Latest news with #Yadav-Muslim
Economic Times
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
Bihar Election 2025: INDIA Bloc eyes wider social reach in Bihar, seat talks heat up
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel New Delhi: As the seat-sharing talk is progressing among Bihar's opposition INDIA bloc , there is a growing feeling to look for ways to expand the alliance's social electoral base beyond the RJD 's by-now saturated Yadav-Muslim (Y-M) core base. This, according to sources, has led to hectic bargaining among some existing allies and negotiations with potential new entrants, which have also put pressure on Congress to settle for fewer seats than the 70 it fought in 2020 only to win just 17 seats."The INDIA bloc allies have already exchanged their respective wish lists and now we are in inter-party negotiations. There is a feeling that we need to expand our alliance to appeal to more social segments and that some allies will have to be realistic this time and need to show accommodation", said a senior alliance Congress leaders are maintaining it's too early to quote its share of seats, there are indications of them having to right-seize their scale to a 45-55 range given allies' pressure. With Bihar Congress now on Rahul Gandhi-led social justice plank, allies are debating whether the party has gained any new base among OBC-EBCs (from RJD/JD(U) hold) or, it will end up losing the remains of upper caste are on with at least three smaller parties for wooing aggregating social segments. JMM, which leads the ruling INDIA bloc in Jharkhand, is seeking entry into Bihar Opposition alliance by claiming influence in some seats bordering Mukesh Sahni-led VIP, which appeals to fishermen-boatmen communities and won 4 seats in NDA alliance in 2020, is negotiating with INDIA bloc by seeking over 10 seats. With NDA housing two Dalit parties - Chirag Paswan-led LJP(RV) and Jitan ram Manjhi-led HAM (and BSP on its own course), the Opposition's need to project a Dalit ally has led to talks with Pashupati Paras-led RLJP despite its uncertain electoral ally, the CPI-ML, which sprung the best strike rate in 2020 by winning 12 of 19 seats it fought, is seeking around 30 odd seats this time by citing its growing base and vote-transfer capacity, it is learnt. The alliance leader RJD (which fought 140 plus seats last time) is also being tested on the bargaining table."Given RJD's saturation at winning 75-80 seats in past two Assembly polls, its poor show in LS election and its need for a larger social-electoral reach in this make-or-break election, will also have to make some space this time for accommodating allies ", said an alliance partner. The CPI and CPI-M may settle for about 6 plus seats each.
Time of India
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Bihar Election 2025: INDIA Bloc eyes wider social reach in Bihar, seat talks heat up
New Delhi: As the seat-sharing talk is progressing among Bihar's opposition INDIA bloc , there is a growing feeling to look for ways to expand the alliance's social electoral base beyond the RJD 's by-now saturated Yadav-Muslim (Y-M) core base. This, according to sources, has led to hectic bargaining among some existing allies and negotiations with potential new entrants, which have also put pressure on Congress to settle for fewer seats than the 70 it fought in 2020 only to win just 17 seats. "The INDIA bloc allies have already exchanged their respective wish lists and now we are in inter-party negotiations. There is a feeling that we need to expand our alliance to appeal to more social segments and that some allies will have to be realistic this time and need to show accommodation", said a senior alliance leader. While Congress leaders are maintaining it's too early to quote its share of seats, there are indications of them having to right-seize their scale to a 45-55 range given allies' pressure. With Bihar Congress now on Rahul Gandhi-led social justice plank, allies are debating whether the party has gained any new base among OBC-EBCs (from RJD/JD(U) hold) or, it will end up losing the remains of upper caste support. Negotiations are on with at least three smaller parties for wooing aggregating social segments. JMM, which leads the ruling INDIA bloc in Jharkhand, is seeking entry into Bihar Opposition alliance by claiming influence in some seats bordering Jharkhand. The Mukesh Sahni-led VIP, which appeals to fishermen-boatmen communities and won 4 seats in NDA alliance in 2020, is negotiating with INDIA bloc by seeking over 10 seats. With NDA housing two Dalit parties - Chirag Paswan-led LJP(RV) and Jitan ram Manjhi-led HAM (and BSP on its own course), the Opposition's need to project a Dalit ally has led to talks with Pashupati Paras-led RLJP despite its uncertain electoral potential. Live Events Existing ally, the CPI-ML, which sprung the best strike rate in 2020 by winning 12 of 19 seats it fought, is seeking around 30 odd seats this time by citing its growing base and vote-transfer capacity, it is learnt. The alliance leader RJD (which fought 140 plus seats last time) is also being tested on the bargaining table. "Given RJD's saturation at winning 75-80 seats in past two Assembly polls, its poor show in LS election and its need for a larger social-electoral reach in this make-or-break election, will also have to make some space this time for accommodating allies ", said an alliance partner. The CPI and CPI-M may settle for about 6 plus seats each.
News18
30-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
Bihar Election: Hiding At Judge's House Saved This MP From Encounter During Lalu Yadav Rule
Last Updated: Prabhunath Singh, once a powerful Saran MP, remains influential in Bihar's political folklore despite his 2023 conviction for a 1995 murder As Bihar's political temperature soars ahead of the 2025 state Assembly elections, forgotten tales buried in the dust of time are resurfacing like bubbles in a monsoon pond. And once again, amid murmurs in village courtyards and loud debates at tea stalls, the name of Prabhunath Singh, the once-dreaded Saran MP, is echoing across the state landscape. Between 1990 and 2000, Prabhunath Singh wasn't merely a politician; he was a phenomenon. Revered as the 'Sher of Saran" and hailed as the 'Saviour of Rajputs", he commanded an iron grip over Rajput votes across Chhapra, Masrakh, Maharajganj, and Gopalganj. His word was law, and his endorsement was said to guarantee victory. Even stalwarts like Lalu Prasad Yadav, Nitish Kumar, and George Fernandes knew better than to ignore him. He was dubbed 'Chhapra's CM", an unofficial crown for a man who ruled not from the secretariat but from the streets. But there was a time when even the lion had to flee. A chilling tale from the 90s – part rumour, part oral folklore – continues to intrigue political Bihar. According to journalist Kanhaiya Bhelari, there was a moment when the state apparatus, allegedly on the orders of the Lalu Yadav regime, nearly orchestrated an encounter to eliminate Prabhunath Singh. The rift between Lalu and Prabhunath had widened, especially after the latter joined forces with another Rajput strongman, Anand Mohan, to float the Bihar People's Party. This move threatened to consolidate Rajput votes away from Lalu's core Yadav-Muslim base. As the story goes, one night intelligence chatter indicated that an 'encounter" was imminent. Prabhunath, sensing the gravity, took refuge in the house of a sitting judge. When the police convoy arrived, it reportedly turned back without firing a shot. No official records ever confirmed the plot, and no court ever ruled on it, but in Bihar's political folklore, this tale endures – half-truth, half-legend, fully unforgettable. Prabhunath Singh's hold over his community was absolute. 'If Prabhu gives the ticket, the result is a formality" – this adage defined his era. His name evoked awe and fear in equal measure. Weddings would hush, processions would reroute, and silence would descend on gatherings when his motorcade passed by. One such anecdote involves a wedding at an MLA flat in Patna. A loud commotion by the wedding procession was mistaken for a bomb blast. Panic spread, only to be replaced by nervous laughter. But the moment became emblematic of how the very mention of Prabhunath could stir alarm. In 2009, Singh found himself in hot water again; this time for publicly threatening an IAS officer with the chilling words, ' Kafan khareed lijiye, chunaav rokiyega toh… (Buy a shroud…)" in case the officer dared to interfere in the elections. The video of that moment went viral, reinforcing his persona as both satirist and strongman. And then came 2014. Defeated in the Lok Sabha polls, Prabhunath sneered, 'I'm not sad about losing. I am sad about losing to a goat…" It was vintage Prabhunath – biting, brutal, and never apologetic. Today, the once-feared Prabhunath languishes behind the high walls of Hazaribagh Central Jail. In 2023, the Supreme Court convicted him in the murder of Ashok Singh during the 1995 Masrakh elections, a case where he was initially acquitted before the judgment was overturned decades later. Though incarcerated, his political shadow still looms large. His brother, Kedar Nath Singh, serves as an MLA from Baniyapur. In 2024, his son Randhir Singh briefly made headlines for quitting the RJD and announcing an independent run, though he ultimately didn't contest. Yet in the current political churn of Bihar, even the silence of Prabhunath Singh speaks volumes. First Published: June 30, 2025, 20:35 IST
Hindustan Times
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Social justice to be focus of BJP's Bihar polls campaign
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is placing social justice at the core of its election campaign in Bihar, with a focus on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Nitish Kumar as champions of the poor and socially marginalised, people familiar with the strategy said. The NDA asserts that it was the Nitish Kumar-led government, backed by the BJP, that conducted the caste enumeration in Bihar in 2022.(HT photo) The BJP is keen to go to the polls, expected in October-November, as part of a strong coalition to tap into the 'collective vote bank' of allies in the state, where it is in power with chief minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) or JD(U). Other NDA constituents are Union minister Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awami Morcha (Secular), and Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP). The NDA constituents will jointly contest elections that are likely to be held later this year. In the 2020 assembly elections, the NDA won 125 seats in the 243-member assembly and formed the government with Kumar as the CM. The BJP won 74 of the 110 seats it contested in alliance with the JD(U), which could only manage 43 of the 115 seats it contested. The Opposition Mahagathbandhan, comprising the RJD, Congress and Left parties, won 110 seats. According to BJP and JD(U) functionaries, unlike the other states where the campaign is pivoted on the development agenda and Hindutva, the NDA's election pitch in Bihar will be hoisted on the planks of development and social justice, given the centrality of caste in the state's electoral politics. Both the ruling coalition and the Opposition are engaged in a fierce battle to claim credit for the decision to include caste enumeration in the decadal census. The NDA asserts that it was the Nitish Kumar-led government, backed by the BJP, that conducted the caste enumeration in Bihar in 2022. The alliance has also intensified its attack on the RJD, accusing party founder and former chief minister Lalu Prasad of disrespecting Dr BR Ambedkar after a photograph taken on Prasad's birthday on June 14 showed Ambedkar's portrait placed near his feet. The Bihar SC Commission has since issued a notice to Lalu Yadav, asking why a case should not be filed against him under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. 'Lalu Prasad's insult to Ambedkar has taken the shape of a political movement. On the one hand there are Nitish Kumar, the face of the socialist movement in India, and PM Modi who gave a new shape to social engineering and on the other are RJD, which claims to stand for social justice, but in reality relies on the Yadav-Muslim equation and the Congress, which after the Mandal politics has steadily weakened in Bihar and is using the RJD as a crutch to survive,' a senior BJP functionary aware of the matter said, requesting anonymity. Addressing a rally in Siwan on June 20, Modi referred to the photo, saying, 'The whole country saw what the RJD did to Babasaheb's photo recently... I know that these people will never apologise because they have no respect for the Dalits and the backwards.' The BJP functionary quoted above said, 'In the last three decades of electoral history, the narrative of social justice has been the backbone of Lalu Yadav's politics. This time, on his birthday, the controversy surrounding Ambedkar has pushed him on the BJP is planning a mass movement across the state, mobilising SC, ST, and other social groups to expose the alleged double standards of Lalu Yadav.' According to people aware of the matter, championing the issue of caste and social justice is also a move by the BJP to confront the allegations of being anti-reservation. In 2015, the party's debacle in the state polls was largely attributed to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's statement, calling for a review of reservations. RSS is the ideological fount of the BJP. RJD leader and former deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav has been demanding 85% reservation for all deprived classes in Bihar and to include it in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution so that the increased quotas cannot be challenged in court. But NDA leaders are confident that Yadav's statements notwithstanding, the 'hold' that Kumar and Modi have over a 'larger constituency of upper caste, OBC, EBC and ati-pichda (most backward)' will put the alliance in the lead. Deputy chief minister of Bihar and BJP leader Samrat Chaudhary said the RJD has a hypocritical stand on reservations. ' Lalu was in power from 1990 to 2005, he made no efforts to give reservation to any caste or community. In 2001 when elections for Zilla Parishad were held, even Dalits were not given any kind of reservation,' he said. Referring to the NDA as a 'formidable alliance', JD(U) leader and former lawmaker KC Tyagi, too, said, 'This is not the Vajpayee-Advani era anymore where social justice issues were not central. Nor is the BJP a homogenous party anymore. By giving socialist leaders, Karpoori Thakur, George Fernandes, Madhu Limaye and JP Narayan the recognition they deserve, the BJP has ensured that social justice will be the front and centre of its politics.' Tyagi also accused the previous Congress government of not honouring the 'stalwarts', highlighting how the BJP-led central government honoured socialist icon and former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh and former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur with Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award, last year. 'Nitish Kumar is the face of the socialist movement and created space for the Maha Dalits in the state, but the BJP too has owned the legacy of the socialist leaders. Today we have Karpoori Jayanti being celebrated in his honour while the RJD used to demean him by referring to him as Kapti (deceitful)...' Tyagi said. Meanwhile, RJD lawmaker Manoj Jha said, 'Whenever the opposition, whether it was Yadav or Gandhi asked for caste-based census, from the PM down to the CM, look at the language they employed in ridiculing the cornerstone of social justice. Go back to the (book) Bunch of Thoughts by MS Golwalkar, which has not been disowned by the RSS and BJP, and what it says about reservation. It talks about our Constitution and about Ambedkar and subaltern castes and communities in disparaging terms… Today's reality is that they (BJP) may wear social justice on their sleeves, but It is not in their heart.'
News18
12-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
In BJP's 5-Point Bihar Plan, No Room For Complacency As RJD Looks Set To Copy Akhilesh's SP
Last Updated: The BJP sources said the NDA has much in its favour in Bihar and expects to win the state this October under Nitish Kumar's leadership No anti-incumbency, a favourable caste combination, a positive atmosphere due to Operation Sindoor, the caste census card, and sympathy for Nitish Kumar—this is the BJP's game plan for the crucial Bihar election battle later this year. However, the party is ensuring no complacency or overconfidence in what is expected to be a tough caste clash, top BJP sources told CNN-News18. They said the NDA has much in its favour in Bihar and expects to win the state this October under Nitish Kumar's leadership. But the party remains cautious and is avoiding overconfidence, aware that Bihar is a 'caste battle" and the RJD is aggressively courting caste groups beyond its Yadav-Muslim base, one of these top BJP sources said. 'There is certainly no anti-incumbency. People appreciate the development they have seen in Bihar under the NDA government," the source said. RJD learning from SP's success The top BJP source added that the BJP recognises that the Rashtriya Janata Dal is attempting to replicate Akhilesh Yadav's 2024 Lok Sabha election strategy by giving many tickets to candidates outside the Yadav-Muslim demographic in the upcoming assembly polls. The Samajwadi Party had bruised the BJP in Uttar Pradesh last year by allocating numerous tickets to non-Yadav OBCs and winning 37 Lok Sabha seats, its best-ever performance. A second BJP source said the National Democratic Alliance has a stronger caste combination than the opposition. The recent caste census announcement is also expected to benefit the NDA. 'Much is said about Nitish Kumar's health by the opposition, but he will likely receive considerable sympathy votes in these Bihar polls," this source said. Operation Sindoor impact Bihar will also be the first state to hold elections after Operation Sindoor, and the Bharatiya Janata Party has ground feedback suggesting a positive resonance in this Hindi-belt state, where anti-Pakistan sentiment is strong. The Prime Minister has already held two rallies in Bihar since April, addressing the action against Pakistan. Narendra Modi will be in Siwan, an RJD stronghold, on June 20. Congress prospects dim, Chirag burns bright The BJP is banking on the RJD again allocating a substantial number of seats to the Congress. In the last assembly elections, while the RJD had a reasonable strike rate, winning 75 of the 144 seats it contested, the Congress secured only 19 of the 70 seats it contested. The Janata Dal (United) won just 43 seats, as Chirag Paswan's party significantly dented it by contesting independently. A top BJP source noted a significant change: Chirag is now with the NDA and demonstrated a good strike rate in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, winning five seats. Chirag recently stated that he would contest the assembly polls from a general seat and is vying for a deputy CM position. 'He has a good vote base in the Patna-Hajipur region and has his own ambitions," the BJP source added. The second BJP source said seat distribution in Bihar would be smooth, despite the ambitions of regional players like the JD(U) and Chirag's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). 'Our leader so far is Nitish Kumar," the source said. He added that even the RJD knows the Congress will likely underperform in the opposition camp if given a considerable number of seats, as demonstrated in previous Hindi heartland elections.
