Bihar polls: Congress releases second list of candidates; announces 5 nominees
NEW DELHI: The Congress party on Saturday announced its second list of candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, fielding nominees for Narkatiaganj, Kishanganj, Kasba, Purnia, and Gaya Town constituencies. Shaswat Kedar Pandey will contest from Narkatiaganj, while Qamrul Hoda has been fielded from Kishanganj. Irfan Alam, Jitender Yadav, and Mohan Shrivasta will represent the party in Kasba, Purnia, and Gaya Town, respectively. Earlier on Friday, Congress released its first list of 48 candidates. The Mahagathbandhan, which includes the RJD and Congress, has struggled to finalise a seat-sharing arrangement for the first phase of polls, whose nomination process ended on Friday. In some constituencies, the alliance is witnessing a “friendly fight” between its partners. BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari alleged that the Mahagathbandhan is facing internal conflicts. He said, “Aapsi ladai ke patake Mahagathbandhan main phoot rahe hain.” He added, as quoted by ANI, “Mahagathbandhan in Bihar has till not officially announced its seat sharing. There are reports that RJD wants to have a candidate against the Congress Bihar President. Mahagathbandhan in Bihar is fighting a massive Internal tug of war: Rahul Gandhi has asked his party men to not focus on RJD seats. RJD workers are fighting against Congress workers on ground.” Bhandari further claimed, “Tejasvi Yadav and Mukesh Sahni have no face to show their workers; after been humiliated by Congress and Rahul Gandhi.” Meanwhile, earlier during the day, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) announced it will contest six Bihar seats independently, rather than as part of the Mahagathbandhan. Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor also weighed in on the electoral battle, saying, “INDIA alliance is going to finish third this time. The fight is between the NDA and Jan Suraaj.” Polling for the Bihar elections will take place on November 6 and 11, with results scheduled for November 14. With the election season underway, campaign activities have intensified, especially in constituencies going to the polls in the first phase. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Rahul’s OBC focus denies ticket to upper caste neta
Gaya: The Congress has replaced its upper-caste candidate in Tekari with an OBC leader, Santosh Kushwaha. Sumant Kumar, who contested the seat in 2020 and lost by a slender margin of about 2,000 votes, has been “disowned” by the party. The change is being attributed to Rahul Gandhi’s renewed focus on OBCs as part of a social engineering strategy aimed at wooing OBC and EBC voters. Upset over being denied the ticket, Sumant said, “Rahul’s social justice plank is a hoax. More than social justice, the state needs economic justice. The OBCs and EBCs already have established leaders in Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar. Rahul is dashing his head against the wrong wall. The party has not learned any lesson from its past.” Asked whether he would contest as an independent like other rejected candidates, Sumant said, “Magadh politics is bipolar and unattached candidates do not have a viable option. Undaunted by ticket denial, I will continue to serve the people of Tekari as an ordinary social worker.” Expressing his displeasure at Sumant’s exclusion, Vijay Kumar Mithu, senior leader and former member of the All India Congress Committee, said, “Going by its style of functioning and changed social priorities, Congress cannot revive itself in the state. The party will have to pay a heavy price for ignoring sincere and dedicated workers.” In a related development, Omair Khan, another Congress leader aspiring for the Tekari ticket, has been sent to Biharsharif as the party’s official candidate. Party insiders said Congress faced a problem of plenty in Tekari, where besides Sumant and Omair, Tabish Patel, Santosh Kushwaha, Azmi Bari and two nepo candidates — the sons of former state chiefs — were serious contenders. Commenting on his selection, Khan, nephew of former minister and RJD leader late Shakil Ahmad Khan, said, “I will abide by the party’s decision and will do everything to prove true to the trust reposed by the party leadership in an ordinary worker like me. I have already filed nomination for the Biharsharif seat.” Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Burnt voter records found near ex-BJP MLA’s house in Aland
Kalaburagi: A special investigation team (SIT) probing the alleged vote theft in the Aland assembly constituency has reportedly recovered burnt voter records near the residence of former BJP MLA Subhash Guttedar. Officials said the burnt documents were found dumped and partially destroyed near Guttedar’s house Saturday, a day after the SIT conducted raids on multiple properties linked to him, his sons, and a chartered accountant. The searches were part of an ongoing investigation into alleged manipulation of voter rolls during the 2023 assembly elections in the state. Reacting to the discovery, Guttedar dismissed any wrongdoing and said the burnt papers were discarded by his housekeeping staff. “As part of the cleanliness drive ahead of the Deepavali festival, our staff threw them outside and burnt them. If we had some malicious intention, then we would have preferred burning them away from our house. Why would anyone do it in front of the house? There were no ulterior motives behind it,” he said. The SIT was constituted after Lok Sabha opposition leader Rahul Gandhi alleged a large-scale “vote theft” during the 2023 assembly polls in Karnataka, citing “irregularities” in the Aland constituency. Congress functionaries claimed fake calls were made in the names of genuine voters to delete “Congress votes” from the rolls. They maintained that the timely detection of the fraud helped their candidate BR Patil defeat Guttedar. Guttedar, however, alleged a political conspiracy. “The SIT raids on my residence were politically motivated and carried out at the behest of Rahul Gandhi and MLA BR Patil. We have done nothing wrong and were not involved in any vote-rigging,” he added. He also claimed a threat to his life and accused CM Siddaramaiah of withdrawing his security cover. “My gunman was withdrawn. The ADGP told me it was done on the CM’s instructions. Doesn’t my life have value?” Guttedar said. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Court rejects plea for FIR against Rahul for remark on Sikhs in US
Varanasi: A Varanasi court on Friday dismissed a plea seeking an order to police to lodge an FIR against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on Sikh community during his visit to the USA in Sept last year. “The fight is about whether a Sikh is going to be allowed to wear his turban or a kada in India. Or he, as a Sikh, is going to be able to go to Gurdwara. That’s what the fight is about, and not just for him, but for all religions,” Rahul had said during his visit to the USA. In Nov 2024, the court of additional chief judicial magistrate (fourth and MP-MLA) Neeraj Kumar Tripathi rejected the plea filed by former village head of Tilmapur Nageshwar Mishra on Sept 26 last year. Thereafter, Mishra filed the revision petition against the order in the district court. After hearing the revision petition, the court directed the lower court to re-hear the plea. Advocate Anuj Yadav, who represented Rahul Gandhi, said, after hearing both the parties, the court of additional chief judicial magistrate (fourth and MP-MLA) Neeraj Kumar Tripathi rejected the plea. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
RaGa’s lawyer to reply by Nov 7 to plea on facts linked to Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination
Pune: A special MP/MLA court in Pune on Friday granted time till Nov 7 to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s lawyer Milind Pawar to file a written submission on an application by Satyaki Savarkar, the grandnephew of Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, regarding certain historical facts related to Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. In a plea filed on Sept 10, Satyaki had contested claims that Nathuram Godse’s family had to face social boycott after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. Satyaki also referred to other related issues besides taking an exception to a pursis (information to court) filed and subsequently withdrawn by Pawar. He sought Rahul’s presence in person. The court had directed Pawar to file his response. On Friday, Pawar filed an application seeking adequate time to examine facts before they can submit a written response as sought by the court. Rahul Gandhi is facing a defamation case, filed by Satyaki, before the special court over alleged objectionable remarks made by him against the Hindutva icon Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in his March 2023 speech in London. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Grand Alliance saved from collapse: Rahul Gandhi, on the initiative of Dipankar Bhattacharya, became the troubleshooter, speaking to Tejashwi and convincing Mukesh Sahni.
Bihar Assembly Election 2025 – Amid the ongoing deadlock over seat sharing in Bihar, the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) led by Mukesh Sahni nearly withdrew from the Grand Alliance, but was prevented by the intervention of top leadership. Patna: After several days of talks regarding seat sharing in Bihar, the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) led by Mukesh Sahni nearly withdrew from the Grand Alliance on Thursday, but was prevented by the intervention of top leaders. Sahani had broken ties with the Grand Alliance. According to media reports, Mukesh Sahni was upset over not being given a fair place in the Grand Alliance and had almost broken ties. He stated that no talks have taken place between the VIP and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in the past two days. The source said that Sahni contacted Dipankar Bhattacharya, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation. The matter was resolved after Rahul Gandhi intervened. Dipankar Bhattacharya then approached Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, on the issue and insisted that VIP be accommodated. Following this, Rahul Gandhi discussed the matter with the RJD’s top leadership and also spoke with Mukesh Sahni. He said that following this intervention, the VIP chief wrote a letter to Rahul Gandhi, expressing his commitment to remain in the “Grand Alliance.” Nishad community constitutes approximately 2.5 percent of the state’s population. In the letter, the VIP chief stated that they were assured a certain number of seats, which was not fulfilled. He stated that numbers do not matter, as they are part of the alliance because of their ideology and want to fight against communal and divisive forces. Mukesh Sahni is a leader of the Nishad community in Bihar, which constitutes approximately 2.5 percent of the state’s population. Edited by: Ravi Prakash Sinha About the Author Ravi Prakash Sinha is a senior journalist (Principal Digital Content Producer) at Navbharat Times Online. He has 25 years of experience covering current affairs, Jharkhand-Bihar politics, and ground reporting. Ravi Sinha has been with NBT (Digital) for the past three years. Courtesy: Hindi News
VIP gets 15 seats in the Grand Alliance: Rahul Gandhi’s intervention resolves deadlock; Rajya Sabha and MLC seats also offered
The impasse over seat sharing in the Bihar Grand Alliance has finally ended. Mukesh Sahni-led VIP has been awarded 15 assembly seats in the alliance. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has subsequently assured VIP of one Rajya Sabha seat and two Legislative Council (MLC) seats. Patna: The seat sharing issue for Mukesh Sahni’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) in the Bihar Grand Alliance has finally been resolved. VIP has been awarded 15 assembly seats in the alliance. To compensate for the reduced number of seats, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has subsequently assured VIP of one Rajya Sabha seat and two Legislative Council (MLC) seats. VIP candidates announced Immediately after the seat sharing agreement was reached, VIP announced its candidates for two seats late last night. Party chief Mukesh Sahni himself will contest from the Gauda Bauram seat in Darbhanga district, while VIP state president Bal Govind Bind will contest from the Bhabua assembly seat. Both candidates will file their nomination papers on Friday. Today is the last day for nominations for the first phase. Deadlock and Reconciliation in Seat-Sharing Mukesh Sahni was adamant on more seats, which prevented the Grand Alliance from finalizing the seat-sharing formula. On Wednesday, Sahni called a press conference, which was later postponed several times. Finally, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi mediated the matter and spoke with Mukesh Sahni over the phone, leading to an agreement. After the seats were finalized, VIP handed over the symbol to its other candidates on Friday morning on behalf of Mukesh Sahni. The Importance of the Gauda Bauram Seat Mukesh Sahni will file his nomination from the Gauda Bauram seat, which will be held in the first phase of voting. In 2020, the VIP won this seat, but its MLA, Swarna Singh, later joined the BJP. This time, the BJP has cut Swarna Singh’s ticket and fielded Sujit Kumar Singh. Curated by: Ravi Sinha About the Author Ravi Prakash Sinha is a senior journalist (Principal Digital Content Producer) at Navbharat Times Online. He has 25 years of experience in current affairs, Jharkhand-Bihar politics, and ground reporting. Ravi Sinha has been working with NBT (Digital) for the last three years. He had the opportunity to work as the Jharkhand representative at Rajasthan Patrika from December 2005 to April 2020. He also spent 17 years as a casual assistant editor at the regional news section of Doordarshan Ranchi and All India Radio. Courtesy: Hindi News
BJP women leaders join BRS in Telangana
Hyderabad: Some BJP woman leaders, including state executive member Kalavati, B Lakshmi, Sailaja, RK Lakshmi, Anuradha, Manjula and Satyavati, along with 200 others joined BRS in the presence of former minister T Harish Rao at Telangana Bhavan on Wednesday. Speaking on the occasion, Harish Rao said both BJP and Congress betrayed the Telangana people and did not keep their promises. He mentioned that Rahul Gandhi accuses vote theft in Bihar. “Why is he silent about Revanth Reddy’s alleged vote theft in Jubilee Hills? Doesn’t Rahul Gandhi have the responsibility to ensure Revanth Reddy acts honestly?” he asked. Harish Rao stated that both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi promised to implement six guarantees within 100 days, but they were nowhere to be seen. He said BRS is Telangana’s own party, and thanks to KCR and the pink party, Hyderabad’s brand image improved. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
‘Frightened of…’: Rahul Gandhi targets PM after Trump claims India won’t buy Russian oil
Taking to X, the Congress MP accused the prime minister of being afraid of Trump and the US Following US president Donald Trump’s claim of India’s assurance to not purchase Russian oil, Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Taking to X on Thursday, the Congress MP accused the prime minister of being afraid of Trump and the US. In his post, Gandhi claimed that PM Modi is “frightened of Trump” after he “allowed” the US president to “decide and announce that India will not buy Russian oil.” The Congress leader added that Modi also “keeps sending congratulatory messages despite repeated snubs”. Gandhi’s post on X comes after Donald Trump claimed PM Modi had given him “assurance” that India will no longer purchase Russian oil. “I was not happy that India was buying oil. And he (Modi) assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That’s a big stop,” Trump told reporters at the Oval Office, adding that he shares a “great relationship” with PM Modi. The US President added that after India, he would now “get China to do the same thing.” India’s purchase of Russian oil has been the headlines since August, after Trump announced an additional 25 percent tariff on New Delhi as a penalty. With this additional amount, Trump’s tariffs on India went up to a total of 50 percent. In response to the additional levies, PM Modi stated that he would not compromise on the livelihood of farmers, even if it meant “paying a heavy price”. Furthermore, the prime minister also renewed his push for “Make in India” and “self-reliance.” “We should become self-reliant – not out of desperation, but out of pride,” said Modi in his speech for Independence Day from the Red Fort. “Economic selfishness is on the rise globally and we mustn’t sit and cry about our difficulties, we must rise above and not allow others to hold us in their clutches,” he added further. ‘56-inch chest has shrunk’ says Congress Adding to Rahul Gandhi’s remark, Congress’ general secretary Jairam Ramesh took to X and claimed that the prime minister’s ‘56-inch chest has shrunk and shriveled”, referring to Home Minister Amit Shah’s remark in 2019 where he said PM Modi is a man with a “56-inch chest” by destroying terrorist hideouts in Pakistan. “At 5:37 PM Indian Standard Time on May 10, 2025, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was the very first to announce that India has halted Operation Sindoor,” said Ramesh, adding that Trump has claimed 51 times in five countries that it was his intervention which halted Operation Sindoor. Ramesh added that with Trump’s latest statement, the prime minister has “outsourced key decisions to America.” Courtesy : HT Note: This news is originally published on https:/hindustantimes.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Major stir in Maharashtra: Brother Raj Thackeray to enter MVA on Uddhav Thackeray’s recommendation; find out what Congress said.
Raj Thackeray MVA Entry: Following the closeness between the Thackeray brothers in Maharashtra, discussions have begun regarding the MNS’s entry into the MVA. The MVA is a shortened version of the India Alliance. Congress, NCP, Sharad Pawar, and Shiv Sena (UBT) contested the elections under the MVA banner. Congress has given its first response on whether MNS will enter as a fourth partner. Rahul Gandhi on MNS Entry Will Congress welcome Raj Thackeray? Mumbai: The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra and the Mahagathbandhan (Mahagathbandhan) in Bihar are both part of the India Alliance. With Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray having come closer ahead of the local body elections in Maharashtra, it is believed that the two brothers will contest the elections together. In such a situation, the question arises: what will happen to the MVA if Uddhav Thackeray and his brother join? Will Raj Thackeray join the MVA? Differences have emerged between the Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena. Now, for the first time, the Congress has clarified its stance on this issue. The Congress party has stated that the decision on MNS’s entry into the MVA will be taken by the leaders of the Bharat Aghadi. The Congress party does not want to send a wrong message by including MNS, which has been known to thrash North Indians, in the midst of the Bihar elections, as the election fever in Bihar is ongoing. Elections are scheduled to be held in two phases. The Bihar results will be announced on November 14th. Meanwhile, the Uddhav Thackeray-led UBS is pushing for Raj’s entry. Maharashtra Congress Chief Clarifies Stand Maharashtra Congress Chief Harsh Vardhan Sapkal has stated that there is no proposal or discussion regarding the inclusion of MNS in the MVA; the decision to include it in the Bharat Aghadi is up to the leaders of the Bharat Aghadi. He stated that the only discussion in the media is that there is resentment or factionalism over the inclusion of the MNS in the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Delhi Congress President Harsh Vardhan Sapkal stated that the Congress is fighting against the BJP’s authoritarian rule and to protect democracy and the Constitution. The Bharat Aghadi has been formed with the participation of several parties from across the country in this fight. If any party wishes to join the Bharat Aghadi, the decision will be taken by the constituent parties of the Bharat Aghadi. Sapkal said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi has also been formed in the state against the BJP. Congress has decided to form an alliance with the Bharat Aghadi constituent parties in the local body elections in Maharashtra, giving them the right to take decisions at the local level. Harsh Vardhan Sapkal also clarified that the decision on alliances will not be taken at the state level. Some political analysts predict that the two brothers’ coming together will benefit Mumbai. Only a united MVA can challenge the Mahayuti, which won a landslide victory in the Assembly elections. In this context, Sanjay Raut, a leader of the Uddhav Thackeray faction, has floated the possibility of Raj joining the MVA. It remains to be seen what happens next. Elections in Maharashtra are expected to be announced in the next few days. Written by: Achlendra Katiyar About the Author Achalendra Kumar Katiyar works for Navbharat Times Online. He began his career with DLA in 2008. During his 17-year career, he has worked for iNext, Aaj Samaj, and Dainik Hindustan. He closely monitors developments in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and western states. He has a keen understanding of politics and closely monitors the developments in the southern and northeastern states. Courtesy : Hindi News