JDU, RJD In Campaign Mode: In Bihar's 'Jungle Raj Vs Susashan' Fight, Electoral Roll Brings X-Factor
' Naukri, Rozgar, Kushal Bihar – Fir ek baar NDA sarkar" – Posters with these slogans came up outside the JDU office in Patna on Tuesday. Ordinarily, it would seem like an NDA poll pitch with the top two faces of the two alliance partners adorning the walls. But political history watchers were smiling.
Exactly 15 years ago, similar pictures of then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had sprung up across Patna. It was on the eve of BJP National executive and soon after Gujarat had donated Rs 5 crore to Bihar for flood relief. The giant hoardings and the newspaper ads showing Modi and Nitish hand in hand, smiling, reportedly riled the Bihar CM so much that the alliance was ruptured. Nitish Kumar, as per his aides, saw the ads as an attempt to show Bihar and his governance in poor light.
Much water has flown down the Ganga since then. Nitish has come back to the NDA fold and promised PM Modi from electoral rally stage never to sever ties again. The latest posters at JDU office is further acknowledgement that if BJP needs Nitish as the face of susashan (good governance) to keep away 'jungle raj", Nitish needs Modi more to keep an aggressive RJD away.
Opposition is taking pot-shots at JDU, making references to Nitish Kumar's health. Their charge – BJP will finish JDU as the latter flounders to find a successor for Nitish. The poster is one more weapon in their 'JDU will be over' arsenal.
Jungle Raj
Banenge, kyun nahi banenge, (I will become CM, why not)" is his reply when media interviewers ask the mandatory 'Are we speaking to the next CM" question.
He is on a yatra, press conference, interview giving spree. Taking the jungle raj charge head on, the youngest son of Lalu Prasad asks, 'I was Deputy Chief Minister for 18 months — did people stop stepping out of their homes?"
He, instead, keeps the focus on anti-incumbency.
'We've been in opposition for the last 20 years, and they're still crying about us. Why don't they take accountability for their governance? What's their plan for trade in Bihar? How will they make small businesses viable? They never talk about that. All they say is that 'jungle raj' will return," Tejashwi said.
Electoral roll SIR The X Factor
The Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision, however, could prove to be the X-factor in the run up to the polls. RJD feels that the exercise is only targeting localities which are known to be their stronghold. But cutting across political divide, there is some concern about the impact of Non Resident Bihari voters getting weeded out.
The EC estimates 10 per cent of those in Bihar voter list, do not live in the state. CEC Gyanesh Kumar says law does not make any special provision for such cases. He says only ordinary residents can vote. If indeed SIR disallows the migrant Bihari from voting, the impact may not be on the vote bank of any one party.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
30 minutes ago
- Hans India
Rs 2-lakh-cr boost to jobs, R&D no guarantee of results
The government's decision to boost research & development and employment generation, with a total bill of over Rs 2 lakh crore, is admirable in intent. But how it would realise its goals is a question that experts will ask. The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a Rs 2.07-lakh-crore outlay for a Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) (RDI) Scheme to fund private sector innovations, along with an employment-linked incentive (ELI) scheme to create over 3.5 crore new jobs over the next two years. This is not the first time the government has announced grand plans to boost manufacturing, innovation, and employment. Similar schemes, such as the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme in recent years, although beneficial in specific sectors like electronics and pharmaceuticals, have not yet delivered a transformative impact across the broader manufacturing landscape. The gap between policy announcements and their tangible outcomes continues to be a concern. Manufacturing remains India's Achilles' heel. Despite years of policy pushes under campaigns like Make in India and PLI Schemes, the sector's share in GDP has largely stagnated around 15-17 per cent, far below the government's target of 25 per cent. More worryingly, even where there has been growth, it has often been in sectors that are capital-intensive rather than labor-intensive, thus failing to generate the volume of quality jobs needed to absorb India's vast and growing workforce. This structural challenge is compounded by issues such as poor infrastructure, complex regulatory frameworks, inconsistent policy implementation, and skill mismatches in the labor market. The government's RDI scheme, which seeks to fund private sector innovations, is a step in the right direction because it recognizes that sustainable economic growth must be driven by innovation, particularly in an increasingly knowledge-based global economy. India's investment in R&D as a percentage of GDP has historically lagged behind countries like China, the US, and even smaller Asian economies like South Korea. By directly supporting private sector innovation, the government seems to be moving towards creating an ecosystem where businesses can lead technological advancements rather than relying solely on public sector research bodies. Yet, the success of such a scheme will hinge on how effectively it is designed and implemented. Will the funds be disbursed in a timely, transparent manner? Will small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which are often the backbone of job creation, have adequate access to these incentives, or will the bulk of the benefits accrue to larger corporations with better lobbying power? How will the government ensure that the incentives lead to actual job creation rather than simply subsidizing existing operations? The ELI Scheme also raises similar concerns. The target of creating over 3.5 crore new jobs is ambitious, but previous efforts to incentivise job creation did not result in major success. The government has also not come up with a report of the earlier schemes. How, if at all, did they promote job creation? What lessons have been learnt from them? Employment generation in India today requires a parallel focus on skill development. Even if manufacturing units expand, a shortage of adequately skilled workers may limit the sector's growth potential. The government's skill development initiatives must therefore be closely aligned with the sectors targeted. We only hope that the government has taken cognisance of the fact that large allocations do not automatically translate into measurable outcomes.
Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
Over 200 gurdwaras in UK form alliance to provide collective voice to reset relations with govt
Representative image TOI Correspondent from London: A govt minister from Pakistan travelled to London for the launch of the first ever UK Gurdwara Alliance, set up to improve relations between gurdwaras and the UK govt. The Alliance, a UK-wide gurdwara body providing a collective voice for over 200 UK gurdwaras, was launched in a UK Parliament committee room this week at an event to mark the 20th anniversary of the All Party Parliamentary Group for British Sikhs. Ramesh Singh Arora, Pakistan Punjab minister for minority affairs, who travelled to London for the event, described the alliance as an 'excellent initiative.' 'Having a collective voice is extremely powerful and will be helpful for not only UK govt engagement but will improve links between gurdwara bodies across the globe,' Arora said. The alliance will liaise with the Akal Takht and institutions like the SGPC in Amritsar and PSGPC in Pakistan. It will issue statements, call meetings and support Sikh community campaigns. Twenty-five leading gurdwaras across 12 regions will be responsible for consulting with and coordinating all gurdwaras in their region. They will focus on issues that impact the running of gurdwaras and also engage with the UK govt on matters concerning gurdwaras, the Sangat and faith-related issues. One of the alliance's first actions after its launch was to call on the Charity Commission to 'understand and work differently with gurdwaras.' Gurdwaras in Britain have to register with the Charity Commission if their income exceeds £5,000 (Rs 5 lakh) per year. Kuldeep Singh Deol, former president of Guru Nanak Gurdwara, Smethwick, said: 'The Charity Commission's current approach to gurdwaras is outdated and out of step with the growing challenges these institutions face. It continues to rely on advice from individuals who lack the necessary understanding and experience of how gurdwaras operate.' He said gurdwaras up and down the country at the local level are recognised by the authorities as key Sikh institutions with a massive reach to the community. 'The UK Gurdwara Alliance has been established at the national level to address a disconnect that exists between central govt and gurdwaras,' he said. 'The UK govt must make a step change in the way it engages with the Sikh community,' said Gurpreet Singh Anand, president at Central Gurdwara (Khalsa Jatha) London.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Delhi govt set to waive late payment surcharge in water bill, says minister
The Delhi government has given in-principle approval to waive the entire late payment surcharge in water bills for domestic and government categories, Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said on Thursday. Speaking to mediapersons, Singh said the waiver will be implemented in the next few months. Officials said the proposal will now be put up before the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). 'The DJB is currently working on improving its billing system software, which will take about two to three months. Once done, the scheme will be implemented,' said an official. Meanwhile, in a meeting of the DJB board on Wednesday, several key projects to improve sewerage and water infrastructure were approved in the city. The DJB approved a collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to revive the Wazirabad water supply improvement project. 'Initially, ADB funding was approved in 2013, but work on various packages of the Wazirabad project could not be awarded until July 2020. As a result, ADB withdrew its funding in 2020. After the intervention of the Water Minister, the project has been re-initiated for an ADB funding grant,' said an official, adding the project will cost around Rs 3,715 crore after escalation. This project will benefit over 30.16 lakh people of North and North West Delhi – about 13% of Delhi's total population – covering an area of 123 sq km, including Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar, Model Town, Burari, Lawrence Road, Punjabi Bagh, Shakur Basti, Jahangirpuri, Shastri Nagar, Avantika, Pitampura and nearby areas. The DJB also approved water connections for the in-situ rehabilitation project for slum dwellers at Katputli Colony near Shadipur depot and housing projects for lower-income groups carried out by the Delhi Development Authority. Besides, in a bid to improve sewer connectivity, the DJB has approved two projects in colonies of East Delhi's Sonia Vihar and Shriram Colony. Officials said that about 2.34 lakh people will benefit from this. It is also set to reduce pollution in the Yamuna river. 'A lot of sewage directly enters from these colonies into the river. We will trap and then treat the sewage flowing by laying new lines. This will help in improving the health of Yamuna,' Singh said.
