Latest news with #BiharElections2025
NDTV
09-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
"People Want Me To Tolerate Insult": Pappu Yadav On Gaffe At Congress Rally
New Delhi: Bihar politician Pappu Yadav - who merged his Jan Adhikar Party with the Congress in January last year - has played down the embarrassing scenes at a joint opposition rally this evening to protest last-minute revisions to the voter list before the Assembly election later this year. Purnia Lok Sabha MP Yadav and the Congress' Kanhaiya Kumar were stopped from boarding an open van after Rahul Gandhi ran up the steps. Before them others, including Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, were allowed onto the platform built on top of the van. The videos have been widely shared online; in one clip Mr Yadav, 57, can be seen trying to climb the stairs and even being helped by someone before the security guards stop him. It is unclear why Mr Yadav (and Mr Kumar) were stopped, but the incident has already triggered jibes from the Janata Dal United-led government, which includes the Bharatiya Janata Party. 📍Patna | Video: Pappu Yadav, Kanhaiya Kumar Stopped From Boarding Van With Rahul Gandhi #BiharElections2025 — NDTV (@ndtv) July 9, 2025 Mr Yadav spoke to NDTV shortly after but, surprisingly, chose not to criticise the Congress, although he did say that what had happened to him was an "insult". "The people themselves want me to tolerate this insult... and remain silent. I am staying silent because of the people," he said, "Every day, out of 24 hours I work for 23, for the people of Bihar. I have nothing left in my life... I have given up my life. I speak for the poor people only." READ | Pappu Yadav, Kanhaiya Kumar Stopped From Boarding Van With Rahul Gandhi The veteran politician, whose real name is Rajesh Ranjan and who is a six-time MP, chose instead to talk about the Election Commission's controversial Special Intensive Revision. The poll body says this exercise will ensure 'ineligible voters' are removed - by demanding people submit a list of government IDs to verify themselves - but the opposition has questioned the timing of the revision, a process that normally takes several months, and alleged it is meant to weed out voters from minority communities and those who might be against the BJP. NDTV Explains | EC Is Revising Bihar Voter List. Why Is The Opposition Against It The Supreme Court has refused an interim stay but agreed to hear petitions challenging it. While the revision itself has been criticised, opposition parties have also asked why the Aadhaar - the government's flagship identity scheme - has been removed from the list of accepted IDs. It also doesn't include a PAN, or Permanent Account Number, card or a driving license, only passports and birth, matriculation, and domicile, caste, or forest-rights certificates. "You are asking 11 documents from us... you are asking for my birth certificate... citizenship papers... so what is the meaning of the Aadhaar card?" Mr Yadav asked, alleging the voter list revision had been ordered by the BJP to benefit it and its ally, the JDU, in the election. The Jan Adhikar leader also said he had faith in the Supreme Court and that he was confident it would find in favour of the crores of people who might be excluded from the Bihar election.
NDTV
09-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Video: Pappu Yadav, Kanhaiya Kumar Stopped From Boarding Van With Rahul Gandhi
Patna: In a potential embarrassment for the Congress, its leader Kanhaiya Kumar and Purnia MP Pappu Yadav were stopped from boarding an open van which had Rahul Gandhi, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and some other senior politicians on it. During the INDIA bloc's 'Bihar Bandh' protests against the special intensive revision of electoral rolls on Wednesday, Mr Kumar and Mr Yadav were about to climb the stairs to the van when they were stopped by some personnel who were in charge of ensuring the security of Mr Gandhi and the other leaders. Videos of both leaders being stopped are now being widely shared. 📍Patna | Purnia MP Pappu Yadav denied entry to Rahul Gandhi's truck by security personnel during protest against electoral rolls revision #BiharElections2025 — NDTV (@ndtv) July 9, 2025 In one of the videos, Mr Yadav can be seen trying to climb the stairs and was even being helped by someone before he was stopped. Other leaders can be seen being allowed on board, but when Mr Kumar's turn comes, he is stopped too. It is unclear why the two leaders were not allowed to board the van. The JDU-led ruling alliance in Bihar has, however, already hit out at the opposition INDIA bloc and said the incident indicates that leaders like Mr Kumar and Mr Yadav are not treated well by the Congress and its senior members like Mr Gandhi. Mr Gandhi, who is the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Tejashwi Yadav, CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, Vikassheel Insaan Party chief Mukesh Sahani and some other INDIA bloc leaders were taking out a protest in Patna from the Income Tax roundabout to the Election Commission office. The leaders were initially marching on foot but a decision was taken to continue the rally in the open van after the crowd started to become very large. Kanhaiya Kumar, who is originally from Bihar, was the Congress candidate for the North East Delhi constituency in last year's Lok Sabha elections. He lost to Manoj Tiwari of the BJP. Pappu Yadav, aka Rajesh Ranjan, had merged his Jan Adhikar Party with the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha elections last year but had contested - and won - from Purnia as an Independent after the constituency went to the RJD in the seat-sharing negotiations. His wife, Ranjeet Ranjan, is a Rajya Sabha MP from the Congress.
Mint
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Bihar Election 2025: Rahul Gandhi's image on sanitary pads sparks political row– ‘an insult of women'
Bihar Election 2025: The Congress party's attempt to woo women voters by distributing sanitary pads has triggered a political controversy over a picture of Rahul Gandhi on the boxes being distributed to over 5 lakh women in the poll-bound state. The initiative, called Priyadarshini Udaan Yojana, aims to raise menstrual hygiene awareness and is part of the Congress's broader women-centric outreach. The sanitary pad boxes feature a photo of Rahul Gandhi, with the Congress's poll promise of a ₹ 2,500 dole per month to women from deprived families. "An insult of women of Bihar with Rahul Gandhi's picture on a sanitary pad! Congress is an Anti-Women party! Women of Bihar will teach the Congress and RJD a lesson," BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said in a post on X. The RJD is the Congress party's alliance partner in the INDIA bloc in Bihar. An insult of women of Bihar with Rahul Gandhi's picture on sanitary pad! Congress is an Anti-Women party! Political parties have been focusing on women-centric issues ahead of Bihar Elections 2025 scheduled later this year. While the opposition Mahagathbandhan has promised a monthly cash transfer of ₹ 2,500 into women's bank accounts under its 'Mai Behan Maan Yojana' if it was elected to power, the Nitish Kumar-led government has launched a 'Mahila Samvad' program - a village-to-village outreach program to connect with 2 crore women. Key Takeaways Political campaigns are increasingly targeting women voters with specific initiatives. The backlash against Congress highlights the sensitivity surrounding women's issues in political discourse. Initiatives promoting menstrual hygiene can be both empowering and controversial in the political arena.
Mint
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Nitish Kumar's big move ahead of Bihar Elections, CM hikes pension for widows, elderly and disabled to ₹1,100
In a big move just ahead of the Bihar Elections 2025, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced on Saturday, June 21, a hike in the pensions of all elderly, disabled, and widowed women under the Social Security Pension Scheme. He took to X to inform that the monthly pension will be hiked to ₹ 1,100 from ₹ 400 earlier. "All the beneficiaries will get a pension at the increased rate from the month of July," Nitish Kumar said. He added, 'It will be ensured that this amount is sent to the account of all the beneficiaries on the 10th of the month. This will help 1 crore 9 lakh 69 thousand 255 beneficiaries a lot...' Nitish Kumar's announcement came just months ahead of the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025. The elections for all the 243 seats in the Bihar Assembly are likley to be end in October-November this year. The Election Commission is yet announce schedule for the state polls. However, political parties in Bihar have upped their ante in the wake of the elections. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a slew of development projects worth over ₹ 5,200 crore in Bihar's Siwan on June 20, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi launched the party's 'Nyay Samvad' or 'Shiksha Nyay Samvad' on May 15. The Assembly election is barely a few months away in Bihar, which has been ruled by BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for close to two decades. The Election Commission is yet to announce dates for election in Bihar. The polls are likley to be held between October and November this year. his year, the contest will be between Nitish Kumar's (JDU) and BJP-led NDA, and the Mahagathbandhan led by the Congress and Tejashwi Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
Mint
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
When are Bihar Elections 2025 expected to be held?
The Bihar Elections will be held between October and November this year. The polls are likely to see a tight contest between the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal United (JDU), and the Mahagathbandhan or INDIA bloc led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress. Advertisement This year, Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party is all set to make a debut in the Bihar Elections and contest all the 243 assembly seats. When are Bihar Elections expected to be held? While the Election Commission (EC) has yet to announce the poll schedule, the elections are expected to take place before November 22, 2025. According to the Election Commission's data, the term of the 243-member Bihar Assembly ends on November 22. By that time, the whole election process — including voting, counting and declaration of the Chief Minister — must be completed. Voting for all 243 assembly constituencies in Bihar may be held sometime in October or November this year. The model code of conduct can be implemented between September and October. Advertisement Meanwhile, sources told India Today TV that the Bihar 2025 Assembly elections will likely be conducted in two to three phases. Moreover, the poll schedule is expected to be planned, keeping in view major festivals like Diwali and Chhath Puja, sources said. In the last two assembly elections, voting in Bihar took place in multiple phases. In the 2020 Bihar Assembly Elections, the voting took place in three phases — 71 constituencies voted on October 28, 94 constituencies voted on November 3, and 78 constituencies voted on November 7. The election results were declared on November 10. In 2015, the Bihar elections were held in five phases. The Election Commission of India is yet to announce official dates for the Bihar Elections 2025. Advertisement While the NDA, consisting of BJP, JD(U), and LJP, will be once again looking to continue their stint in Bihar, INDIA bloc – consisting of RJD, Congress, and left parties – will be looking to unseat Nitish Kumar.
