bihar</a> <a href="https://t.co/FfMOhLPIw7">pic.twitter.com/FfMOhLPIw7</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890800496570585093">July 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Patna: CM <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NitishKumar?src=hash">#NitishKumar</a> reaches <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bihar?src=hash">#Bihar</a> assembly ahead of the floor test. <a href="https://t.co/GA1FYxGG8U">pic.twitter.com/GA1FYxGG8U</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890799268033830914">July 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


The Bihar chief minister prove his majority at a special session of the Bihar Assembly today

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today won the confidence motion in the Bihar Assembly to prove the majority of his new government. 131 legislators voted in favour of his government and 108 against, comfortably crossing 122 votes to win the trust vote. Bihar CM #NitishKumar wins floor test, 131 votes in favour, 108 against. pic.twitter.com/CxsWOKV8j1 — ANI (@ANI_news) July 28, 2017 × The JD(U) chief was sworn in as chief minister on Thursday, just one day after he resigned as chief minister, called off the "grand alliance" of his party, the JD(U) with the Congress and the RJD, and allied his party with the BJP. The JD(U) chief resigned as chief minister after RJD chief Lalu Prasad said his son Tejashwi Yadav would not step down as deputy chief minister despite the alleged corruption charges against him. Tejashwi Yadav spoke first on the confidence motion, slamming Nitish Kumar for dumping the Grand Alliance and joining hands with former ally, the BJP. "The mandate to the mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) was of the people. Today the BJP and Nitish Kumar have insulted the mandate," Tejashwi Yadav said after Nitish Kumar said after the trust vote. He had spoken first on the confidence motion, slamming Nitish Kumar for dumping the Grand Alliance and joining hands with former ally, the BJP. The JD(U)'s 71 MLAs and the BJP's 53, gave the alliance a support of 124 legislators in the 243-member assembly. They also had the support of seven others, bringing the total to 131 legislators. Former coalition partners, the RJD and the Congress, had 80 and 27 lawmakers on their side. The RJD has appealed the Bihar governor’s invitation to JDU and NDA to form the government and Nitish Kumar's appointment as chief minister. It has also called for a "conscience vote," a secret ballot in which legislators are not bound to vote for their party. Here are the live updates: Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar leaves from Bihar Assembly after winning the #floortest. pic.twitter.com/Ch1rYqkIqt — ANI (@ANI_news) July 28, 2017 × Happy that govt led by #NitishKumar has won vote of confidence, we will sit down soon to discuss about the cabinet: #Bihar Dy CM Sushil Modi pic.twitter.com/j1aqy5Fc7N — ANI (@ANI_news) July 28, 2017 × People of Bihar will teach them a lesson; when they couldn't answer my questions in assembly, then how will they answer the people?:Tejashwi pic.twitter.com/1057HXIRUJ — ANI (@ANI_news) July 28, 2017 × Asked several questions in assembly today, but BJP & Nitish Kumar had no answers to them: Tejashwi Yadav after #NitishKumar wins floor test — ANI (@ANI_news) July 28, 2017 × The mandate to the mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) was of the people. Today the BJP and Nitish Kumar have insulted the mandate: Tejashwi Yadav The people's verdict was not to safeguard benami (illegal) transactions. It was not for becoming the owner of 26 benami properties: Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi Would like to thank Congress and RJD, if Tejashwi had resigned I would not have been here: Sushil Modi,Bihar Deputy CM said in assembly — ANI (@ANI_news) July 28, 2017 × The government will move forward, work for the welfare of the people of Bihar. We will not tolerate corruption and injustice: Nitish Kumar The chair is not for misusing political power but for service: Nitish Kumar Secularism should not be used to justify corruption, Nitish Kumar says in Bihar Assembly ahead of trust vote Yogi & some BJP leaders have serious cases registered against them, Nitish ji will you ask all of them to resign?:Tejashwi Yadav in assembly — ANI (@ANI_news) July 28, 2017 × Nitish ji aren't you ashamed to sit beside Sushil Modi: Tejashwi Yadav We did not put any pressure on the Chief Minister ever, says Tejashwi Yadav in the #Bihar assembly #Floortest — ANI (@ANI_news) July 28, 2017 × Everything was completely planned; the way #NitishKumar gave resignation is saddening says Tejashwi Yadav in the #Bihar assembly #Floortest — ANI (@ANI_news) July 28, 2017 × Which thought process, what morality, the world wants to know, Nitish Kumar: Tejashwi Yadav in Bihar Assembly If it's a question of image, then the entire country knows what grounds Nitish Kumar has: Former Bihar Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav We have 80 MLAs, Nitish ji knew he could not have removed me: Tejashwi Yadav in the assembly. #Bihar — ANI (@ANI_news) July 28, 2017 × #Bihar floor test: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav says in the assembly "People of Bihar have suffered immensely" — ANI (@ANI_news) July 28, 2017 × Patna: Tejashwi Yadav outside #Bihar assembly ahead of CM #NitishKumar's floor test. pic.twitter.com/RkwT3bECIc — ANI (@ANI_news) July 28, 2017 × Patna: RJD MLAs protest outside #Bihar assembly ahead of CM #NitishKumar's floor test. pic.twitter.com/wJGCOHDvxQ — ANI (@ANI_news) July 28, 2017 × Deputy CM Sushil Modi reaches #Bihar assembly ahead of the floor test. pic.twitter.com/AWARme3vWG — ANI (@ANI_news) July 28, 2017 × Very clear that we will win trust vote as we have support of 132 MLAs: Mangal Pandey, BJP #Bihar pic.twitter.com/FfMOhLPIw7 — ANI (@ANI_news) July 28, 2017 × Patna: CM #NitishKumar reaches #Bihar assembly ahead of the floor test. pic.twitter.com/GA1FYxGG8U — ANI (@ANI_news) July 28, 2017 ×

Nitish Kumar wins Bihar floor test 131 to 108

<p>Nitish Kumar has won the Bihar assembly trust vote.</p>

<p>131 votes were polled in his favour and 108 against.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Nitish had always been expected to win the trust vote.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He had needed 122 votes to cross the halfway mark and win the trust vote.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Before the trust vote, Tejashwi Yadav, Lalu Prasad&#39;s son, had said to Nitish: &quot;... aren&#39;t you ashamed to sit beside Sushil Modi?&quot;</p>

<p>Nitish had replied, &quot;Secularism cannot be used to justify corruption.&quot;</p>

<p>The earlier JD(U)-RJD alliance -- Tejashwi had been deputy chief minister under that formulation -- had been called off after Tejashwi and his mother Rabri Devi had been named in an FIR filed by the CBI accusing them of corruption.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Patna: CM <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NitishKumar?src=hash">#NitishKumar</a> reaches <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bihar?src=hash">#Bihar</a> assembly ahead of the floor test. <a href="https://t.co/GA1FYxGG8U">pic.twitter.com/GA1FYxGG8U</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890799268033830914">July 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Deputy CM Sushil Modi reaches <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bihar?src=hash">#Bihar</a> assembly ahead of the floor test. <a href="https://t.co/AWARme3vWG">pic.twitter.com/AWARme3vWG</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890801200307642369">July 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Patna: Security tightened outside <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bihar?src=hash">#Bihar</a> assembly. CM <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NitishKumar?src=hash">#NitishKumar</a> to face floor test today. <a href="https://t.co/JECnSBVFed">pic.twitter.com/JECnSBVFed</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890787989256757249">July 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Nitish was sworn in as chief minister on Thursday, after he had &quot;resigned&quot; -- calling off the JD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance -- on Wednesday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The BJP&#39;s Sushil Modi was sworn in as deputy chief minister on Thursday.</p>

<p>They were both congratulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who tweeted: &quot;Congratulations to Nitish Kumar ji and Sushi Modi ji. Looking forward to working together for Bihar&#39;s progress and prosperity.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Congratulations to <a href="https://twitter.com/NitishKumar">@NitishKumar</a> ji &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/SushilModi">@SushilModi</a> ji. Looking forward to working together for Bihar&rsquo;s progress &amp; prosperity.</p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/890437889934241792">July 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;My decision is in Bihar&#39;s interest and for its development,&quot; Nitish Kumar said after being sworn in as Bihar CM</p>

<p>His new deputy Sushil Modi said development would be a priority under the new regime. &nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Development will be a priority, will take Bihar to greater heights,&quot; ANI reported him as saying. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nitish Kumar and Sushil Modi sworn in as Chief Minister and Deputy CM of Bihar respectively, at Raj Bhawan in Patna. <a href="https://t.co/r2Ar9oSPva">pic.twitter.com/r2Ar9oSPva</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890431361567178752">July 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FLASH?src=hash">#FLASH</a> Amid Bihar political tussle, Nitish Kumar takes oath as Chief Minister for the sixth time <a href="https://t.co/3jjnXATMuc">pic.twitter.com/3jjnXATMuc</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890429626211721216">July 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="in">Sushil Modi takes oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, at Raj Bhawan in Patna. <a href="https://t.co/2USRd97f9V">pic.twitter.com/2USRd97f9V</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890430559310065664">July 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Scene outside Raj Bhawan in Patna; preparations underway as Nitish Kumar set to be sworn in as Bihar Chief Minister for the 6th time today <a href="https://t.co/0R5knvMC0L">pic.twitter.com/0R5knvMC0L</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890416104924782596">July 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;We have submitted a letter with support of 132 MLAs. We have been given the time of 10 am, today, for swearing in,&quot; Sushil Modi had on Wednesday told ANI.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Guv invited us for oath ceremony at 10 am today. 2 ppl to take oath, Nitish Kumar as CM, Sushil Modi as Dy CM: Nityanand Rai, BJP Bihar Pres <a href="https://t.co/ppPPVu51FU">pic.twitter.com/ppPPVu51FU</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890301841581289472">July 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Nitish Kumar resigned unexpectedly on Wednesday. A little later, it was announced that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal United (JDU) would form the new government in Bihar.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hours after Nitish stepped down, Sushil Modi, Nityanand Rai and other BJP MLAs reached Kumar&#39;s residence for a meeting of JDU-BJP MLAs to stake their claim to form the government in Bihar.</p>

<p>Nitish Kumar, Sushil Modi and other BJP, JD(U) leaders met Bihar Governor KN Tripathi late Wednesday night.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We have submitted a letter with support of 132 MLAs. We have been given the time of 10 am, today, for swearing in: Sushil Modi, BJP <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bihar?src=hash">#Bihar</a> <a href="https://t.co/TDeK1cMrGB">pic.twitter.com/TDeK1cMrGB</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890301005912461312">July 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav however said they too would stake their claim to form a government in the state.&nbsp;</p>

<p>ANI reported that Tejashwi Yadav along with an RJD delegation would meet Bihar Governor KN Tripathi at 11 am on Thursday to stake their&nbsp;claim.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FLASH?src=hash">#FLASH</a> Tejashwi Yadav along with RJD delegation with meet Bihar Guv KN Tripathi at 11 am today, to stake claim for forming govt. <a href="https://t.co/DH8LmQ3gQk">pic.twitter.com/DH8LmQ3gQk</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890285254338007040">July 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>But news then broke that Nitish would be sworn in again as chief minister at 10 am, with Sushil Modi as deputy CM.</p>

<p>Tejashwi, along with other RJD&nbsp;members, marched towards the governor&#39;s residence to stage a protest over the sudden change in timing of the oath-taking ceremony for Nitish Kumar; it had earlier&nbsp;been scheduled for 5 pm.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Patna (Bihar): Tejashwi Yadav marches towards Raj Bhavan along with other RJD members <a href="https://t.co/Z1csgbL0ur">pic.twitter.com/Z1csgbL0ur</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890313534189453312">July 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The BJP earlier had declared &#39;unconditional support&#39; for Nitish.</p>

<p>&quot;Nityanand Rai ji and I called Nitish ji. The BJP has decided to support him. We will support the government formed under him. We will inform the governor also,&quot; BJP leader Sushil Modi told ANI.</p>

<p>Speaking to reporters after meeting the governor, Nitish Kumar said: &quot;I sought Tejashwi&#39;s expulsion, it is not possible to continue the alliance.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;I have tendered my resignation to the governor, he has accepted my resignation and asked me to continue working till the next development,&quot; he declared.</p>

<p>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bihar-chief-minister-nitish-kumar-resigns-reports-18300">Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar resigns, PM Modi congratulates him</a></p>


131 votes were polled in his favour, 108 votes against

Nitish Kumar has won the Bihar assembly trust vote. 131 votes were polled in his favour and 108 against. Nitish had always been expected to win the trust vote. He had needed 122 votes to cross the halfway mark and win the trust vote. Before the trust vote, Tejashwi Yadav, Lalu Prasad's son, had said to Nitish: "... aren't you ashamed to sit beside Sushil Modi?" Nitish had replied, "Secularism cannot be used to justify corruption." The earlier JD(U)-RJD alliance -- Tejashwi had been deputy chief minister under that formulation -- had been called off after Tejashwi and his mother Rabri Devi had been named in an FIR filed by the CBI accusing them of corruption. Patna: CM #NitishKumar reaches #Bihar assembly ahead of the floor test. pic.twitter.com/GA1FYxGG8U — ANI (@ANI_news) July 28, 2017 × Deputy CM Sushil Modi reaches #Bihar assembly ahead of the floor test. pic.twitter.com/AWARme3vWG — ANI (@ANI_news) July 28, 2017 × Patna: Security tightened outside #Bihar assembly. CM #NitishKumar to face floor test today. pic.twitter.com/JECnSBVFed — ANI (@ANI_news) July 28, 2017 × Nitish was sworn in as chief minister on Thursday, after he had "resigned" -- calling off the JD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance -- on Wednesday. The BJP's Sushil Modi was sworn in as deputy chief minister on Thursday. They were both congratulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who tweeted: "Congratulations to Nitish Kumar ji and Sushi Modi ji. Looking forward to working together for Bihar's progress and prosperity." Congratulations to @NitishKumar ji & @SushilModi ji. Looking forward to working together for Bihar’s progress & prosperity. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 27, 2017 × "My decision is in Bihar's interest and for its development," Nitish Kumar said after being sworn in as Bihar CM His new deputy Sushil Modi said development would be a priority under the new regime. "Development will be a priority, will take Bihar to greater heights," ANI reported him as saying. Nitish Kumar and Sushil Modi sworn in as Chief Minister and Deputy CM of Bihar respectively, at Raj Bhawan in Patna. pic.twitter.com/r2Ar9oSPva — ANI (@ANI_news) July 27, 2017 × #FLASH Amid Bihar political tussle, Nitish Kumar takes oath as Chief Minister for the sixth time pic.twitter.com/3jjnXATMuc — ANI (@ANI_news) July 27, 2017 × Sushil Modi takes oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, at Raj Bhawan in Patna. pic.twitter.com/2USRd97f9V — ANI (@ANI_news) July 27, 2017 × Scene outside Raj Bhawan in Patna; preparations underway as Nitish Kumar set to be sworn in as Bihar Chief Minister for the 6th time today pic.twitter.com/0R5knvMC0L — ANI (@ANI_news) July 27, 2017 × "We have submitted a letter with support of 132 MLAs. We have been given the time of 10 am, today, for swearing in," Sushil Modi had on Wednesday told ANI. Guv invited us for oath ceremony at 10 am today. 2 ppl to take oath, Nitish Kumar as CM, Sushil Modi as Dy CM: Nityanand Rai, BJP Bihar Pres pic.twitter.com/ppPPVu51FU — ANI (@ANI_news) July 26, 2017 × Nitish Kumar resigned unexpectedly on Wednesday. A little later, it was announced that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal United (JDU) would form the new government in Bihar. Hours after Nitish stepped down, Sushil Modi, Nityanand Rai and other BJP MLAs reached Kumar's residence for a meeting of JDU-BJP MLAs to stake their claim to form the government in Bihar. Nitish Kumar, Sushil Modi and other BJP, JD(U) leaders met Bihar Governor KN Tripathi late Wednesday night. We have submitted a letter with support of 132 MLAs. We have been given the time of 10 am, today, for swearing in: Sushil Modi, BJP #Bihar pic.twitter.com/TDeK1cMrGB — ANI (@ANI_news) July 26, 2017 × Former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav however said they too would stake their claim to form a government in the state. ANI reported that Tejashwi Yadav along with an RJD delegation would meet Bihar Governor KN Tripathi at 11 am on Thursday to stake their claim. #FLASH Tejashwi Yadav along with RJD delegation with meet Bihar Guv KN Tripathi at 11 am today, to stake claim for forming govt. pic.twitter.com/DH8LmQ3gQk — ANI (@ANI_news) July 26, 2017 × But news then broke that Nitish would be sworn in again as chief minister at 10 am, with Sushil Modi as deputy CM. Tejashwi, along with other RJD members, marched towards the governor's residence to stage a protest over the sudden change in timing of the oath-taking ceremony for Nitish Kumar; it had earlier been scheduled for 5 pm. Patna (Bihar): Tejashwi Yadav marches towards Raj Bhavan along with other RJD members pic.twitter.com/Z1csgbL0ur — ANI (@ANI_news) July 26, 2017 × The BJP earlier had declared 'unconditional support' for Nitish. "Nityanand Rai ji and I called Nitish ji. The BJP has decided to support him. We will support the government formed under him. We will inform the governor also," BJP leader Sushil Modi told ANI. Speaking to reporters after meeting the governor, Nitish Kumar said: "I sought Tejashwi's expulsion, it is not possible to continue the alliance." "I have tendered my resignation to the governor, he has accepted my resignation and asked me to continue working till the next development," he declared. Also read: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar resigns, PM Modi congratulates him

Nitish Kumar wins Bihar trust vote

<p>Lalu Prasad said on Thursday that he was considering appealing to the Supreme Court against the governor&#39;s decision to invite the JD(U)&#39;s Nitish Kumar and the BJP to form a government in Bihar considering the RJD is the largest party in the state.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The RJD has 81 MLAs, the JD(U) 71, the BJP 53, and the Congress 27.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He added that efforts to cobble together a combined Opposition would continue.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Mayawati, Akhilesh, Mamata, we will get them all together, so what if Nitish has gone to the BJP?&quot; ANI quoted Lalu as saying.&nbsp;</p>

<p>When asked if he had been asked to break the mahagatbandhan -- the former JDU-RJD-Congress alliance that was ruling the state -- he said that was fake news emanating from Delhi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;This is all fake news from Delhi,&quot; ANI quoted him as saying.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Amit Shah is the Super Editor, he decides how news should be &amp; he tells owners of media, who tells editors, not reporters fault: Lalu Yadav <a href="https://t.co/3xVbAEIMqk">pic.twitter.com/3xVbAEIMqk</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890467520141967360">July 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Some media who we had thought were good, they took supari. See how the US media is fighting Trump, here media fights opposition: Lalu Yadav <a href="https://t.co/gp58ASzg3b">pic.twitter.com/gp58ASzg3b</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890467221301977088">July 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>He added that Wednesday&#39;s breakneck developments -- Nitish&#39;s sudden resignation, the announcement that he was joining hands with the BJP -- had been fixed in advance. &nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;On many occasions, Nitish met PM Modi, had lunch. The timing of whatever happened was already fixed,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>And, perhaps optimistically, he added that this was the end of Nitish Kumar.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Most political commentators however were on Wednesday (when the news first broke that Nitish was joining hands with the BJP) and Thursday saying the opposite -- that it is Lalu who is going to find the going lonely.&nbsp;</p>


He added that efforts to cobble together a combined Opposition would continue

Lalu Prasad said on Thursday that he was considering appealing to the Supreme Court against the governor's decision to invite the JD(U)'s Nitish Kumar and the BJP to form a government in Bihar considering the RJD is the largest party in the state. The RJD has 81 MLAs, the JD(U) 71, the BJP 53, and the Congress 27. He added that efforts to cobble together a combined Opposition would continue. "Mayawati, Akhilesh, Mamata, we will get them all together, so what if Nitish has gone to the BJP?" ANI quoted Lalu as saying. When asked if he had been asked to break the mahagatbandhan -- the former JDU-RJD-Congress alliance that was ruling the state -- he said that was fake news emanating from Delhi. "This is all fake news from Delhi," ANI quoted him as saying. Amit Shah is the Super Editor, he decides how news should be & he tells owners of media, who tells editors, not reporters fault: Lalu Yadav pic.twitter.com/3xVbAEIMqk — ANI (@ANI_news) July 27, 2017 × Some media who we had thought were good, they took supari. See how the US media is fighting Trump, here media fights opposition: Lalu Yadav pic.twitter.com/gp58ASzg3b — ANI (@ANI_news) July 27, 2017 × He added that Wednesday's breakneck developments -- Nitish's sudden resignation, the announcement that he was joining hands with the BJP -- had been fixed in advance. "On many occasions, Nitish met PM Modi, had lunch. The timing of whatever happened was already fixed," he said. And, perhaps optimistically, he added that this was the end of Nitish Kumar. Most political commentators however were on Wednesday (when the news first broke that Nitish was joining hands with the BJP) and Thursday saying the opposite -- that it is Lalu who is going to find the going lonely.

Lalu: Considering appealing to Supreme Court

<p>Nitish Kumar has been sworn in as the chief minister of Bihar.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The BJP&#39;s Sushil Modi&nbsp;will be deputy chief minister.</p>

<p>Nitish had unexpectedly resigned on Wednesday dumping his former alliance partners the RJD and Congress, only to return a few hours later partnering this time with the BJP. &nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="in"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a> Nitish Kumar&#39;s swearing-in ceremony as Bihar CM at Raj Bhawan in Patna <a href="https://t.co/kHgjRs8gjD">https://t.co/kHgjRs8gjD</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890426442776838144">July 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


The BJP's Sushil Modi was sworn in as deputy chief minister

Nitish Kumar has been sworn in as the chief minister of Bihar. The BJP's Sushil Modi will be deputy chief minister. Nitish had unexpectedly resigned on Wednesday dumping his former alliance partners the RJD and Congress, only to return a few hours later partnering this time with the BJP. #WATCH Nitish Kumar's swearing-in ceremony as Bihar CM at Raj Bhawan in Patna https://t.co/kHgjRs8gjD — ANI (@ANI_news) July 27, 2017 ×

WATCH LIVE: Nitish Kumar's swearing in

<p>Chief of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Lalu Prasad Yadav on Wednesday rubbished rumours of a breakup with Janata Dal (United), stressing that all is well with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar.</p>

<p>Lalu Prasad Yadav also ruled out resignation of son and Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav. He said that Nitish Kumar had not asked for Tejashwi&rsquo;s resignation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Mahagathbandhan is intact and Nitish never asked for resignation from Tejashwi&quot; Lalu Prasad told the media at a conference in Patna.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Lalu Prasad Yadav also said he was aware of Nitish Kumar&rsquo;s growing friendship with the BJP.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;I am aware of the growing bonhomie between Nitish Kumar and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). I know BJP is desperate to ally with Janata Dal (United)(JD(U)).&quot;</p>

<p>He also took a jibe at Nitish by saying the alliance was forged because of him, and that the RJD made him Chief Minister.</p>

<p>Rumours had been rife about tensions between the &#39;Grand Alliance&#39; of Congress and RJD as Nitish Kumar was said to be facing pressure to oust Tejashwi after charges of corruption against him were proved.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Nitish Kumar also backed BJP-nominee Ram Nath Kovind in the presidential election, irking the rest of the alliance members.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Central Bureau of Investigation had filed a corruption case against Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi on allegations of awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006.</p>

<p>Lalu Prasad has denied these allegations and called it a political conspiracy by the BJP.</p>

<p><br />
<br />
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Lalu Prasad Yadav also said he was aware of Nitish Kumar?s growing friendship with the BJP

Chief of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Lalu Prasad Yadav on Wednesday rubbished rumours of a breakup with Janata Dal (United), stressing that all is well with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. Lalu Prasad Yadav also ruled out resignation of son and Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav. He said that Nitish Kumar had not asked for Tejashwi’s resignation. "Mahagathbandhan is intact and Nitish never asked for resignation from Tejashwi" Lalu Prasad told the media at a conference in Patna. Lalu Prasad Yadav also said he was aware of Nitish Kumar’s growing friendship with the BJP. "I am aware of the growing bonhomie between Nitish Kumar and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). I know BJP is desperate to ally with Janata Dal (United)(JD(U))." He also took a jibe at Nitish by saying the alliance was forged because of him, and that the RJD made him Chief Minister. Rumours had been rife about tensions between the 'Grand Alliance' of Congress and RJD as Nitish Kumar was said to be facing pressure to oust Tejashwi after charges of corruption against him were proved. Nitish Kumar also backed BJP-nominee Ram Nath Kovind in the presidential election, irking the rest of the alliance members. The Central Bureau of Investigation had filed a corruption case against Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi on allegations of awarding the tender for development, maintenance and operation of hotels in Ranchi and Puri in 2006. Lalu Prasad has denied these allegations and called it a political conspiracy by the BJP.

Lalu Prasad Yadav rules out son, Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi's resignation

<p>Bihar&nbsp;chief minister Nitish Kumar&nbsp;sought an appointment with governor Keshari Nath Tripathi today to offer his resignation even as&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/lalu-prasad-yadav-rules-out-son-bihar-deputy-cm-tejashwis-resignation-18295">RJD chief Lalu Prasad refused to let his son&nbsp;Tejashwi&nbsp;resign </a>from the deputy chief minister&#39;s post over corruption charges.</p>

<p>Bihar politics was thrown into a tizzy as reports said Nitish Kumar wanted Lalu Prasad&#39;s son Tejashwi to resign but the RJD chief&nbsp;refused to allow his son to leave the post.</p>

<p>Earlier in the day, RJD chief Lalu Prasad was confident that&nbsp;the &quot;Mahagathbandhan was&nbsp;intact&quot; but it turned out to be quite the opposite as the Bihar chief minister stumped everyone by offering his resignation to the governor.</p>

<p>Speaking to reporters after meeting the governor, Nitish Kumar said: &quot;I sought&nbsp;Tejashwi&#39;s expulsion, it is not possible to continue the alliance.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;I have tendered my resignation to the governor,&nbsp;he has accepted my resignation&nbsp;and asked me to continue working till the next development,&quot; he declared.</p>

<p>&quot;Before resigning, I had informed Laluji and Congress Bihar in-charge CP Joshi,&quot;&nbsp;Nitish Kumar informed reporters.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a> Live outside Raj Bhavan: Nitish Kumar resigns as Bihar CM. <a href="https://t.co/yqIRX2WAlH">https://t.co/yqIRX2WAlH</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890200228896186369">July 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi was quick to congratulate Nitish Kumar, in a tweet Modi said: &quot;Congratulations Nitish Kumar in your fight against corruption, 125&nbsp;crore people in this country welcome and support your fight.&quot;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">?????????? ?? ??????? ????? ??? ?????? ?? ??? ????? ????? ?? ?? ????-???? ?????<br />
??? ?? ????? ?????? ???????? ?? ?????? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ???</p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/890204830416883712">July 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Modi in his tweet added: &quot;In order to ensure the progress of the country especially of Bihar, it is important to rise above politics, it is the need of the hour.&quot;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">??? ??, ????? ??? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ?????? ?? ??? ???????? ??????? ?? ??? ???? ?????????? ?? ??????? ?? ???? ?????,?? ??? ?? ??? ?? ???? ??</p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/890204996884545536">July 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;I am not blaming anyone, those who want to blame me are free to do so,&quot;&nbsp;a defiant Nitish Kumar said.</p>

<p>RJD chief Lalu Yadav addressed a press conference almost immediately after Nitish Kumar&#39;s resignation as Bihar CM. The RJD chief hit back at Nitish accusing him of being involved in a murder and arms case.</p>

<p>&quot;Nitish Kumar knew that he is accused of section 302, one of India&#39;s CM is main accused in murder &amp; arms case,&quot; Lalu said.</p>

<p>&quot;Nitish Kumar didn&#39;t ask for any resignation,&quot;&nbsp;he added defensively.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Towing PM Modi&#39;s line, Bihar BJP leader Sushil Modi expressed his &quot;happiness&quot; over Nitish&#39;s resignation as chief minister of the state.</p>

<p>&quot;We are happy that Bihar CM didn&#39;t compromise on the&nbsp;issue of corruption and did not kneel down before the RJD,&quot; Sushil Modi said.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bihar: Lalu Prasad Yadav&#39;s supporters gather outside his residence in Patna. <a href="https://t.co/ZQlfhLw72z">pic.twitter.com/ZQlfhLw72z</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/890224167689175040">July 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Bihar's chief minister Nitish Kumar has sought an appointment with the Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar sought an appointment with governor Keshari Nath Tripathi today to offer his resignation even as RJD chief Lalu Prasad refused to let his son Tejashwi resign from the deputy chief minister's post over corruption charges. Bihar politics was thrown into a tizzy as reports said Nitish Kumar wanted Lalu Prasad's son Tejashwi to resign but the RJD chief refused to allow his son to leave the post. Earlier in the day, RJD chief Lalu Prasad was confident that the "Mahagathbandhan was intact" but it turned out to be quite the opposite as the Bihar chief minister stumped everyone by offering his resignation to the governor. Speaking to reporters after meeting the governor, Nitish Kumar said: "I sought Tejashwi's expulsion, it is not possible to continue the alliance." "I have tendered my resignation to the governor, he has accepted my resignation and asked me to continue working till the next development," he declared. "Before resigning, I had informed Laluji and Congress Bihar in-charge CP Joshi," Nitish Kumar informed reporters. #WATCH Live outside Raj Bhavan: Nitish Kumar resigns as Bihar CM. https://t.co/yqIRX2WAlH — ANI (@ANI_news) July 26, 2017 × Prime Minister Narendra Modi was quick to congratulate Nitish Kumar, in a tweet Modi said: "Congratulations Nitish Kumar in your fight against corruption, 125 crore people in this country welcome and support your fight." ?????????? ?? ??????? ????? ??? ?????? ?? ??? ????? ????? ?? ?? ????-???? ????? ??? ?? ????? ?????? ???????? ?? ?????? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ??? — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 26, 2017 × Modi in his tweet added: "In order to ensure the progress of the country especially of Bihar, it is important to rise above politics, it is the need of the hour." ??? ??, ????? ??? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ?????? ?? ??? ???????? ??????? ?? ??? ???? ?????????? ?? ??????? ?? ???? ?????,?? ??? ?? ??? ?? ???? ?? — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 26, 2017 × "I am not blaming anyone, those who want to blame me are free to do so," a defiant Nitish Kumar said. RJD chief Lalu Yadav addressed a press conference almost immediately after Nitish Kumar's resignation as Bihar CM. The RJD chief hit back at Nitish accusing him of being involved in a murder and arms case. "Nitish Kumar knew that he is accused of section 302, one of India's CM is main accused in murder & arms case," Lalu said. "Nitish Kumar didn't ask for any resignation," he added defensively. Towing PM Modi's line, Bihar BJP leader Sushil Modi expressed his "happiness" over Nitish's resignation as chief minister of the state. "We are happy that Bihar CM didn't compromise on the issue of corruption and did not kneel down before the RJD," Sushil Modi said. Bihar: Lalu Prasad Yadav's supporters gather outside his residence in Patna. pic.twitter.com/ZQlfhLw72z — ANI (@ANI_news) July 26, 2017 ×

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar resigns, PM Modi congratulates him

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted a farewell dinner on Saturday for outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The dinner was attended by President-elect Ram Nath Kovind, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, senior ministers, and various Opposition leaders, PTI reported.&nbsp;</p>

<p>At the dinner, Modi presented Mukherjee, who leaves office on Monday, with a memento.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Hosted a farewell for President Pranab Mukherjee. <a href="https://twitter.com/RashtrapatiBhvn">@RashtrapatiBhvn</a> <a href="https://t.co/YeGtwFIetS">pic.twitter.com/YeGtwFIetS</a></p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/888800980862509060">July 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>News reports said Mukherjee, 82, had no less than 25 engagements to go to in his last 72 hours in office.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Sunday, Mukherjee will be given a farewell by MPs in the Central Hall of Parliament.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mukherjee, who is also the supreme commander of the armed forces, was given a farewell by the Chiefs of Staff Committee on Friday, PTI reported.&nbsp;</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted a farewell dinner on Saturday for outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee. The dinner was attended by President-elect Ram Nath Kovind, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, senior ministers, and various Opposition leaders, PTI reported. At the dinner, Modi presented Mukherjee, who leaves office on Monday, with a memento. Hosted a farewell for President Pranab Mukherjee. @RashtrapatiBhvn pic.twitter.com/YeGtwFIetS — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 22, 2017 × News reports said Mukherjee, 82, had no less than 25 engagements to go to in his last 72 hours in office. On Sunday, Mukherjee will be given a farewell by MPs in the Central Hall of Parliament. Mukherjee, who is also the supreme commander of the armed forces, was given a farewell by the Chiefs of Staff Committee on Friday, PTI reported.

PM Modi hosts farewell dinner for outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee

<p>Amid speculation over a rift in the &quot;grand alliance&quot;&nbsp;in Bihar, chief&nbsp;minister Nitish Kumar Saturday met Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and is learnt to have discussed the current political situation.</p>

<p>Party sources said Nitish Kumar drove to Gandhi&#39;s Tughlaq Lane residence here and discussed the graft charges against Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad&#39;s son, Tejashwi Yadav.</p>

<p>Nitish Kumar is in the national capital to attend a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in honour of outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee.</p>

<p>His meeting with Rahul Gandhi comes at a time when there are differences over the continuation of Tejashwi in the state cabinet, which have posed a &quot;threat&quot; to the grand alliance between the JD(U), RJD and Congress in Bihar.</p>

<p>While the RJD chief has rejected demands for his son&#39;s resignation, Nitish Kumar is learnt to have reservations about Tejashwi&#39;s continuance as it dents his &quot;anti-corruption&quot; image.</p>

<p>Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) had also crossed swords with the opposition over its support to NDA&#39;s presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind. The opposition had pitched for Meira Kumar as its joint candidate for the presidential polls.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Nitish Kumar is in the national capital to attend a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in honour of outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee

Amid speculation over a rift in the "grand alliance" in Bihar, chief minister Nitish Kumar Saturday met Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and is learnt to have discussed the current political situation. Party sources said Nitish Kumar drove to Gandhi's Tughlaq Lane residence here and discussed the graft charges against Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad's son, Tejashwi Yadav. Nitish Kumar is in the national capital to attend a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in honour of outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee. His meeting with Rahul Gandhi comes at a time when there are differences over the continuation of Tejashwi in the state cabinet, which have posed a "threat" to the grand alliance between the JD(U), RJD and Congress in Bihar. While the RJD chief has rejected demands for his son's resignation, Nitish Kumar is learnt to have reservations about Tejashwi's continuance as it dents his "anti-corruption" image. Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) had also crossed swords with the opposition over its support to NDA's presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind. The opposition had pitched for Meira Kumar as its joint candidate for the presidential polls.

Nitish Kumar meets Rahul Gandhi in Delhi, discusses graft charges against Tejashwi Yadav: Sources

<p>Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Prasad Yadav on Monday dismissed questions about the growing chorus for his resignation as media speculation.<br />
<br />
The BJP maintained that he has only two options -&nbsp;resign or get sacked.<br />
<br />
Responding to a question on the demand for his resignation,&nbsp;Tejashwi told reporters outside the Assembly,&nbsp;&quot;It (resignation demand) is only in the media.&quot;<br />
<br />
Tejashwi had skipped an official function on July 15,&nbsp;where he was to share the dais with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, triggering speculation that the festering acrimony between the JD(U) and the RJD had reached a flash point in the wake of an FIR being registered by the CBI against the deputy chief minister in the land-for-hotels case.<br />
<br />
RJD president Lalu Prasad has also ruled out the resignation of his son Tejashwi.<br />
<br />
While Tejaswi appeared to have decided to dig in his heels, BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said, &quot;He has only two options - either tender resignation or get sacked.&quot;<br />
<br />
Modi, who is the state BJP Parliamentary Party chief, urged Nitish Kumar to &quot;stand firm on his ground (in seeking Tejashwi&#39;s resignation)... The BJP will be standing with him on his decision on this issue&quot;.<br />
<br />
Though none of the JD(U) spokespersons&nbsp;made any statement on the issue today (Monday), party MLA Shyam Bahadur Singh said, &quot;It&#39;s better if the alliance breaks today... We love to work with the BJP.&quot;<br />
<br />
Congress MLA Shakil Ahmad Khan and MLC Dilip Chaudhary suggested senior leaders of the three coalition partners&nbsp;talk among themselves to hammer out a solution.<br />
<br />
Nitish Kumar heads a three-party coalition government which also includes the Congress.<br />
<br />
Amid reports of the BJP going soft on Nitish Kumar after the Tejashwi episode,&nbsp;Modi thanked the chief minister&nbsp;for his support to the NDA&#39;s presidential pick Ram Nath Kovind.<br />
<br />
&quot;Nitish Kumar&#39;s support to the NDA nominee holds a lot of significance for which we thank him,&quot; he said, claiming that along with NDA and JD(U) MLAs, four Independents also voted for Kovind.<br />
<br />
Tejashwi, who was accompanied by RJD chief whip in the Assembly Lalit Yadav, also claimed 100 per cent voting by the RJD and Congress MLAs in favour of the UPA&nbsp;presidential nominee&nbsp;Meira Kumar.<br />
<br />
Three CPI(ML) MLAs have also voted for Meira Kumar.</p>


The BJP maintained that the Bihar deputy chief minister has only two options -?resign or get sacked

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Prasad Yadav on Monday dismissed questions about the growing chorus for his resignation as media speculation. The BJP maintained that he has only two options - resign or get sacked. Responding to a question on the demand for his resignation, Tejashwi told reporters outside the Assembly, "It (resignation demand) is only in the media." Tejashwi had skipped an official function on July 15, where he was to share the dais with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, triggering speculation that the festering acrimony between the JD(U) and the RJD had reached a flash point in the wake of an FIR being registered by the CBI against the deputy chief minister in the land-for-hotels case. RJD president Lalu Prasad has also ruled out the resignation of his son Tejashwi. While Tejaswi appeared to have decided to dig in his heels, BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said, "He has only two options - either tender resignation or get sacked." Modi, who is the state BJP Parliamentary Party chief, urged Nitish Kumar to "stand firm on his ground (in seeking Tejashwi's resignation)... The BJP will be standing with him on his decision on this issue". Though none of the JD(U) spokespersons made any statement on the issue today (Monday), party MLA Shyam Bahadur Singh said, "It's better if the alliance breaks today... We love to work with the BJP." Congress MLA Shakil Ahmad Khan and MLC Dilip Chaudhary suggested senior leaders of the three coalition partners talk among themselves to hammer out a solution. Nitish Kumar heads a three-party coalition government which also includes the Congress. Amid reports of the BJP going soft on Nitish Kumar after the Tejashwi episode, Modi thanked the chief minister for his support to the NDA's presidential pick Ram Nath Kovind. "Nitish Kumar's support to the NDA nominee holds a lot of significance for which we thank him," he said, claiming that along with NDA and JD(U) MLAs, four Independents also voted for Kovind. Tejashwi, who was accompanied by RJD chief whip in the Assembly Lalit Yadav, also claimed 100 per cent voting by the RJD and Congress MLAs in favour of the UPA presidential nominee Meira Kumar. Three CPI(ML) MLAs have also voted for Meira Kumar.

Tejashwi Yadav dismisses BJP's calls for resignation

<p>Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Friday said his son Tejashwi,&nbsp;accused of corruption,&nbsp;would not resign as Bihar deputy chief minister. He also dismissed reports of a rift in the &#39;mahagatbandhan&#39;, the JD(U), RJD, and Congress alliance that rules the state.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;The Vidhan Mandal of our party has taken a decision that Tejashwi Yadav will not resign,&quot; Lalu told ANI.</p>

<p>&quot;An FIR is not sufficient reason for the resignation,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The RJD chief said the raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on himself and his son were&nbsp;an attempt by the BJP to break the grand alliance.</p>

<p>&quot;For us the priority is the Presidential elections. There are reports of rift in the alliance. Media reports are showing that Sonia <em>ji</em> has held talks with me and Nitish ji, all this is false. Our alliance is unbreakable. The RJD will not give the BJP and the RSS any space to enter&nbsp;Bihar.&nbsp;This song and dance with the CBI reports and the ED reports is an attempt by the BJP to break our alliance in Bihar,&quot; Lalu Prasad said.</p>

<p>&quot;All tangible and intangible assets of Lalu Yadav and his family are in public domain. The RJD will not let anybody break our alliance,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>The RJD chief added that he and his family have already issued their clarification on the corruption charges that have been filed by the Central Bureau of investigation (CBI).</p>

<p>&quot;Whatever accusations have been made against me and my family, we have already issued a clarification in the press conference. We will give our responses to the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate whenever they call us,&quot; said Lalu.</p>

<p>Sonia Gandhi on Friday called Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad, news reports said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The calls were made, the reports said, to save the &#39;mahagatbandhan&#39;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The news reports quoted Congress sources as saying they thought that now that Sonia had spoken to Nitish and Lalu, things would be alright in a few days.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The alliance has come under severe strain ever since Lalu, his wife Rabri, and his son Tejashwi were booked by the CBI on corruption charges.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The CBI alleges Lalu had accepted a bribe in return for an IRCTC contract that he awarded to a hotel company. Lalu was railway minister at the time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The JD(U) meanwhile has been calling for Tejashwi&#39;s resignation as deputy chief minister of Bihar. There is increased&nbsp;pressure on chief minister Nitish Kumar to sack Tejashwi to protect an image of clean governance.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The JD(U) has been calling for Tejashwi's, Lalu's son, resignation as deputy chief minister of Bihar

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Friday said his son Tejashwi, accused of corruption, would not resign as Bihar deputy chief minister. He also dismissed reports of a rift in the 'mahagatbandhan', the JD(U), RJD, and Congress alliance that rules the state. "The Vidhan Mandal of our party has taken a decision that Tejashwi Yadav will not resign," Lalu told ANI. "An FIR is not sufficient reason for the resignation," he said. The RJD chief said the raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on himself and his son were an attempt by the BJP to break the grand alliance. "For us the priority is the Presidential elections. There are reports of rift in the alliance. Media reports are showing that Sonia ji has held talks with me and Nitish ji, all this is false. Our alliance is unbreakable. The RJD will not give the BJP and the RSS any space to enter Bihar. This song and dance with the CBI reports and the ED reports is an attempt by the BJP to break our alliance in Bihar," Lalu Prasad said. "All tangible and intangible assets of Lalu Yadav and his family are in public domain. The RJD will not let anybody break our alliance," he added. The RJD chief added that he and his family have already issued their clarification on the corruption charges that have been filed by the Central Bureau of investigation (CBI). "Whatever accusations have been made against me and my family, we have already issued a clarification in the press conference. We will give our responses to the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate whenever they call us," said Lalu. Sonia Gandhi on Friday called Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad, news reports said. The calls were made, the reports said, to save the 'mahagatbandhan'. The news reports quoted Congress sources as saying they thought that now that Sonia had spoken to Nitish and Lalu, things would be alright in a few days. The alliance has come under severe strain ever since Lalu, his wife Rabri, and his son Tejashwi were booked by the CBI on corruption charges. The CBI alleges Lalu had accepted a bribe in return for an IRCTC contract that he awarded to a hotel company. Lalu was railway minister at the time. The JD(U) meanwhile has been calling for Tejashwi's resignation as deputy chief minister of Bihar. There is increased pressure on chief minister Nitish Kumar to sack Tejashwi to protect an image of clean governance.

Bihar 'mahagatbandhan' unbreakable, son Tejashwi will not resign: Lalu

<p>Bihar&#39;s deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav hit out at the BJP saying that the CBI case against him is a conspiracy hatched by the ruling party at the Centre to destabilise the grand alliance in Bihar.</p>

<p>In a comment that was filled with wit and humour, Tejashwi said that in 2004, the year to which the case pertains, he didn&#39;t even have a &quot;mooch&quot; or a moustache as he was only 13-14 years old. The comment reflected that the son matched his father when it comes to witty comments and repartee.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">They are bringing up cases of 2004 against me. I was 13-14 yr old that time. How could a kid do all this?: Tejashwi Yadav <a href="https://t.co/rPf7C1PGMa">pic.twitter.com/rPf7C1PGMa</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/885034621519450112">July 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">2004 mein to humaare mooch bhi nahi aayi thi, 13-14 saal ka baccha kaise ye sab kar sakta hai?: Tejashwi Yadav on FIR against him</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/885034990035247105">July 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>He went on to assert that the ruling alliance in Bihar is strong and will not break.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Tejashwi Yadav&#39;s security&nbsp;staff manhandled media personnel at Bihar secretariat in Patna.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="ro"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a> Media persons manhandled by security personnel of Tejashwi Yadav at Bihar Secretariat (Patna) <a href="https://t.co/efMDg7QdQ2">pic.twitter.com/efMDg7QdQ2</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/885076093417508866">July 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Bihar&#39;s chief minister Nitish Kumar, on Tuesday, had asked Tejashwi to come clean in a case filed against him, his mother Rabri Devi and father Lalu Yadav in awarding tender for hotels when Lalu Yadav was railway minister in the first UPA government from 2004 to 2009.</p>

<p>&quot;Those facing corruption charges should face the public and come clean on the corruption charges,&quot; said a JD(U) spokesperson.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/enforcement-directorate-summons-lalu-yadavs-son-in-law-in-money-laundring-case-17844">Enforcement Directorate summons Lalu&#39;s son-in-law Shailesh Kumar in money laundering case</a></p>

<p>On Moday, Lalu Yadav-led RJD, which has more seats in the Bihar legislative assembly, said that Tejashwi won&#39;t resign from his position based on the CBI case filed against him.</p>

<p>Nitish Kumar&#39;s clear signal to his ally that corruption charges against Tejashwi won&#39;t be tolerated has only reinforced what many have been speculating that all is not well in the grand alliance.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Bihar's chief minister Nitish Kumar Tuesday had asked Tejashwi to come clean on charges pressed against him by the CBI

Bihar's deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav hit out at the BJP saying that the CBI case against him is a conspiracy hatched by the ruling party at the Centre to destabilise the grand alliance in Bihar. In a comment that was filled with wit and humour, Tejashwi said that in 2004, the year to which the case pertains, he didn't even have a "mooch" or a moustache as he was only 13-14 years old. The comment reflected that the son matched his father when it comes to witty comments and repartee. They are bringing up cases of 2004 against me. I was 13-14 yr old that time. How could a kid do all this?: Tejashwi Yadav pic.twitter.com/rPf7C1PGMa — ANI (@ANI_news) July 12, 2017 × 2004 mein to humaare mooch bhi nahi aayi thi, 13-14 saal ka baccha kaise ye sab kar sakta hai?: Tejashwi Yadav on FIR against him — ANI (@ANI_news) July 12, 2017 × He went on to assert that the ruling alliance in Bihar is strong and will not break. Meanwhile, Tejashwi Yadav's security staff manhandled media personnel at Bihar secretariat in Patna. #WATCH Media persons manhandled by security personnel of Tejashwi Yadav at Bihar Secretariat (Patna) pic.twitter.com/efMDg7QdQ2 — ANI (@ANI_news) July 12, 2017 × Bihar's chief minister Nitish Kumar, on Tuesday, had asked Tejashwi to come clean in a case filed against him, his mother Rabri Devi and father Lalu Yadav in awarding tender for hotels when Lalu Yadav was railway minister in the first UPA government from 2004 to 2009. "Those facing corruption charges should face the public and come clean on the corruption charges," said a JD(U) spokesperson. Also Read: Enforcement Directorate summons Lalu's son-in-law Shailesh Kumar in money laundering case On Moday, Lalu Yadav-led RJD, which has more seats in the Bihar legislative assembly, said that Tejashwi won't resign from his position based on the CBI case filed against him. Nitish Kumar's clear signal to his ally that corruption charges against Tejashwi won't be tolerated has only reinforced what many have been speculating that all is not well in the grand alliance.

Tejashwi's defence against corruption charges: "I didn't even have a 'mooch' in 2004"

<p>The Centre on Friday questioned the Congress Party and the Trinamool Congress&#39;s (TMC) over its U-turn on the Goods and Service Tax (GST) and asked why they weren&#39;t supporting the government now when they backed the uniform tax regime in the Parliament.</p>

<p>Opposition parties, led by the Congress, have dismissed the event as a &quot;publicity gimmick&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The exceptions are the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party and former PM HD Dewe Gowda&#39;s Janata Dal Secular, who have said they will attend the event, which will also be attended by celebrities including actor Amitabh Bachchan and industrialist Ratan Tata.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">India deserves a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GST?src=hash">#GST</a> rollout that does not put crores of its ordinary citizens, small businesses &amp; traders through tremendous pain &amp;anxiety</p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/880718731340591104">June 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;GST is the most important economic change after India&#39;s Independence. It is a historic day and after the rolling out of GST it will be easy to do business. Through this people will gain from the indirect benefits. In Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Congress and TMC supported this. They should support in even now,&quot; Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal said.</p>

<p>The minister was reiterating Finance Minister Arun Jaitley&#39;s statement yesterday that the GST had been formed with the consensus of the states and a consideration of their suggestions.</p>

<p>Minister of State (Development Ministry) Jitendra Singh said GST would be a &quot;gamechanger in India&#39;s economic road map for the future.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;It is not a mere economic reform, but it is a game changer in India&#39;s economic road map for the future. But at the same time it is also going to be a new values addition to the character of India Republic. It is an occasion of celebration and rededicating ourselves to the service of nation by each and every citizen of India,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Earlier on Friday, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu urged the Congress Party to &quot;realise and rethink&quot; their stand and join the government for the midnight Parliament session.</p>

<p>&quot;It&#39;s really unfortunate because they are distancing themselves from the process of reformation in the country. I hope they (Congress) realise by evening and re-think and join us in the Central Hall,&quot; Naidu said.</p>

<p>&quot;I still appeal to the Congress and other parties boycotting GST event to reconsider. It&#39;s not a party function,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>The Congress Party yesterday said that it would boycott the midnight meeting on the GST roll-out, dismissing it as a publicity stunt.</p>

<p>Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge pointed out that previous governments had not celebrated landmark the passing of landmark reforms in Parliament including the Right to Information Act, the Food Security Act and the MNREGA.</p>

<p>&quot;We are boycotting this midnight celebration. In UPA government; Right to Information (RTI) Act, Food Security Act, MNREGA, Right to Education laws were passed which were beneficial for people. But, we never made celebration for such things in central hall. The BJP is doing publicity only in which they are master,&quot; Mallikarjun Kharge said.</p>

<p>Apart from the Congress, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Samajwadi Party, the Left, and the DMK have also decided to boycott&nbsp;a special sitting of the two parliament chambers -- to be held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when the tax takes effect at midnight on Friday.</p>

<p>Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will not attend the event. State minister Vijendra Yadav will represent the Janata Dal (United) on his behalf.</p>

<p>The GST, which rolls out at midnight today, will bring the Indian economy under a single tax bracket.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There have only been three previous midnight sittings in India&#39;s history, to mark India&#39;s independence in 1947 and the 25th and 50th anniversaries.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Congress said the nationalist government was &quot;insulting the very memory of India&#39;s freedom struggle and the sacrifices associated with it&quot;.</p>

<p>Rashtriya Janata Dal party spokesman Manoj Kumar Jha said the party would &quot;boycott this mega spectacle of optical illusion&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;Though we have been in favour of GST, we believe there are pressing concerns, particularly among the small- and medium-level traders and manufacturing units, which remain unaddressed,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Friday backed the GST and questioned, why political parties were creating a fuss over its launch when they unanimously passed the tax reform in the Parliament.<br />
<br />
The GST is to be rolled out Saturday even as businesses complain they are ill-prepared for the massive changes about to ripple through India&#39;s unwieldy economy.</p>

<p>Watch WION&#39;s Kartikeya Sharma on GST rollout:&nbsp;</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="400" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWIONews%2Fvideos%2F679071652303473%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=300" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="300"></iframe></p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu urged the Congress Party to 'realise and rethink' their stand and join the government for the midnight Parliament session

The Centre on Friday questioned the Congress Party and the Trinamool Congress's (TMC) over its U-turn on the Goods and Service Tax (GST) and asked why they weren't supporting the government now when they backed the uniform tax regime in the Parliament. Opposition parties, led by the Congress, have dismissed the event as a "publicity gimmick". The exceptions are the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party and former PM HD Dewe Gowda's Janata Dal Secular, who have said they will attend the event, which will also be attended by celebrities including actor Amitabh Bachchan and industrialist Ratan Tata. India deserves a #GST rollout that does not put crores of its ordinary citizens, small businesses & traders through tremendous pain &anxiety — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) June 30, 2017 × "GST is the most important economic change after India's Independence. It is a historic day and after the rolling out of GST it will be easy to do business. Through this people will gain from the indirect benefits. In Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Congress and TMC supported this. They should support in even now," Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal said. The minister was reiterating Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's statement yesterday that the GST had been formed with the consensus of the states and a consideration of their suggestions. Minister of State (Development Ministry) Jitendra Singh said GST would be a "gamechanger in India's economic road map for the future." "It is not a mere economic reform, but it is a game changer in India's economic road map for the future. But at the same time it is also going to be a new values addition to the character of India Republic. It is an occasion of celebration and rededicating ourselves to the service of nation by each and every citizen of India," he said. Earlier on Friday, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu urged the Congress Party to "realise and rethink" their stand and join the government for the midnight Parliament session. "It's really unfortunate because they are distancing themselves from the process of reformation in the country. I hope they (Congress) realise by evening and re-think and join us in the Central Hall," Naidu said. "I still appeal to the Congress and other parties boycotting GST event to reconsider. It's not a party function," he added. The Congress Party yesterday said that it would boycott the midnight meeting on the GST roll-out, dismissing it as a publicity stunt. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge pointed out that previous governments had not celebrated landmark the passing of landmark reforms in Parliament including the Right to Information Act, the Food Security Act and the MNREGA. "We are boycotting this midnight celebration. In UPA government; Right to Information (RTI) Act, Food Security Act, MNREGA, Right to Education laws were passed which were beneficial for people. But, we never made celebration for such things in central hall. The BJP is doing publicity only in which they are master," Mallikarjun Kharge said. Apart from the Congress, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Samajwadi Party, the Left, and the DMK have also decided to boycott a special sitting of the two parliament chambers -- to be held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when the tax takes effect at midnight on Friday. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will not attend the event. State minister Vijendra Yadav will represent the Janata Dal (United) on his behalf. The GST, which rolls out at midnight today, will bring the Indian economy under a single tax bracket. There have only been three previous midnight sittings in India's history, to mark India's independence in 1947 and the 25th and 50th anniversaries. Congress said the nationalist government was "insulting the very memory of India's freedom struggle and the sacrifices associated with it". Rashtriya Janata Dal party spokesman Manoj Kumar Jha said the party would "boycott this mega spectacle of optical illusion". "Though we have been in favour of GST, we believe there are pressing concerns, particularly among the small- and medium-level traders and manufacturing units, which remain unaddressed," he said. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Friday backed the GST and questioned, why political parties were creating a fuss over its launch when they unanimously passed the tax reform in the Parliament. The GST is to be rolled out Saturday even as businesses complain they are ill-prepared for the massive changes about to ripple through India's unwieldy economy. Watch WION's Kartikeya Sharma on GST rollout:

As midnight launch boycotts increase, government questions U-turn on GST

<p>By <strong>Ankit Saproo</strong></p>

<p>The opposition has picked former Lok Sabha Speaker and Congress party leader Meira Kumar as its presidential nominee to take on the NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind in next month&#39;s presidential polls.</p>

<p>Rejecting the likes of Gopalkrishna Gandhi and Prakash Ambedkar, the opposition rallied behind Meira Kumar to take on Kovind dealing a blow to the ruling party&#39;s efforts to create a consensus around its presidential nominee. But the cracks in the opposition camp were visible even before the meeting began as one of the key members, Nitish Kumar of the JD(U), sided with the BJP on the choice of presidential candidate.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Another key opposition figure, BSP&#39;s Mayawati, has decided to back Meira Kumar in what should be a relief for the opposition camp as she had expressed that in the event the opposition does not come &nbsp;up with a better Dalit candidate, she would go with the BJP&#39;s choice Kovind, a Dalit.</p>

<p>By putting up Meira Kumar as a joint opposition figure, the opposition wants to give the ruling party a tough fight even if the numbers are stacked against them.</p>

<p>Meira Kumar, who is the daughter of former deputy Prime Minister and senior Dalit leader Jagjivan Ram, served as the Lok Sabha Speaker in the second UPA regime. She was elected as Speaker by the entire House unanimously. She was famous for her polite interventions during the tumultuous proceedings and was known for her poise.</p>

<p>She quit Indian Foreign Service to join politics and contested for the first time against political heavyweights like Mayawati and Ram Vilas Paswan in 1985. She won the elections and became a member of parliament from Uttar Pradesh&#39;s Bijnore.</p>

<p>By nominating Meira Kumar, the opposition has made the presidential fight next month a matter of competitive Dalit politics.</p>

<p>Apart from JD(U), other regional parties like the BJD and YSR Congress have also extended support to Kovind. Political observers are saying that Kovind&#39;s victory is not a question of &#39;if he will win&#39; but &#39;by what margin&nbsp;will he win?&#39;</p>

<p>Whether more opposition parties will switch loyalities is someting to watch out for but by pitting Meira Kumar against Ram Nath Kovind, the Presidential polls will be a battle between two Dalit candidates in a larger fight to win the Dalit vote bank which holds the key to 2019 Lok Sabha polls.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The opposition camp received its biggest blow in the form of Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) deciding to support the NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind

By Ankit Saproo The opposition has picked former Lok Sabha Speaker and Congress party leader Meira Kumar as its presidential nominee to take on the NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind in next month's presidential polls. Rejecting the likes of Gopalkrishna Gandhi and Prakash Ambedkar, the opposition rallied behind Meira Kumar to take on Kovind dealing a blow to the ruling party's efforts to create a consensus around its presidential nominee. But the cracks in the opposition camp were visible even before the meeting began as one of the key members, Nitish Kumar of the JD(U), sided with the BJP on the choice of presidential candidate. Another key opposition figure, BSP's Mayawati, has decided to back Meira Kumar in what should be a relief for the opposition camp as she had expressed that in the event the opposition does not come up with a better Dalit candidate, she would go with the BJP's choice Kovind, a Dalit. By putting up Meira Kumar as a joint opposition figure, the opposition wants to give the ruling party a tough fight even if the numbers are stacked against them. Meira Kumar, who is the daughter of former deputy Prime Minister and senior Dalit leader Jagjivan Ram, served as the Lok Sabha Speaker in the second UPA regime. She was elected as Speaker by the entire House unanimously. She was famous for her polite interventions during the tumultuous proceedings and was known for her poise. She quit Indian Foreign Service to join politics and contested for the first time against political heavyweights like Mayawati and Ram Vilas Paswan in 1985. She won the elections and became a member of parliament from Uttar Pradesh's Bijnore. By nominating Meira Kumar, the opposition has made the presidential fight next month a matter of competitive Dalit politics. Apart from JD(U), other regional parties like the BJD and YSR Congress have also extended support to Kovind. Political observers are saying that Kovind's victory is not a question of 'if he will win' but 'by what margin will he win?' Whether more opposition parties will switch loyalities is someting to watch out for but by pitting Meira Kumar against Ram Nath Kovind, the Presidential polls will be a battle between two Dalit candidates in a larger fight to win the Dalit vote bank which holds the key to 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Presidential Polls: Meira Kumar is opposition's answer to NDA's Ram Nath Kovind

<p>Stumped by Modi-Shah&#39;s presidential choice as&nbsp;BJP announced the name of UP-born Ram Nath Kovind, the opposition led by BSP chief&nbsp;Mayawati was quick to react, insisting she does not agree with the politics from which&nbsp;Kovind comes referring to his &#39;RSS credentials&#39;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>BSP chief Mayawati said that it would have been better if the BJP had announced a Dalit face from a non-political background while taking on the ruling party at the Centre.</p>

<p>On extending support to Kovind, she said that it would depend upon the opposition&#39;s choice of candidate.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We are also of the opinion that it would have been better if NDA had named some non political Dalit person as President nominee:Mayawati</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/876762221941989380">June 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Despite expressing her support for National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Presidential nominee Bihar Governor Ramnath Kovind, Bahujan Samaj Party Chief Mayawati on Monday said the Centre should have taken all Opposition parties in &#39;good faith&#39; (WION)</p>
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<p>Sitaram Yechury, CPM&nbsp;general secretary&nbsp;said that Ram Nath Kovind headed the Dalit wing of the RSS and by announcing his name, the BJP has made the presidential election a political fight.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RamNathKovind?src=hash">#RamNathKovind</a> ji RSS ke Dalit sakha ke pramukh thay, wo ek rajneeti hua na. Ye seedhi seedhi rajneetik takrao hai: Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) <a href="https://t.co/UNccsWOUrV">pic.twitter.com/UNccsWOUrV</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/876750394457587712">June 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said the BJP members had told them&nbsp;that they&nbsp;would inform the name&nbsp;of the candidate before announcing the name&nbsp;but they failed to do it.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">BJP leaders when they met us said will inform you before any announcement for a consensus,but they informed after decision:GN Azad,Cong</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/876743896188854272">June 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee focused on the political background of Ram Nath Kovind tweeting: &quot;There are other big Dalit leaders in India. He( #RamNathKovind) was the leader of the Dalit morcha of the BJP, so they have made him a&nbsp;candidate.&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">There are other big Dalit leaders in India. He( <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RamNathKovind?src=hash">#RamNathKovind</a>) was leader of Dalit Morcha of BJP, so they have made him candidate: WB CM</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/876758866523848704">June 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Bihar&nbsp;chief minister Nitish Kumar, who met the Bihar governor after his name was announced by the BJP parliamentary board meeting, said that it was a &quot;matter of happiness&quot; for him. On supporting Kovind, the Bihar chief minister was clearly evasive saying &quot;it is too early to comment&quot;.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Matter of happiness for me personally. As far as support is concerned, can&#39;t say anything right now. it is too early to say: Nitish Kumar. <a href="https://t.co/EmccQ2krPl">pic.twitter.com/EmccQ2krPl</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/876754665102229504">June 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>BJP&#39;s ally and NDA constituent Shiv Sena, which has been at loggerheads with the BJP in Maharashtra, said that the party will decide on the issue in a few days. Uddhav Thackeray said that if someone is trying to make a Dalit a President with the purpose of gaining a vote bank then the party will not support such a decision.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">If someone is trying to make a Dalit a President with the purpose of gaining a vote bank then we are not with them: Uddhav Thackeray <a href="https://t.co/rFk8M7o0gy">pic.twitter.com/rFk8M7o0gy</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/876805590185525249">June 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The opposition was stumped by the choice of BJP's Presidential candidate

Stumped by Modi-Shah's presidential choice as BJP announced the name of UP-born Ram Nath Kovind, the opposition led by BSP chief Mayawati was quick to react, insisting she does not agree with the politics from which Kovind comes referring to his 'RSS credentials'. BSP chief Mayawati said that it would have been better if the BJP had announced a Dalit face from a non-political background while taking on the ruling party at the Centre. On extending support to Kovind, she said that it would depend upon the opposition's choice of candidate. We are also of the opinion that it would have been better if NDA had named some non political Dalit person as President nominee:Mayawati — ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2017 × Despite expressing her support for National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Presidential nominee Bihar Governor Ramnath Kovind, Bahujan Samaj Party Chief Mayawati on Monday said the Centre should have taken all Opposition parties in 'good faith' (WION) × Sitaram Yechury, CPM general secretary said that Ram Nath Kovind headed the Dalit wing of the RSS and by announcing his name, the BJP has made the presidential election a political fight. #RamNathKovind ji RSS ke Dalit sakha ke pramukh thay, wo ek rajneeti hua na. Ye seedhi seedhi rajneetik takrao hai: Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) pic.twitter.com/UNccsWOUrV — ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2017 × Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said the BJP members had told them that they would inform the name of the candidate before announcing the name but they failed to do it. BJP leaders when they met us said will inform you before any announcement for a consensus,but they informed after decision:GN Azad,Cong — ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2017 × West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee focused on the political background of Ram Nath Kovind tweeting: "There are other big Dalit leaders in India. He( #RamNathKovind) was the leader of the Dalit morcha of the BJP, so they have made him a candidate." There are other big Dalit leaders in India. He( #RamNathKovind) was leader of Dalit Morcha of BJP, so they have made him candidate: WB CM — ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2017 × Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who met the Bihar governor after his name was announced by the BJP parliamentary board meeting, said that it was a "matter of happiness" for him. On supporting Kovind, the Bihar chief minister was clearly evasive saying "it is too early to comment". Matter of happiness for me personally. As far as support is concerned, can't say anything right now. it is too early to say: Nitish Kumar. pic.twitter.com/EmccQ2krPl — ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2017 × BJP's ally and NDA constituent Shiv Sena, which has been at loggerheads with the BJP in Maharashtra, said that the party will decide on the issue in a few days. Uddhav Thackeray said that if someone is trying to make a Dalit a President with the purpose of gaining a vote bank then the party will not support such a decision. If someone is trying to make a Dalit a President with the purpose of gaining a vote bank then we are not with them: Uddhav Thackeray pic.twitter.com/rFk8M7o0gy — ANI (@ANI_news) June 19, 2017 ×

BJP's Presidential pick: Mayawati, opposition target Kovind's 'RSS background'

<p>Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has called for the&nbsp;complete prohibition of alcohol across the country,&nbsp;saying that it would lead the nation to the path of development and progress.</p>

<p>ANI reported him as saying that people of all religions - Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians - unanimously want prohibition.</p>

<p>It added that he urged the prohibition of&nbsp;alcohol to ensure the&nbsp;development of India.</p>

<p>&quot;Every religion supports liquor ban and that is why it needs to be banned across the country. For the development and progress of the country and to rise above the atmosphere of clashes and conflicts, there must be total all-India prohibition on liquor,&quot; Kumar said.</p>

<p>He was addressing party workers in Mumbai, marking his party the JD(U)&#39;s foray into Maharashtra politics.</p>

<p>A complete ban on liquor was imposed in Bihar starting April 1, 2016.</p>

<p>News reports however have since said doctors in Bihar have seen a sudden rise in drug usage, and that a team of 38 doctors from the state travelled to NIMHANS in Bengaluru to learn how to deal with drug addiction.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from ANI)&nbsp;</p>


Prohibition, the Bihar chief minister said, would lead the nation to the path of development and progress

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has called for the complete prohibition of alcohol across the country, saying that it would lead the nation to the path of development and progress. ANI reported him as saying that people of all religions - Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians - unanimously want prohibition. It added that he urged the prohibition of alcohol to ensure the development of India. "Every religion supports liquor ban and that is why it needs to be banned across the country. For the development and progress of the country and to rise above the atmosphere of clashes and conflicts, there must be total all-India prohibition on liquor," Kumar said. He was addressing party workers in Mumbai, marking his party the JD(U)'s foray into Maharashtra politics. A complete ban on liquor was imposed in Bihar starting April 1, 2016. News reports however have since said doctors in Bihar have seen a sudden rise in drug usage, and that a team of 38 doctors from the state travelled to NIMHANS in Bengaluru to learn how to deal with drug addiction. (WION with inputs from ANI)

Nitish Kumar calls for complete liquor ban across country

<p>Five passengers were killed and more than 25 injured after their bus overturned and&nbsp;fell into a water-filled ditch in the Nalanda district of the eastern Indian state of Bihar on Saturday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to ANI, the driver lost control over the vehicle that was ascending a bridge.</p>

<p>A crane was deployed to pull out the bus and rescue operations were immediately put in force, ANI reported.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The injured were shifted to nearby hospitals and private nursing homes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Five people have died and around 20-25 passengers are injured. The treatment of injured passengers is going in the hospital,&quot; ANI reported the district magistrate as saying.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Police have sent the bodies for post-mortem at the Civil Hospital in Bihar Sharif.</p>

<p>Chief minister Nitish Kumar has announced a relief of Rs. 4 lakh for next of kin to the victims.</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from ANI)</p>


The driver lost control over the vehicle that was ascending a bridge, ANI said

Five passengers were killed and more than 25 injured after their bus overturned and fell into a water-filled ditch in the Nalanda district of the eastern Indian state of Bihar on Saturday. According to ANI, the driver lost control over the vehicle that was ascending a bridge. A crane was deployed to pull out the bus and rescue operations were immediately put in force, ANI reported. The injured were shifted to nearby hospitals and private nursing homes. "Five people have died and around 20-25 passengers are injured. The treatment of injured passengers is going in the hospital," ANI reported the district magistrate as saying. Police have sent the bodies for post-mortem at the Civil Hospital in Bihar Sharif. Chief minister Nitish Kumar has announced a relief of Rs. 4 lakh for next of kin to the victims. (WION with inputs from ANI)

India: 5 killed, more than 25 injured after bus falls into ditch in Bihar

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India: 5 killed, more than 25 injured after bus falls into ditch in Bihar