Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj to contest all seats, sets up three-way Bihar fight
Apart from this, the meeting focused on strengthening the party's organisational structure.Senior advocate Basant Chaudhary has been appointed the chairperson of the manifesto committee. Chaudhary will work with the party's national and state presidents to form the rest of the committee and draft the election manifesto.ON BIHAR VOTER LIST REVISIONThe national executive also discussed the contentious issue of voter list revision in Bihar, which has come under opposition fire and has found its way to the Supreme Court. The issue will be heard by the Supreme Court on July 10.A party delegation will soon meet Election Commission officials to raise concerns regarding the review process.The drive to revise the electoral rolls was announced on June 24, apparently to sift out ineligible names. However, the opposition has argued that such a revision so close to the polls could weed out 20% of the state's population, who migrate for work outside Bihar.The party received a boost on Monday after social media influencer Manish Kashyap joined it with a bunch of supporters in the presence of Kishor. Kashyap resigned from the BJP a month ago.In its first electoral test last year, the Jan Suraaj Party failed to make an impact in the bypolls it contested in Bihar. The party failed to win any of the four seats, with three candidates losing deposits. It managed to get some votes in Imamganj.- EndsMust Watch
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
7 minutes ago
- Hans India
Video of Kerala BJP leaders with Jyoti Malhotra surfaces amid espionage row
Thiruvananthapuram: A video showing BJP leaders in Kerala with YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra currently under arrest in an espionage case -- has surfaced. The video surfaced just days after BJP leaders criticised the Kerala government for hosting Malhotra under its influencer outreach campaign. The video dates back to 2023, during the inaugural run of the Vande Bharat Express from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram. In it, Malhotra is seen engaging in a promotional interaction with then Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan, asking him about the significance of the new high-speed train. Seated beside Muraleedharan is then Kerala BJP President K. Surendran. Malhotra was one of 41 influencers invited by Kerala Tourism, with her travel and accommodation arranged by a private agency contracted by the department. This development comes at a time when BJP leaders had launched a strong attack on the Pinarayi Vijayan-led CPI(M) government over revelations that Malhotra's Kerala visit -- including travel, accommodation, food, and filming -- was fully sponsored by a private agency contracted by the state's Tourism Department. Following her arrest in an espionage case, BJP leaders -- including senior leader Prakash Javadekar -- slammed the state government, demanding an explanation for 'hosting a tainted individual.' "The Kerala government must explain how such a serious lapse occurred. They cannot simply brush this aside," Javadekar had said. In response, the CPI(M) on Monday condemned the BJP's attempts to politicise the issue, accusing the party of trying to deflect attention from its own failures on national security. Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas, who also happens to be Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's son-in-law, had come under fire from BJP leaders over the matter. However, with the emergence of the video, both sides seek to distance themselves from any perceived association with the accused. At the time when Jyoti Malhotra was invited to Kerala to promote tourism, there were no known allegations against her and she was considered a regular social media influencer. She was there in her capacity as a content creator.
Time of India
11 minutes ago
- Time of India
J'khand Cong to probe Purnia tribal family lynching: Gen secy
Ranchi: The Jharkhand unit of Congress on Tuesday set up a five-member fact-finding team to independently probe the mob lynching and burning incident of five members of a tribal family on suspicion of witchcraft in Purnia of election-bound Bihar. A mob of 50 around people had reportedly attacked and burned to death the family, including three women, at Tetgama village late Sunday. A 15-year-old, who was away from the house, became the lone survivor and recounted the case to police. Speaking to TOI, Congress spokesperson and general secretary Rakesh Sinha said the team is led by former minister Bandhu Tirkey. Other members include general secretary Amulya Niraj Khalkho, party's state ST cell president Josai Mardi, ST cell vice-president Raj Oraon, and party's mukhiya sangh cell president Somnath Munda. Announcing the team's departure for Purnia from Ranchi, Sinha said, "The team will try to understand the incident threadbare and identify the lapses. It will also study the conditions of tribals living in Bihar, where the JDU and BJP-led NDA alliance is in the state govt." Continuing his tirade against BJP, he added, "Wherever BJP is in the govt, be it on its own or in alliance, atrocities and attacks on tribals, OBCs, Dalits and other minorities is a concerning norm." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo He cited the examples of Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Bihar." Congress MLA from Jamtara and state health minister Irfan Ansari said, "The incident exposes BJP (NDA)'s attitude towards the tribal community. I have written to chief minister Hemant Soren, urging him to constitute a fact-finding team team and make me a part of it. I will expose BJP." Terming the incident as "extremely tragic", BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said, "The Bihar govt has taken swift action in the case. The Bihar police has registered an FIR and raids are on to arrest the accused." Citing the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, he added, "The crime rate in Bihar in 2024 has decreased by 30% as against that in 2012-14 (during UPA regime)." "There have been over 8,000 rape incidents, with nearly one-third of the victims being tribal girls, during the JMM-Cong-RJD regime in Jharkhand over the past five-and-a-half years. This data exposes the shortcomings of the present govt in Jharkhand," Shahdeo hit back.
Hindustan Times
20 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Half of Bihar could lose voting rights: ADR's Jagdeep Chhokar on EC's voter list revision
The Election Commission's (EC) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar has triggered a political storm, with the opposition Congress dubbing it 'a rigging attempt' orchestrated by the poll panel under instructions from the ruling regime. Jagdeep Chhokar said the SIR is problematic and illegal as people added to the rolls after January 1, 2003 have been deleted without due process.(X/@JagdeepChhokar) At least half a dozen petitions by political parties, individuals and civil society groups have been filed in the Supreme Court against what they call a 'blatantly unconstitutional' exercise. Impractical reasoning The Supreme Court will hear these petitions on July 10. Jagdeep Chhokar, co-founder of the election watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and one of the petitioners in SC against SIR, says the process is 'illegal and impractical.' Half of Bihar could lose voting rights if SIR is not stopped right now, Chhokar tells Hindustan Times. 'In its June 24, 2025 notification, the EC said there is a presumption of citizenship for people whose names are in the electoral rolls before January 1, 2003. This means there is no presumption of citizenship for people added to the rolls after January 1, 2003. This also means people added to the voter list from January 1, 2003, to June 23, 2025, have effectively been deleted from the electoral rolls,' he says. Deletion of names But there are laws for the deletion of names from the voters' list, the ADR co-founder points out. 'The Registration of Electors Rule, 1960 and the Representation of the People Act, 1951 say if the EC intends to delete voters' names, it has to send a notice to the person or persons. The poll panel is supposed to find reasons why his or her name should not be deleted, so there is a provision for giving a personal hearing. Chhokar says people who were added to the rolls after January 1, 2003, have been deleted without following due process. That is precisely why the SIR is problematic and illegal, he says. ALSO READ | Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar progressing as per order: EC The election commission is empowered to conduct a summary or intensive revision of electoral rolls whenever it wants, for reasons to be recorded. The EC has cited rapid urbanisation, frequent migration, young citizens becoming eligible to vote, non-reporting of deaths, and inclusion of the names of foreign illegal immigrants as reasons that have necessitated the intensive revision. 'But these reasons have been there for 20-25 years. These reasons being cited right now are not justified." The question of voter eligibility The issue of voter eligibility is another problem in the entire process, he says. 'Voter eligibility comes from Form VI, which has a declaration certifying that the person is a citizen of India with details. The person gives a certificate as proof of his date of birth, be it Aadhaar or any other document. But the notification issued on June 24 talks about a new declaration. So this is a change in the criteria for eligibility of a voter. This is illegal when done by the EC. This can be done by the Home Ministry, but not by the EC,' he says. ALSO READ | All eligible citizens will be included: CEC on voter list revision in Bihar Chhokar also questions the speed at which the SIR is being done. The EC started the exercise on June 25 and will complete it in about a month. 'A BLO goes to a voter's house and gives the enumeration form. The next time, he goes and collects the form. Each BLO has to go to a voter's house at least twice. Is it possible to complete the exercise in one month?' he asks. In the face of criticism, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on July 6 defended the SIR of electoral rolls in the poll-bound state, saying the poll panel had 'invited all recognised political parties for interaction' on the matter and 'no one was satisfied with the current status of electoral rolls for one reason or the other'. Migrant population Chhokar points out that since 30-40 per cent of people from Bihar migrate to other states, it is not possible for them to fill out the enumeration forms. 'They won't be at home. The EC says that these people can download the form from the website, fill it, and upload. Now, imagine how a labourer from Bihar working in farms in Punjab and construction sites in Worli, Mumbai, can download and upload this form,' he says. After the row, Bihar CEO issued an advertisement in newspapers saying one need not give documents and Aadhaar would do. But, Chhokar says, in a press note issued on July 6, EC said 'the electors can submit their documents any time before July 25, 2025.' 'This statement contradicts what the Bihar CEO says about 'Aadhaar will do', and that no other documents are required,' he says. If this is being done and in the way it is being done, Chhokar says, more than half of the people of Bihar would be disenfranchised. EC can do the revision exercise, but Barring the citizenship question, Chhokar says, the EC can do the revision exercise. 'But the way it is being done is problematic. Had they done this a year ago, it would have been okay. The EC can do it legally, but that doesn't mean you violate existing laws. There are Supreme Court judgements, too,' he says. The ADR has prayed that SIR be stopped completely, and if not now, at least order a stay and discuss it before taking it up again. 'If it is not stopped now, it will disrupt the electoral process and disenfranchise people. We know that if someone is not proven to be a citizen, he can also be deported. This is very dangerous,' Chhokar says.
