54 Rajputs tied and brutally attacked:Women gangraped, victims buried alive; Congress never regained Bihar Chief Ministership after the massacre
In the second episode of Dainik Bhaskar’s election series ‘Massacre’, today is the story of the Dalelchak Baghaura massacre, after which the Congress, which ruled Bihar for 40 years, could never make its CM again… One night of May 29, 1987. Location – Aurangabad district of Bihar. The same Aurangabad where the country’s only west-facing Sun Temple is located. A crowd of about 500 people was advancing, chanting the slogan ‘MCC Zindabad’. They had guns, axes, sickles, and cans of kerosene oil in their hands. After a while, everyone stopped at one place. They talked for a bit. Then half of them started moving towards Baghaura village and the other half towards Dalelchak. Both villages are one kilometer apart. Here, the Rajputs had dominance. Gaya Singh of Baghaura was the head clerk in the forest department. He had the only concrete house in the village. He had built it with passion. The eyes would stop at the gateway from afar. Around 8 PM, suddenly some noise was heard. When he opened the door and looked, a crowd of 200-300 people was standing in front. Gaya Singh hastily closed the door. They hadn’t even taken two steps when the crowd pushed and broke the door. First, the men of the house were dragged out and lined up. Meanwhile, two boys tried to escape unnoticed, but the attackers fired shots. Both fell right there. The attacker went near them. Their breaths hadn’t completely stopped yet. He struck a machete on the neck. Then, wiping his sweat, he said- ‘What are you looking at… go and bring their women.’ 20-25 attackers entered and started throwing women and children outside. Everyone was screaming- ‘Don’t kill us. Let us go. We beg you.’ One attacker spoke up- ‘#&#$% these people show a lot of arrogance. They make our women work. Dishonor their women in front of them. Only then will the revenge be complete.’ The attackers pounced on the women and girls. They tore their clothes. They began to rape them. After a while, a middle-aged man spoke up- ‘Enough. Now kill them all.’ The attackers dragged the women into the veranda. They placed their necks on the cot and pressed hard. One attacker picked up an axe and one by one beheaded the five women. Blood spread all over the veranda. The attacker said- ‘Dispose of them all.’ 8-10 people started digging a pit in front of the house with shovels. In a short time, the pit was ready. The attackers put the women’s bodies in the pit and filled it with soil. ‘Now tie these #@$%*& and take them to the banyan tree. The villagers should also see what happens when they clash with us.’ Hearing this, the attackers tied the hands and feet of Gaya Singh and his family members. They dragged them to the banyan tree. There was a large banyan tree at the beginning of the village. 30 May 1987, Dalelchak Baghaura village. Rajputs were killed by tying them to this banyan tree. Source: Library 30 May 1987, Dalelchak Baghaura village. Rajputs were killed by tying them to this banyan tree. Source: Library By now, there was chaos in the village. The attackers were dragging women, men, and children from Rajput families one by one to the banyan tree. Many people were jumping from the roofs and running towards the fields. The attackers were continuously firing. Some people were killed on the spot. A 40-year-old man was returning home with a tractor. Seeing the attackers, he screamed, ‘Oh uncle, we are not Rajputs. We work at their house. We are Harijans, Harijans.’ #$%@#$ Lying… saying this, a middle-aged man struck him on the back with an axe. Two attackers tied him to the seat of the tractor. Then they poured a can of kerosene oil on the tractor and set it on fire. Within minutes, the driver died in agony. Meanwhile, in the nearby village of Dalelchak, Kamla Kunwar had just returned from her in-laws’ house a few hours earlier. Her father was preparing for a feast. Guests had already arrived. Suddenly, the dogs started barking. Kamla said to her sister Lalita- ‘Go and see who is outside?’ Lalita peeked and saw hundreds of armed men advancing towards the village. She screamed- ‘Papa, Mummy, everyone run, the Naxalites have come.’ Both sisters, their parents, and other relatives started running towards the fields. Just then, the people next door stopped them. They said- ‘You people are not in any danger. Just hide in the house.’ Within minutes, the crowd stormed into the village. They entered the Rajputs’ houses and started a massacre. Kamla and Lalita hid in a pile of hay behind the house. The rest of the family and relatives were caught. A two-year-old child was sleeping on the bed. He started crying upon seeing the crowd. The attacker shouted – ‘Kill this bastard first.’ As soon as he heard this, a middle-aged man picked up the child and threw him on the threshold. His head split open. The attacker grabbed the child by the hair and lifted him. Another struck the child’s neck with an axe. The child’s head remained in the attacker’s hand, and the body fell to the ground. 30 May 1987, the children of the Dalelchak Baghaura massacre whose entire families were killed in the massacre. Source: Library 30 May 1987, the children of the Dalelchak Baghaura massacre whose entire families were killed in the massacre. Source: Library One pointed towards the women and said, ‘Violate their honor and finish them off.’ The attackers did just that. After raping, they beheaded the women and girls. Kamla’s father could not bear to see this. He charged at the attackers, cursing them, but they caught him. Two attackers held his legs and two held his arms. A 20-year-old boy struck him in the stomach with an axe. He screamed. Then the attacker shoved the butt of a gun into his mouth. Within minutes, he was writhing in
After the Voter Rights Yatra in Bihar, Congress is busy campaigning to keep the atmosphere hot against the government, released a newsletter
Bihar Assembly Election 2025: After the Voter Rights Yatra in Bihar, now the Congress is publicizing the purpose of this journey. It is accusing the BJP of vote theft and tampering with the voter list through SIR. Patna: Congress has started publicizing its purpose after Rahul Gandhi’s Voter Rights Yatra in Bihar. After the journey, the Congress released a newsletter. It tells about Rahul Gandhi’s nationwide campaign to “expose vote theft and protect democracy”. Regarding Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Bihar, the Congress has said that this journey was done to protect the rights of voters. This journey passed through 25 districts. The process of assembly elections in Bihar is likely to start after mid-October. Before this, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and India Alliance (INDIA Bloc) are putting all their strength to create an atmosphere in their favor. Congress said – will protect the rights of voters Congress has told about Rahul Gandhi’s campaign against “vote theft” in a post on X. Congress has said that the purpose of his Voter Rights Yatra in Bihar is to protect the rights of voters. Congress said, “Our campaign against vote theft has exposed how BJP is stealing votes and rigging elections in connivance with the Election Commission.” Congress has urged people to read the newsletter so that they can get more information. The newsletter explains in detail the campaign against electoral malpractices. It says that Rahul Gandhi exposed “voter fraud and the role of the Election Commission (ECI) in helping the BJP” for months. It also says that the real turning point came when he caught more than one lakh fake votes in Bangalore Central. After this, he started the Voter Rights Yatra in Bihar to convey the message directly to the people. Voter rights claim to become mass movement The newsletter claims, “What started as a leader’s fight has now become a mass movement to protect our right to vote.” It said the yatra highlighted the disenfranchisement of lakhs of voters through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. The yatra covered 1300 km in Bihar and included 18 rallies. These were attended by All India Alliance leaders like RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, CPI-ML’s Dipankar Bhattacharya and VIP’s Mukesh Sahni. The newsletter also said that Rahul Gandhi had a tea party with Bihar residents declared “dead” in the Election Commission’s SIR draft voter list. He participated in harvesting makhana with farmers in Purnia. He also traveled on a Bullet with his sister Priyanka Gandhi and Tejashwi. The newsletter alleged that BJP people are “stealing votes” in five ways. These methods are – fake and invalid addresses, misuse of Form 6, duplicate voters, bulk voters at the same address and invalid photographs. Curated by: Suryakant Pathak About the author Suryakant Pathak is a consultant at Navbharat Times Online. He has been doing journalism for the last 31 years. He writes news, analysis and blogs on India’s international relations, political-social developments in the country and the world. He started as a reporter in Dainik Bhaskar in 1995. Courtesy: Hindi News
Rahul’s pro-OBC pitch leaves upper caste Congress leaders uneasy in Magadh region
Gaya: In the 2020 assembly elections, Congress contested five general seats, including Aurangabad, Tekari, Gaya Town, Wazirganj, Hisua and Warisaliganj, in the Magadh division. On all these five seats, Congress fielded upper caste candidates. The five seats were divided between two dominant upper castes in the 3:2 ratio. The strike rate of the party was much lower than alliance partners RJD and CPI-ML. Of the five general seats it contested, the party won two (Aurangabad and Hisua) and lost three. The Left party registered a 100% strike rate as it won both Ghosi and Arwal seats. Ghosi win was significant as it was regarded as the fiefdom of Jagdish Sharma. Things have changed a lot within the Congress in the last five years. In a major strategic shift, leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has taken a distinctly pro-OBC stand with emphasis on caste census and poor representation of OBCs, EBCs in the decision making positions.On account of changed position of the Congress, the upper caste Congress ticket aspirants feel uncomfortable and this was also felt during meets preparatory to the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ where some of them appeared dismayed. The yatra got better traction in areas dominated by the OBCs thereby strengthening the pro-OBC lobby within the Congress, feel observers. According to Ali Hussain, principal of a Gaya-based college, politics is a game of numbers and as such no party can prosper without taking into account the arithmetical realities. Hussain, who has been teaching political science, said in Bihar, politics per se has gone OBC-dalit centric and even BJP has re calibrated its strategy along those lines. Vijai Kumar Mithu, a senior Congress leader of Magadh division and former member of the All India Congress Committee, said Congress all along has accommodated all sections in its fold and comprehensive representation of different section commensurate with their numbers was in the party’s larger interests. In order to be seen walking the talk, Congress has been promoting leaders like Chandrika Yadav, Santosh Kushwaha, Naina Devi, Priye Ranjan, Kailash Pal and Shweta Yadav etc. In 2020, both Congress and BJP-HAM(S) fielded same caste candidates in Aurangabad, Tekari, Wazirganj, Hisua and Warisaliganj. Party insiders believe that the strategy did not yield the desired result and as such things may be different this time. The resignation of Arun Kumar Prasad from the Congress is also being seen in the context of party’s changing social profile where the wings of upper caste leaders are likely to be sufficiently clipped. Prasad told this newspaper that he resigned from the Congress to join the Jan Suraaj as he found it ideologically superior to the Congress. 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 held Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar to protect voters’ rights: Congress
Patna: After completing the fortnight-long Voter Adhikar Yatra across 25 districts of Bihar, the Congress on Sunday released a newsletter highlighting leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s nationwide campaign to “expose vote chori and defend democracy”. The initiative takes on added significance ahead of the Bihar assembly elections, for which both the NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc have mobilised all resources. In an X post, the Congress drew attention to Rahul’s ongoing campaign against “vote theft”, saying that his Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar was aimed at safeguarding voters’ rights. “Our campaign against vote theft has exposed how the BJP, in connivance with the Election Commission, is stealing the votes and rigging the elections,” the Congress said, urging people to read the newsletter for further details. Detailing the campaign against electoral manipulation, the newsletter stated that Rahul had, for months, exposed “voter fraud and the ECI’s role in aiding the BJP”. It added that the turning point came when he uncovered over 1 lakh fake votes in Bangalore Central, after which he launched the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar to take the message directly to the people. “What began as the fight of one leader has now grown into a people’s movement to protect our right to vote,” the newsletter claimed, adding that the yatra, highlighting “the disenfranchisement of lakhs of voters through the special intensive revision (SIR)” of electoral rolls, covered 1,300 km across Bihar and included 18 rallies attended by INDIA bloc leaders, such as RJD’s Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, CPI-ML’s Dipankar Bhattacharya and VIP’s Mukesh Sahani. The newsletter also mentioned Rahul hosting a tea party with Bihar residents declared “dead” on the EC’s SIR draft rolls, participating in makhana harvesting with farmers in Purnia, and taking a bullet ride on pillion with his sister Priyanka Gandhi alongside Tejashwi. It further alleged that BJP operatives have been “stealing votes” using five methods – fake and invalid addresses, misuse of Form 6, duplicate voters, bulk voters at a single address and invalid photos. 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.
NDA slams Congress over Shrinate’s remarks
Patna: The state BJP on Saturday launched a sharp attack on Congress national spokeswoman Supriya Shrinate for her comments on the people of Bihar, accusing her of insulting ordinary citizens. Shrinate, speaking on a private channel, had praised Rahul Gandhi for mingling with the crowd during his recent Voter Adhikar Yatra, saying he hugged people who were “sweating” and “did not even wear clean clothes.” BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya circulated a video clip on X in which Shrinate is heard saying, “People were sweating and their clothes didn’t look very clean. Still he (Rahul Gandhi) was hugging them and kissing their heads. Such a person can never show off or pretend. One can fear getting an infection, but he did not even wash his hands after shaking hands with people.” Malviya said the people of Bihar “deserve respect, not pity.” Bihar BJP minister Janak Ram said the remarks reflected Congress’s “feudal mindset”. Addressing a press conference in Patna, he alleged, “The people of Bihar have made their identity on the basis of their hard work. But these (opposition) people insult by calling the Dalit and poor people as dengue. The people of Bihar do not need the princes (read Rahul and RJD’s Tejashwi Prasad Yadav) of the two royal families. It is they who go among the people of Bihar for votes.” Labour resources minister Santosh Kumar Singh added, “The people of Bihar do not shake hands with the corrupt politicians. Congress leaders need not shake hands with Bihar people.” JD(U) national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad said, “From Telangana’s CM Revanth Reddy to Punjab’s Charanjit Singh Channi and, later, Kerala Congress comparing Bihar to a bidi. The latest example is Supriya Shrinate’s comments. They are upset because of their impending defeat in Bihar elections.” Janak also invoked the Lalu-Rabri Devi era, alleging Bihar had endured “goonda raj, jungle raj and lathi raj”, and said CM Nitish Kumar had rescued the state from fear. However, Congress state president Rajesh Ram countered, saying it was BJP-JD(U) leaders who demean women. He cited the “misbehaviour with a woman teacher during the NDA’s Bihar bandh on Sept 3”, when she was humiliated while trying to reach her school in Jehanabad. 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.
Bihar Election Special: A safai karamchari became MLA 5 times, dalit daughters make their mark in politics
A silent revolution is going on in Bihar. The land which was once known for casteism and social discrimination is today writing a new story of dalit women leadership. This journey from soil to palace is not just a tale of individual achievements but a source of inspiration for the entire society. From Bhagirathi Devi who worked as a safai karamchari on a monthly salary of Rs. 800 to the country’s first woman Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, the dalit daughters of Bihar have written a new chapter in politics. Bhagirathi Devi: From a safai karamchari to a five-time MLA Born in a Mahadalit family in Narkatiaganj of West Champaran, the story of Bhagirathi Devi is no less than a film story. Bhagirathi Devi who worked as a safai karamchari on a monthly salary of just Rs. 800 is today a five-time MLA. In 2019, she was also awarded the Padma Shri, which is proof that a person is identified by his work, not by caste or social status. Bhagirathi Devi, who raised her issues in Bhojpuri, has today become a strong voice of the poor-Dalit class. The country’s first woman Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar Born on 31 March 1945 in Sasaram, Meira Kumar achieved a new milestone for the Dalit women of Bihar. Despite being the daughter of Dalit leader Jagjivan Ram, she created her own identity. First worked as an officer in the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), then came into politics and became the country’s first woman Lok Sabha Speaker from 2009 to 2014. Meira Kumar’s political journey started in 1985 from Bijnor. After this, she never looked back and became an MP five times. Eight Dalit women became MLAs in 2020 Bihar Assembly Elections 2020 brought a historic turning point for Dalit women leadership. Out of the 40 reserved seats, eight Dalit women won, which is the highest record till date. The prominent names among them are… Bhagirathi Devi (Narkatiyaganj) Veena Bharti (Triveniganj) Kavita Devi (Kondha) Pratima Kumari (Rajpakad) Dr Nikki Hebram (Katoria) Rekha Devi (Masaurhi) Sangeeta Kumari (Mohania) Jyoti Devi (Barachatti) Deepa Manjhi (Imamganj, 2024 by-election) The journey from 1957 to 2020 In the 1957 Bihar assembly elections, only three Dalit women were elected, Shyama Kumari from Scindia, Shailwala from Deoghar and Saraswati Choudhary from Masaurhi. This number shows how weak the beginning was. This number increased in the subsequent elections, but after this the participation of Dalit women kept decreasing and the situation became even worse in 1972 and the 1980s, when no Dalit woman MLA was elected. This was the period when social and political challenges were at its peak. However, gradually the situation improved and a new chapter began in 2020 with the victory of a record eight Dalit women MLAs. Now what will happen in the 2025 assembly elections, only time will tell. Expectations of the new generation Shambhavi Chaudhary Shambhavi Chaudhary, who became the youngest MP from LJP (R) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, can become a new symbol of Dalit women leadership. Shambhavi has reached the Lok Sabha by winning the election from Samastipur constituency. She is the daughter of Aashiq Chaudhary, a minister close to CM Nitish Kumar, and daughter-in-law of social worker and former IPS officer late Kishore Kunal. Her success shows that Dalit women of the younger generation are more educated and politically aware. Dalit women face double discrimination Dalit women face double discrimination, that too on the basis of both caste and gender. In the traditional social structure, there have been attempts to suppress their voice. But with education and awareness, they are overcoming these obstacles. The irony is that till date in the political history of Bihar, no party has given its state president post to a woman. This shows that there is still a lot to be done. Success due to the increasing influence of education and awareness The education policies of the Bihar government, especially the bicycle distribution and incentive schemes for girls, have shown a positive impact. Educated Dalit women are coming to the political stage with more confidence. The number and participation of Dalit women candidates is expected to increase further in the upcoming assembly elections. Dalit women of the younger generation are more educated and politically aware. Anand Shekar ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anand Shekar has been working as a content writer in the field of digital journalism for 5 years. He has expertise in political news. He is currently working for Asianet News Hindi. He has experience of working in organizations like News4Nation, Prabhat Khabar and First Bihar Jharkhand. Anand has also been awarded the Best Content Editor Award in Prabhat Khabar. Courtesy : Hindi News
‘Bidi-Bihar’ row: Deleted Cong post on GST sparks backlash; RJD distances itself, BJP hits back
NEW DELHI: The Kerala unit of Congress has triggered a major political controversy with a now-deleted social media post linking the Centre’s new GST reforms to Bihar. The post on X, which said “Bidis and Bihar start with B. Cannot be considered a sin anymore,” referred to the GST Council’s recent decision to slash the tax on bidis from 28 per cent to 18 per cent. While Bharatiya Janata Party slammed the grand old party for the post, INDIA bloc member Rashtriya Janata Dal chose to distance itself. The cryptic remark was accompanied by a chart showing the revised GST structure, where taxes on cigars, cigarettes, and tobacco products were raised to 40 per cent while bidis saw a steep reduction. The post was swiftly deleted but not before drawing sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally, Janata Dal (United). ‘We don’t support it’ RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who recently accompanied Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in his 16-day long Voter Adhikaar Yatra in Bihar, distanced himself from the post, calling it a “wrong” post. “It was a wrong tweet. We don’t support it,” he said. — ANI (@ANI) BJP calls out Congress’ ‘flip-flop’ act; shares Rahul’s old video BJP leader Amit Malviya shared a “promotional video with bidi workers in Tamil Nadu, blaming GST for their woes.” “Now, with India rolling out #NextGenGST reforms that give real relief to ordinary people—including in Bihar—Congress has shifted gears to target Biharis instead,” he said. “Does Rahul Gandhi, or the Congress for that matter, even know where they stand on issues? Or is Rahul’s self-styled propaganda of projecting himself as a “messiah” so hollow that even his own party doesn’t buy it?” he questioned. “This flip-flop, this inconsistency, is the real bane of Congress,” he added. — amitmalviya (@amitmalviya) Bihar deputy chief minister and BJP leader Samrat Choudhary accused the Congress of insulting the people of Bihar. “First, the insult to the revered mother of our honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and now the insult to the entire Bihar—this is the true character of the Congress, which is repeatedly being exposed before the country,” he wrote on X. — samrat4bjp (@samrat4bjp) JD(U) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha also lashed out at Congress, calling the post “another extremely shameful act.” Responding in Hindi, Jha said: “Let me tell you that B doesn’t just mean bidi, it also means buddhi (intellect), which you lack. B also means budget, which makes you jealous when Bihar receives special assistance.” Jha went on to link the row with Bihar’s cultural and political history. “By making a mockery of Bihar, the Congress has not only insulted the people of Bihar once again, but has also mocked the glorious history of the country and democracy,” he said. He reminded Congress of the state’s contribution to India’s history, noting that “It was on this sacred land that Adishakti Janaki appeared, Lord Buddha attained enlightenment, and the first draft of the Constitution was written. Bihar gave India its first President and the call for Total Revolution that uprooted Congress’s dictatorial rule.” — SanjayJhaBihar (@SanjayJhaBihar) The JD(U) leader further warned that voters would respond strongly in the assembly elections due later this year. “Believe me, the great people of Bihar will give a befitting reply to the repeated insults by the Congress in the upcoming assembly elections, not with the smoke of a beedi, but with the blow of votes,” Jha added. BJP’s national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also joined the attack, accusing Congress of harbouring an “anti-Bihar mentality.” In a video message, he said: “If they’re saying B for Bidis and B for Bihar, then they should also know C for Congress and C for corruption.” There has been no official response from Congress leaders so far. The Kerala unit’s deleted post remains at the centre of the political slugfest, with both the BJP and JD(U) framing it as a direct insult to the people of Bihar. The controversy comes against the backdrop of major tax changes approved by the GST Council on Wednesday. The panel decided to simplify the structure from four slabs—5, 12, 18, and 28 per cent—to just two, 5 and 18 per cent. A special 40 per cent slab has been introduced for certain goods including tobacco, cigarettes, and cigars, while bidi taxes have been reduced to 18 per cent. The GST on bidi wrapper leaves, known as tendu, was also cut from 18 per cent to 5 per cent. Analysts say the row has added a political edge to what was expected to be a largely economic reform measure. With Bihar’s assembly polls approaching in November-December, the issue is likely to be used by the BJP-JD(U) alliance to target Congress over alleged “insults” to the state’s identity and legacy. 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.
Now Tejashwi plans yatra in Bihar districts left out during Congress leader Rahul’s march: RJD sources
Patna: In the wake of just concluded Voter Adhikar Yatra of leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, RJD’s Tejashwi Prasad Yadav is now planning another march to cover the remaining districts that were left out during the fortnight-long Congress campaign, said a party official on Friday. The RJD is enthusiastic about the response the yatra received, and wants to maintain the momentum built, the party sources said. Although the Congress yatra covered 1,300 kilometres, passing through over 110 assembly constituencies in 25 of the state’s total 38 districts, the remaining 13 were left out of the route plan. Many districts not covered during the yatra are strongholds of the RJD, and the party wants to go there. An RJD official said the party’s chief strategist, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, is planning to go on a yatra soon to Arwal, Jehanabad, Buxur, Kaimur, Kishanganj, Khagaria, Madhepura, Saharsa, Samastipur, Sheohar, Vaishali, Banka and Begusarai. Among these districts, Jehanabad, Buxur, Kishanganj, Begusarai and Khagaria happen to be strongholds of the RJD, given the party’s performance in the last assembly elections. The RJD won all six assembly seats under the Jehanabad Lok Sabha constituency in the 2020 assembly polls, while it baggedfive out of six seats each in Kishanganj and Buxur. Similarly, the RJD won four out of six assembly seats each in Begusarai and Khagaria LS constituencies. What attracted everyone’s attention, analysts said, was the rare unity displayed among the INDIA bloc partners during the Voter Adhikar Yatra, as they all travelled in one jeep, stayed at one place and addressed the public together. The INDIA bloc comprises the RJD, Congress, Left Front and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP). All leading opposition figures, Yadav, Left Front’s Dipankar Bhattacharya and VIP president Mukesh Sahani, accompanied Rahul throughout the yatra, which continued for a fortnight with three days’ break in between. 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.
Who will be the next CM of Bihar, who will become the leader of the opposition? Modi’s minister made the announcement, said a wonderful Shayari on Rahul Gandhi
Ramdas Athawale: Union Minister Ramdas Athawale reached Raipur on Wednesday to attend the Chakradhar ceremony. During this, he said that our government will be formed again in Bihar and Nitish Kumar will be the CM. Raipur: Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Ramdas Athawale reached the capital Raipur on Wednesday. He came here to attend the Chakradhar ceremony. While talking to the media, Ramdas Athawale fiercely targeted Rahul Gandhi and the opposition. Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi’s hydrogen bomb statement, he said that if Rahul Gandhi has a hydrogen bomb, he will have to send it to Pakistan. There is no need for hydrogen bomb here. Made a big claim regarding Bihar elections ‘राहुल गांधी हमेशा करते हैं शोर इसलिए हैं चोर’, मंत्री रामदास अठावले का बयान Ramdas Athawale said that Rahul Gandhi is saying wrong on vote theft. There is no fact in Rahul Gandhi’s statement. Leaving the issue of the Constitution, Rahul Gandhi is taking out a rally on the issue of vote theft. He claimed that our government will come in Bihar. Nitish Kumar will become the Chief Minister again and Tejashwi Yadav will become the leader of the opposition. Called Rahul Gandhi a thief Ramdas Athawale called Rahul Gandhi a thief in a poetic style. He said that Rahul Gandhi always makes noise, that’s why he is a thief. I think Rahul Gandhi has been saying such things. The Election Commission believes that you should show your presentation of how votes are stolen. If the votes of the opposition have increased, then you should also increase your votes. The opposition is provoking people Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said that Narendra Modi is the strong Prime Minister of the country, an attempt was made to defeat him in the year 2024. Our party’s seats decreased, an attempt was made to create controversy. Work was done to provoke Dalit Muslims. That’s why our party’s seats were reduced. Our NDA government was formed, Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister for the third time. At the same time, Ramdas Athawale defended the Maharashtra government on Maratha reservation. He said that the demand of the Maratha community was that OBC SC ST get reservation, so Maratha community should also get reservation. Meeting with officials Ramdas Athawale held a meeting with senior officials of the Chhattisgarh government and reviewed in detail the progress of various schemes run by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Central Government is making serious efforts towards social justice and equal opportunity. Edited by: Pawan Tiwari About the author Pawan Kumar Tiwari is a Senior Digital Content Producer at Navbharat Times Online. I have 10 years of experience in journalism. I have a special interest in politics, crime, current affairs and off-beat news of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. I have done ground reporting in many important events along with elections. I have been associated with Navbharat Times Online since 2022. Courtesy: Hindi News
Did Rahul Gandhi’s Bihar visit strengthen the India Alliance?
Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav were always seen together during the Mahagathbandhan’s Voter Rights Yatra in Bihar. Congress gave the message of taking along the rest of the alliance parties as well. Political analysts believe that Congress seems to be gaining an edge in Bihar at the moment. New Delhi: India Alliance’s 16-day Voter Rights Yatra in Bihar ended in Patna on September 1. The Yatra, led by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, passed through 25 districts of Bihar. During this, the Yatra covered a distance of 1300 km with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, CPI-ML General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, Vikassheel Insaan Party chief Mukesh Sahni. At the end of the Yatra, Rahul Gandhi addressed the public meeting from the stage in Patna, saying ‘Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod’. When the crowd repeated this slogan loudly, Rahul Gandhi said – ‘This slogan worked.’ The yatra passed through more than 100 assembly constituencies The yatra, which passed through more than 100 of the 243 assembly constituencies in Bihar, has strengthened the position of the RJD-led opposition alliance ahead of the Bihar elections in November this year. The question is whether the unity of the Mahagathbandhan seen during this yatra will be able to maintain its momentum? On this question, Tejashwi Yadav says that there is no need to worry about it, we are working on it. But one question is still being asked that what was the achievement of this yatra? 1990…when Congress became politically extinct Before knowing the answer to this question, let us go back. Congress became politically extinct in Bihar in 1990, and Lalu Prasad Yadav came to power. In the 2000 assembly elections, Congress got only 23 seats. Later, the party joined the alliance with Lalu-led RJD. The country’s oldest party performed better in the 2015 elections when JDU supremo and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar joined the grand alliance. At that time, Congress won 27 seats. Congress’s weak performance responsible for the defeat of the grand alliance? However, in the 2020 elections, when Nitish returned to the NDA, the Congress contested 70 seats and won only 19 seats, while its ally RJD emerged as the largest party with 75 seats. The NDA returned to power by winning 125 seats, while the grand alliance got 110 seats. The weak performance of the Congress was blamed for this minor defeat of the grand alliance. Congress gained lead in Muslim areas Senior journalist of Indian Express Santosh Singh says on this visit of Rahul Gandhi, Congress also gained lead in many Muslim-dominated constituencies including RJD strongholds like Darbhanga, Madhubani and Araria. The decline of the Congress in the state began after its alleged failures in handling the 1989 Bhagalpur riots, which led to a large section of Muslim voters moving to the Janata Dal and later to the RJD. After becoming the chief minister for his first term in 1990, Lalu became a prominent leader of the minority community in the state. Santosh Singh says that before Rahul Gandhi started his Voter Rights Yatra, the Congress was called the ‘weak link’ of the Mahagathbandhan. But, with the huge crowds gathering in this yatra across the state, the Congress got an edge as it was mainly a demonstration of the party under Rahul’s leadership. How much does RJD need the support of the Congress? With outgoing chief minister Nitish Kumar battling health issues, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to lead the NDA’s election campaign in the Bihar elections. In such a situation, the RJD will be more dependent on Rahul to counter PM Modi’s campaign at the national level. Rahul gave a message of taking everyone along Throughout his yatra, Rahul Gandhi was accompanied by Tejashwi, the leader of opposition in the Bihar assembly, which brought him into the national spotlight, while also cementing his position as the chief ministerial face of the Mahagathbandhan for the elections, albeit unofficially. Though Rahul evaded a reporter’s question about Tejashwi’s chief ministerial candidature in Araria during the yatra, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, who joined the yatra in Ara on August 30, called for ‘supporting Tejashwi’ to build a new Bihar. Subsequently, Tejashwi also projected himself as the opposition alliance’s chief ministerial candidate in the Ara and Patna legs of the yatra and asked the crowd whether they wanted a real or fake chief minister. He targeted Nitish, saying he was allegedly ‘copying’ his various proposed welfare schemes like enhanced social security pension, free electricity and youth commission. Mahagathbandhan unity visible? Rahul made the trip to raise his allegations of “vote theft” in various elections against the ruling BJP and the Election Commission (EC) and to protest the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter list in Bihar. The SIR slogan united the entire opposition party India, which was seen throughout the trip as several faces from the alliance joined in from time to time, from DMK supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to Akhilesh and JMM chief and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, TMC’s Yusuf Pathan and Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut. Pappu Yadav also joined, impact on 15 seats In view of the yatra, the Mahagathbandhan has now been joined by Independent MP from Purnia, Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, who had bad relations with RJD despite being associated with Congress. Pappu Yadav has influence on about 15 seats including Supaul, Madhepura, Saharsa, Araria and Purnia in Kosi-Seemanchal region. Pappu had merged his Jan Adhikar Party with Congress ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, but had to contest as a rebel from Purnia after the party refused to give him a ticket under pressure from RJD. Despite this, he managed to win the seat by defeating JDU MP Santosh Kushwaha along with RJD candidate Bikram Singh. Edited by: Varun Shailesh About the author Varun Shailesh is an Assistant News Editor at Navbharat Times Online. He has more than 15 years of experience in current affairs, politics, social issues and features. Started career with news agency IANS