Cong youngsters see hope in Rahul’s ‘Srijan’
Bhopal: How effective would the “Sangthan Srijan” campaign be in rejuvenating Congress organisation in MP? While some leaders, particularly youngsters, seem excited at the prospect of “Race Ka Ghoda” finding prominence in the party, many veterans, who have seen it all, look at this with a pinch of salt. “The campaign will surely rejuvenate our organisation. Rahul Gandhi and the leadership want to find competent persons to take on BJP. AICC observers have come from outside the state to go among the party workers and people, find out about reputation of leaders contending for the post of district president, their ability to take people along, reach out to people and put up a fight with BJP,: said Yogendra Singh ‘Guddu’, a young Congress leader from Bhopal. “We wish ground-level leadership is handed over to horses, who have the strength to win the race,” Singh said. Another young Congress leader said the party has launched ‘Srijan’ campaign at places where Congress and BJP are the only two options but BJP is miles ahead in organisational strength and electoral effectiveness. The leadership understands Congress cannot take on the combined might of RSS-BJP, unless the organisation is strengthened and there’s transparency in selection of party office-bearers and poll candidates. Deputy leader of Congress in the assembly, Hemant Katare said: “The campaign will have a revolutionary effect. AICC has sent observers for each district. They are ex-ministers, who have won multiple elections, and run the organisation. Since they are outsiders, they will look at the contenders with fresh eyes and may find able people ignored so far may be because they were not at the forefront or because of factionalism. Once we have a strong organisation at the ground level, the problems we face in elections would be taken care of.” However, a senior PCC office-bearer said: “Are we trying to get rid of people, who gave their lives to the party by calling them ‘langda ghoda’? If you give an impression that a district president was changed because he was incompetent, the party would be further divided and there will be local factions fighting against each other. If the campaign is carried out as planned, even 2028 elections is lost,” he said. A PCC office-bearer, said: “It is similar to the one floated by Rahul Gandhi earlier- to have an elected NSUI and Youth Congress presidents. You can see the situation of NSUI and Youth Congress. Even journalists don’t remember their names nowadays. The Congress will also get to the same situation if they go ahead with the plan of a survey by outsiders to select district presidents.” Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Rahul Gandhi sets zero tolerance for factionalism in Haryana Cong, outlines roadmap for setting up district units
Chandigarh: Congress MP and leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday delivered a message of zero tolerance for factionalism among Haryana leaders and issued strict guidelines to central observers to remain impartial and uninfluenced by local or state leaders during their assignments. Rahul unveiled a comprehensive plan to constitute district units of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC), aimed at reviving the party’s grassroots presence ahead of the 2025 elections. According to party sources, observers will begin field visits from June 10, with final panels of three candidates for each district expected by June 30. The All India Congress Committee (AICC) will then announce district presidents. The selection process emphasises social engineering, with special focus on Scheduled Castes (SC), Backward Classes (BC), and women’s representation. Observers are instructed to prioritise young leadership between the ages of 35 and 55, alongside merit-based criteria. This marks the first concerted effort by AICC to end long-standing factionalism within the Haryana Congress and properly constitute district executives after an 11-year hiatus. During his three-hour visit to HPCC headquarters here, Rahul chaired three key meetings. The first involved a 17-member committee of senior Haryana leaders and AICC officials, including former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, HPCC president Udai Bhan, Lok Sabha MP Selja, former Union minister Birender Singh, Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda, and other senior functionaries. Sources said that Rahul warned the leaders against allowing factional disputes to damage the party and patiently heard their concerns. Following this, he met with central and state observers, outlining strict dos and don’ts for finalising district executive panels. The AICC has appointed 22 observers, including MPs and former ministers, who will work alongside 51 HPCC-appointed observers to assess aspirants across districts. B K Hariparsad, AICC general secretary in-charge of Haryana affairs, told mediapersons, “Rahul has instructed observers not to favour senior leaders, sitting or former MLAs or MPs, nor to avail any facilities provided by them. Complaints against observers will be taken seriously, and replacements can be made if necessary. Effective and honest observers may receive more responsible assignments.” Hariparsad acknowledged that factionalism has stalled district unit formation for over a decade, contributing to narrow election losses. “We lost by a margin of just 0.5% due to weak grassroots organisation. The year 2025 will be dedicated to party strengthening. Observers have clear instructions to avoid favoritism. Only real performers will be at the forefront.” Rahul Gandhi was received at Chandigarh airport by Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee president Harmohinder Singh Lucky and PPCC President Amrinder Singh Raja Warring. Rahul’s gesture for Birender In a gesture of respect, Rahul asked AICC general secretary K C Venugopal to invite veteran leader Birender Singh to the dais ahead of the observers’ meeting. Tanwar springs surprise A surprise attendee was former HPCC president Ashok Tanwar, who was invited last minute. Tanwar left Congress in 2019, joined various parties, including the BJP, before returning to Congress. ‘5-yr no-post rule for BJP entrants’ B K Hariparsad, AICC general secretary in-charge of Haryana affairs, clarified the party’s position on recent entrants from BJP or RSS backgrounds. “Anyone joining from BJP or RSS must serve as a volunteer for five years before eligibility for any Congress post. This does not apply to those who left Congress earlier and then returned,” he said. Seniors asked to give tips Before launching the roadmap, Rahul gave senior leaders a platform to voice their concerns and suggestions to strengthen the party at all levels in Haryana. MSID:: 121626445 413 | Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
State Cong chief accuses Chirag, Manjhi of failing dalit community
Patna: State Congress president Rajesh Kumar on Tuesday launched sharp attacks on two dalit leaders—Union ministers Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi—for maintaining silence over the death of a minor girl who succumbed to a brutal assault after rape. Addressing a press conference, the state Congress chief said both Chirag and Manjhi claim to be the leaders of the dalit community, but they remained mysteriously silent over such a horrendous crime. “You want the votes of the dalits to stay in power but have not uttered a word of sympathy for the dalit girl, let alone helping her,” Kumar told the reporters in Patna on Tuesday, adding they need to answer this to the people of the state. He said although they happen to be a part of the double-engine govt in Bihar, they failed to do anything for the girl who ultimately died due to “callousness”. “You couldn’t even get her a hospital bed or an oxygen cylinder as that innocent girl died. The question is why are you hesitating to speak out against injustice? Are you keeping silent under the influence and pressure of the RSS agenda? When will you demand justice for the dalit girl?” asked the Congress chief. Later, a team of Congressmen, led by the state president, visited the victim’s house in Muzaffarpur and extended all support to the family. “The Congress party stands with you in this hour of crisis. We will provide every possible assistance in the fight for justice for the girl,” the state president told the victim’s family. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Why A Mega Dalit Outreach Is Part Of BJP’s Plan For Poll-Bound Bihar From June 20
Caste arithmetic and an unfavourable result in the elections last year have prompted the party to take steps to win the poll battle The BJP has decided to go all out to woo Dalits of poll-bound Bihar, even before seat-sharing talks have begun among the NDA constituents for the upcoming election. Starting June 20, the party will target the Ravidas community by organising the Sant Shiromani Ravidas Sammelan-cum-honour ceremony in Bihar. Sant Ravidas, a 15th-century Bhakti saint, is a significant figure in the Dalit community and is widely recognised as a Dalit icon. Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi commemorated Ravidas’ 647th birth anniversary in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi. Now, with Bihar election around the corner, BJP has decided to hold such conclaves in different districts and created a schedule for that. News18 has learnt that BJP has fixed conclave dates for Begusarai on June 20, Samastipur on June 22, Madhubani on June 25, Bagaha and Bhagalpur on June 29, Saharsa on June 30, Muzaffarpur and Siwan on July 6, Darbhanga on July 7, Gaya on July 13, Banka on July 16, Arwal on July 18, Khagaria and Sitamarhi on July 20 and Gopalganj on July 31, which will be the season finale. There will also be a special conclave through which Dalit outreach efforts will be made in Bihar’s capital Patna though the date for it is not yet finalised. The party wants the Patna conclave to be a show-stopper with big names in attendance, and hence, the date will depend on their availability, say BJP sources. But why the focus on Dalits? Sources in the know suggest there are two reasons behind it. One is pure caste arithmetic. Though the Ravidas community constitutes just 5 per cent of Bihar’s voters, if the total Dalit pie in Bihar is taken into consideration, the number jumps to 19 per cent. While BJP is confident about upper castes and OBC support of a few, JDU too brings OBC strengths. Even NDA’s smaller allies like Rashtriya Lok Morcha leader Upendra Kushwaha can influence OBC votes. Only former Bihar CM Jitin Ram Majhi’s Hindustan Awam Morcha-Secular(HAM-S) and LJP (RV) Chirag Paswan have limited sway over those known as the backwards. The second reason stems from an unfavourable experience in last year’s Lok Sabha election when the BJP-led NDA lost nine Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, NDA won 39 seats while in 2024, it managed to win 30. In neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, the situation was even more grim. The BJP-led NDA lost a whopping 28 seats. Later, BJP went on record to accept that Congress managed to twist BJP’s ‘400 paar’ campaign slogan as fear mongering among Dalit voters, suggesting their reservation rights are on the line. This worked against the BJP in the two Hindi heartland states. Since June 4 last year, when the results were declared, BJP has taken corrective measures to win the narrative war. However, the party feels that with no big alliance partner that has a solid grip among the Dalit community, the outreach is the best way forward. Sources in the BJP say the plan to carpet-bomb the Ravidas Sammelans was conceived in mid-May when Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Bihar Police stopped him on his way to Ambedkar hostel in Darbhanga, adding that “they could not stop me because your power (minority community) is watching over me”. Back then, Bihar BJP president Dilip Jaiswal had hit out at Gandhi, saying: “He should use his mind. If he had to use a government building or hostel, he should have sent an official itinerary. He is the Leader of Opposition and a state president of a party has to teach this?” However, it is learnt that this visit may have worked as a catalyst for the state BJP to pre-emptively launch a mega Dalit outreach, having learnt its lessons last year. Authorimg Anindya Banerjee Anindya Banerjee, Associate Editor brings over fifteen years of journalistic courage to the forefront. With a keen focus on politics and policy, Anindya has garnered a wealth of experience, with deep throat in …Read More Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! Sources said LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan is serious about the Bihar assembly polls and is likely to contest from a general seat rather than a traditionally reserved seat The BJP may have made it clear that Nitish Kumar will be chief minister if they win the Bihar assembly election – regardless of the numbers – but Chirag Paswan’s desire to leave Delhi and return to state politics is being seen in many quarters as a challenge to the JD(U) leader. Union minister Chirag Paswan, the leader of NDA ally Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), has been “positioning” himself to ask for a better share of seats, 45 to be precise, reliable sources told News18. “Chirag Paswan is aware of the sanctity of an endorsement (of Nitish Kumar) by someone like that of Amit Shah (in the Gopalganj rally). He is not in that race (to become CM), let me be very clear about that. But does he want his party to have a fair deal this election and grow bigger? Yes,” said a source on condition of anonymity. Chirag on Monday expressed his intention to contest the assembly election. “I don’t see myself in central politics for too long. My reason for entering politics was Bihar and the people of Bihar. I want to take forward my vision of ‘Bihar First, Bihari First’,” he said. “Sometimes, when national leaders contest state elections, it does help the party grow. If my participation helps the alliance and strengthens the NDA’s position in Bihar, I will contest,” he added. According to sources, Chirag is serious about the election and his party MP Arun Bharti, who is also his brother-in-law, told the media that rather than contesting
AAP disengages from INDIA bloc, says alliance was only for 2024 LS polls
NEW DELHI: AAP on Tuesday disengaged itself from the INDIA bloc, saying the opposition grouping was formed only for the 2024 Lok sabha polls. It also alleged BJP and Congress had entered a “secret, corrupt deal”. The statement came as Congress and 15 other opposition parties wrote to PM Narendra Modi demanding a special session of Parliament on developments following the Pahalgam terror attack. AAP made the same demand separately. AAP national media in-charge Anurag Dhanda said on X , “The real alliance is between BJP and Congress behind the scenes. Rahul Gandhi says only that which benefits Modi politically. In return, Modi saves the Gandhi family from going to jail. Neither of them is interested in providing basic facilities like schools, hospitals, electricity and water to the countrymen.” “To clean Indian politics, we must end this behind-the-scenes collusion. Rahul Gandhi and Modi may appear as opponents on stage but the truth is that they’ve become guarantees of each other’s political survival. Congress’s weak politics empowers BJP, and BJP’s rule hides Congress’s corruption,” Dhanda alleged in a statement issued by the party later. Asserting that the INDIA bloc was formed specifically for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Dhanda said, “The alliance ensured that opposition parties secured 240 seats – this is a significant achievement.” He drove home the point that the alliance as far as AAP had lived its purpose and the party was not part of the bloc anymore. “AAP will contest every state election on its own. We will be contesting all seats in Bihar later this year, “ Dhanda told TOI. “In Parliament, however, our MPs will support the opposition’s position based on what is best for the country and our MPs will vote accordingly in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha,” Dhanda said. AAP and Congress have had a turbulent equation even as INDIA bloc partners. After much to and fro on seat sharing talks and much resistance to the alliance from the Congress’s Delhi unit, the two parties finally did fight as allies in Delhi and also in Gujarat and Haryana in the Lok Sabha polls but were pitted against each other in Punjab. Later last year, the two parties failed to reach a consensus on seat-sharing in the Haryana assembly polls and fought against each other. In the Delhi assembly elections earlier this year too both parties fought a bitter battle that had put a big question mark on how both AAP and Congress would carry off as allies in the INDIA bloc. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Family matters in Bihar’s Dalit politics—Manjhis to Paswans, how kin are rising up the ladder
Months before polls, Nitish govt appointed Chirag Paswan’s brother-in-law Mrinal Paswan as chairperson of Scheduled Caste Commission, and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s son-in-law as chairperson. New Delhi: The Nitish Kumar government’s decision to appoint the relatives of Union ministers Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi to top posts in the Bihar Scheduled Caste Commission months before elections has fuelled debate around “dynastic politics” in parties led by Dalit leaders in the state. Chirag Paswan’s brother-in-law Mrinal Paswan has been appointed chairperson of the commission, while Jitan Ram Manjhi’s son-in-law Devendra Manjhi has been made its vice chairperson. Opposition RJD criticised the appointments, saying these were made with an eye on the assembly elections due later this year. Former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s family now has seven members in politics, competing with the Lalu Prasad Yadav family’s dominance in the state. Manjhi, who comes from the Mahadalit musahar community, contested the Lok Sabha polls from the Gaya seat in 1991, 2014, 2019 and 2024. He won only the 2024 polls. He is currently the oldest minister in the Modi cabinet, holding charge of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry. The Manjhi family Manjhi’s son Santosh Kumar Suman is the national president of their party Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM). He is a minister in the Nitish cabinet, holding the Minor Water Resources portfolio. He was a minister in Nitish Kumar’s 2020 cabinet too when he held the Minor Irrigation and SC/ST Welfare portfolios. Suman’s wife Deepa Manjhi won the byelection from Imamganj assembly constituency in November 2024 as Jitan Ram Manjhi vacated the seat after his election to Lok Sabha. Deepa Manjhi’s mother Jyoti Devi is also an MLA from the party. She represents the Barachatti assembly constituency. Devendra Manjhi, who has been made the vice-chairperson of the SC Commission, has been HAM general secretary and unsuccessfully contested the assembly election in 2020 from Makhdumpur. Jitan Ram Manjhi has two sons and five daughters. His younger son Pravin Suman is also in politics. Manjhi’s elder daughter Sunaina has contested a deputy mayoral election in 2022. Devendra Manjhi first came in news in 2014 when Jitan Ram Manjhi, as the chief minister of Bihar, appointed him as his personal assistant, and another relative, Satendra Kumar, a clerk. The BJP, then in the opposition, criticised Manjhi, citing a general administration department’s order of 23 May 2000 that no minister can appoint a relative as PA. Manji defended the appointment, saying Devendra has been his PA since 2006. But as the controversy erupted, Devendra resigned. When ThePrint spoke to him after his appointment at the SC Commission, Devendra Manjhi said, “When a doctor’s son becomes a doctor, nobody asks questions.” He said he is an engineer and has been working among people for the last 25 years, despite being the son-in-law of an MP and former chief minister. “Today, after spending so much time among people, I have been appointed as vice-chairperson to work among Dalits. What is wrong with it?” He said the HAM fought the 2015 elections in alliance with the RJD and the JD(U), and the party was given 21 seats to contest. “But I did not get the ticket then and contested as an Independent. Nobody asked why Manjhi’s son-in-law did not get a ticket. My appointment is not dynastic politics.” Courtesy : Shanker Arnimesh, The Print Note: This news is originally published on https://theprint.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Rahul to inaugurate campaign in Bhopal today to rejuvenate Cong & counter BJP’s ‘propaganda’
Bhopal: The leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will arrive here on Tuesday for a day’s visit to the state capital. During his stay in Bhopal, Rahul Gandhi will inaugurate the ‘Nav Srijan’ campaign of the Congress party in the state, which aims to rejuvenate the party organisation in Madhya Pradesh. According to senior party leader J P Dhanopia, Rahul Gandhi will arrive at Raja Bhoj airport at 10.20 am and proceed to the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) headquarters. There, he will participate in the meetings of the political affairs committee of the PCC, followed by a meeting of party MPs and MLAs, and later a meeting of observers appointed by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) for the ‘Nav Srijan’ campaign. Following a lunch break, he will go to Ravindra Bhawan, where he will formally inaugurate the campaign before leaving for Delhi late in the afternoon. Addressing a joint press conference on Rahul Gandhi’s Bhopal visit on Monday, Congress media wing President Mukesh Nayak, former PCC chief Arun Yadav, and former minister Sajjan Singh Verma said that the ‘Nav Srijan’ campaign was a historic initiative of the party leadership to rejuvenate the party organisation. Arun Yadav said that the campaign is a decisive step towards forming a deep connection with the masses. “The Congress party is working to strengthen the party at the grassroots under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, and the ‘Nav Srijan’ campaign is not only to strengthen the party organisation but also to make the Congress party a ‘public movement’ again. It’s to reawaken the soul of the Congress party,” he said. Sajjan Verma, while expressing gratitude towards Rahul Gandhi for his unwavering insistence on a caste census, said that the BJP and the Prime Minister initially castigated him for the demand, but ultimately they came around to accepting it. “The caste census is a victory for the deprived sections of society, who are still waiting for social, economic, and political justice,” he said. Mukesh Nayak said that this campaign will create ‘catalytic groups’ who, at the grassroots, will work to counter the ‘deceptive and misleading’ propaganda of the BJP. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Rahul moves HC to challenge order for personal appearance before Chaibasa court
Ranchi: The leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, moved the Jharkhand high court on Monday to challenge an order passed by the special MP/MLA court in Chaibasa which asked his personal appearance in a defamation case. Gandhi was ordered to appear in person before the court on June 26 in connection with the case filed by petitioner Pratap Kumar. Kumar said Gandhi’s statement against BJP leaders, particularly Union home minister Amit Shah, at a political rally in Chaibasa in 2018 was derogatory. Challenging the lower court’s order, Gandhi said he has already moved a petition seeking exemption from appearance before the Chaibasa court at this stage of the case. The petition is also pending before the high court for adjudication, Gandhi’s petition said. The lower court at Chaibasa was informed about the pending petition before the high court, stating that it not been decided on merits. Despite this fact, the lower court refused to grant reprieve to Gandhi and ordered him to appear in person. In his political speech during the last election campaign, Gandhi reportedly referred to Shah as a “murderer”. Gandhi’s statements were defamatory and made purposely to malign the image of Shah, Pratap Kumar said in his petition before the Chaibasa court. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Traffic diversions for Rahul visit
Bhopal: Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is scheduled to arrive in Bhopal at 10:20 AM on Tuesday via a special aircraft. In view of his visit, the Bhopal Traffic Police has issued an advisory regarding temporary traffic diversions and restrictions across several key routes in the city. Proposed Route: Rahul Gandhi will travel from the airport to the PCC Office via the following route: State Hangar Trisection, Lalghati, VIP Road, Retghat, Polytechnic Square, Banganga Square, Roshanpura, Apex Bank Trisection, Link Road-1, 1250 Square, PCC Office. Diversions: Traffic coming from Gandhi Nagar/Airport towards the city will be diverted via Narsinghgarh Trisection, Karond Bypass when the VIP aircraft lands. Vehicles heading from Polytechnic Square to VIP Road will be redirected through Moti Masjid, Sadar Manzil, Collectorate, and Lalghati Overbridge. Traffic from Roshanpura towards Polytechnic Square will be rerouted via Gandhi Park, Old Police Control Room Trisection, Talaiya Thana Trisection, Bharat Talkies Square, Hamidia Road. Traffic heading towards Link Road-1 should use Link Road-2 as an alternative route. Vehicle Restrictions: All heavy vehicles will be strictly prohibited on these routes during the movement. However, emergency services like ambulance and fire brigade will not be restricted and may move freely. Specific Event Restrictions: Movement will be restricted from Vyapam Square side, 1250 Square, and Sidhu Bhavan towards the PCC Office. During the Ravindra Bhavan event, the route from Polytechnic Square to KN Pradhan Square will remain diverted. Parking for participants attending the Ravindra Bhavan programme has been arranged at MVM Ground. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Chirag Paswan’s electoral entry in Bihar is a threat to the grand alliance! Rahul Gandhi’s ‘dream’ may be dashed
Chirag Paswan News: If Chirag Paswan enters Bihar politics, the polarization of Dalit votes may be in his favor. The way LJP-R leaders and supporters are seeing the image of CM in Chirag, if he really enters the fray, Dalit votes can be mobilized in his favor. Patna: The national president of LJP-R and the Union Minister has created a stir in Bihar politics for some time now. Chirag Paswan has said many times that his wish is to do politics by staying in Bihar. If the party wants, he will contest the assembly elections. Now all the cells of his party have given him the green signal to contest the elections. Chirag himself has also said that he will contest the elections only by staying in the NDA. He will not claim the post of Chief Minister. Nitish Kumar will remain the Chief Minister. The party is conducting a survey to see how much the party and the NDA will benefit from his contesting the elections. However, if Chirag contests the elections, it will definitely benefit the NDA. Of course, the difficulties of the Grand Alliance may increase. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is part of the Grand Alliance, is eyeing the Dalit voters. Congress’s eyes on Dalit-EBC votes Rahul Gandhi’s attraction towards Bihar has increased. He is coming to Bihar again on the 6th of this month. This will be his fourth visit in the first six months of the year 2025. This time Rahul Gandhi will participate in the conference of Extremely Backward Castes (EBC) in Nitish Kumar’s home district Nalanda. Rahul will try to instill enthusiasm to unite Dalit, Muslim and EBC voters in the Constitution Protection Conference to be held in Rajgir, Nalanda. He has already been eyeing the Dalit section on the pretext of saving the Constitution. The population of Dalit castes in Bihar is about 17 percent. Rahul does not need to work hard for Muslim votes. Due to opposition to BJP and Narendra Modi, Muslims prefer Congress or ‘India’ block parties. Muslim population in Bihar is also around 18 percent. EBC population in Bihar is 36 percent. Now trying to bring back lost vote base Congress has dominated the country’s politics since independence. Among the upper castes, Brahmins remained close to Congress because they considered Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru a leader of their own caste. Congress also did not hesitate in promoting Brahmin leaders then. Among Dalits also, Congress had prepared its strong base by promoting its leaders. But, with time, Dalits left Congress. Regional parties formed on caste basis tore apart the social fabric of Congress. Kanshiram in UP and Ram Vilas Paswan in Bihar separated Dalit voters from Congress by forming their own parties. The remaining gap was filled by BJP’s Hindutva campaign. In the name of protecting the Constitution, Rahul Gandhi has made Constitution maker Ambedkar his ideal. Wherever he goes, he carries the Constitution book with him. Now he is trying to woo the large population of EBC Rahul Gandhi also knows that without wooing the large population of EBC, it is difficult to transform the Congress. The EBC population in Bihar is about 36 percent. EBC votes are now divided among many parties as per convenience. Congress has also started trying to take advantage of them. Rahul has been coming to Bihar so far to show Congress’s love for Dalits. This will be the first time when he will come to Bihar to participate in the EBC conference. However, Congress is not as anxious for OBCs as it is for Dalits and EBCs. Chirag Paswan surprised everyone with his decision If Chirag Paswan enters Bihar politics, then polarization of Dalit votes can be in his favor. The way LJP-R leaders and supporters are seeing the image of CM in Chirag, if he really enters the fray, Dalit votes can be mobilized in his favor one-sidedly. Posters of Chirag Paswan’s coronation were also put up recently. Chirag’s brother-in-law and LJP-R MP Arun Bharti also sees Chirag’s potential to become CM. The kind of results Chirag showed in the Lok Sabha elections, his hold on the public can be gauged from. Despite the division of LJP and being the only MP of his party, Chirag has presented a better example of his ability. About the author Sudhendra Pratap Singh Senior Digital Content Producer at Navbharat Times Digital. Started the journey in journalism with local newspaper Agrabharat. From here the caravan grew and reached NBT.com via Kalpataru Express, Hindustan News Paper, News18. Edited by: Sudhendra Pratap Singh•Written by: Omprakash Ashk| Courtesy : Hindi News