4 years ago
New Delhi:
A fiery election campaign is on as Bihar elects its next government in a three-phased state election, the largest in India since the first coronavirus case was reported. While RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav's 10 lakh jobs promise has come under fierce attack from ex-ally - Nitish Kumar - the BJP, which is ruling in coalition with the JDU chief, has also promised 19 lakh jobs.
The RJD is trying to attack the Chief Minister and the NDA over comments made in the past when the two were contesting against each other.
Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar is seeking re-election on the basis of the work done by his government in the last decade.
Here are the Highlights on campaigning for Bihar Assembly Election 2020:
PM Modi To Address Four Rallies In Bihar Tomorrow
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address four back to back rallies in Bihar Sunday to garner support for the NDA candidates in the poll-bound state.
PM Modi will start his Sunday election tour with a rally in Chapra, the political bastion of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad.
As per the itinerary, from Chapra he will go to Samastipur to address a public meeting in Housing Board ground, then at Gandhi maidan in Motihari and will end the campaign trip with a rally in Bagaha.
According to sources in the JD(U) in Patna, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will accompany Modi in Samastipur and Bagaha meetings.
Campaigning for the second phase will end Sunday evening.
Among others, Raghopur, the assembly constituency of opposition Grand Alliance chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav and Hasanpur in Samastipur from where his elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav is in the fray will go to vote in the second phase on November 3.
Election Commission Show Causes 104 Candidates For Not Publishing Their Criminal Records
The EC has showcaused 104 candidates who were in the fray in the first phase of polling for the assembly in Bihar for their failure to publish/broadcast even for once their criminal records in newspapers and electronic media, state chief electoral officer said.
As per the Supreme Court order and Election Commission guideline a poll contestant is required to publish/broadcast information about their criminal antecedents, convicted or pending, thrice in newspapers and electronic media during campaigning, Additional Chief Electoral Officer (ACEO) Sanjay Kumar Singh told reporters.
Out of 1066 candidates who contested the 71 assembly seats in the first phase of polling held on October 28, 327 candidates have criminal antecedents. A total 104 of them did not abide by the guidelines and the SC order.
They will be required to answer to the show cause within 48 hours failing which the Commission will take further action (against them), the ACEO said.
An official release said 105 cases have been registered for misuse of beacon lights and flags, 35 for violation of Loudspeaker Act, 129 cases of illegal meetings, nine cases of providing undue benefits to voters and 155 related to other matters have been lodged since the model code of conduct came into force on September 25, 2020.
Bihar Elections 2020: RJD, Congress Created Obstacles In Ram Temple Construcrion, Says JP Nadda
BJP president JP Nadda on Saturday attacked the RJD and the Congress, two key constituents of the opposition Grand Alliance in Bihar, accusing the two parties of creating obstacles in the construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya.
Mr Nadda also alleged that the RJD is known for "anarchy" and the Congress is an "anti-national party".
The day-to-day hearing in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case in Ayodhya in the Supreme Court, which paved the way for the final ruling in the matter after decades, started after the Narendra Modi government came to power at the Centre for a second time, he said.
The BJP leader said that the top court judgement went in favour of a Ram Mandir and construction of a grand temple is currently underway in Ayodhya.
"Everyone in the country wanted to see a grand Ram temple at Sri Ram janmabhoomi in Ayodhya but the Congress did everything to protract the case," he alleged.
"Crores of people wanted construction of a grand Ram temple, but when (Lal Krishna) Advani ji began his rath yatra for a temple at Ayodhya, it was Lalu Prasad who stopped it in Bihar," Mr Nadda said, news agency PTI reported.
Bihar Elections 2020: Even If BJP Gets More Seats In Bihar, Nitish Kumar Will Be Our Leader: JP Nadda
BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda on Saturday expressed confidence about NDA getting a two-thirds majority in Bihar assembly polls and said even if the BJP gets more seats, "Nitish Kumar will still be our leader".
"One can clearly see, BJP-JDU-HAM-VIP will form a government with a clear two-thirds majority so there is no question of fewer seats. Even if we get more seats, Nitish Kumarji will still be our leader," Mr Nadda told ANI.
Mr Nadda also hit out at Congress over past comments of its leaders including Rahul Gandhi's "who benefitted the most from the (Pulwama) attack" remarks made earlier this year. Mr Nadda said Congress has "nowadays become Pakistan's spokesperson".
The BJP leader's remarks came in the wake of admission by a Pakistan Minister that his country was responsible for the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.
Bihar Elections 2020: BJP's "Free Covid Vaccine" Poll Promise Not Violation: Election Commission
The BJP's poll promise in Bihar - to provide free coronavirus vaccines - does not violate the model code of conduct in force during Assembly elections in the state, the Election Commission said Saturday, responding to a RTI filed by activist Saket Gokhale.
"...no violation of any of the provisions of Model Code of Conduct has been observed...," the poll body said in its reply, news agency PTI reported.
Sources told PTI the Election Commission cited "Directive Principles of State Policy (as) enshrined in the Constitution..." to say "there can be no objection to the promise of welfare in an election manifesto".
The trust of voters should be sought only on those promises that can actually be fulfilled, the poll body said in its second point, in a reference to reports that a potential vaccine for the COVID-19 virus could be available as early as the second quarter of next year.
Won't Be Surprised If Tejashwi Yadav Becomes Bihar Chief Minister: Sanjay Raut
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut today said he won't be surprised if RJD chief Tejashwi Yadav becomes Bihar chief minister. The Shiv Sena leader also said that the RJD leader is giving a strong challenge to the NDA government in Bihar despite facing multiple probes by central agencies like the CBI.
"Today we see the Bihar election....A youngster who has nobody's support, his family members are in jail, CBI and Income tax is behind him. A youngster like him creates a challenge....If Tejaswi Yadav becomes Chief Minister then I won't be surprised at last these are public feelings/sentiments," he added.
Another Stage Collapses In Bihar, Takes Down Pappu Yadav This Time
Yet another stage meant for a poll campaign rally collapsed today in Bihar apparently due to overcrowding, taking down with it Jan Adhikar Party-Loktantrik leader Rajesh Ranjan, beter known as Pappu Yadav.
Initial reports said several people, including Mr Yadav himself, sustained injuries in the incident that took place at Muzaffarnagar's Minapur assembly constituency. Photographs showed the politician nursing his right arm after the accident.
This marked at least the fourth such case of a platform built up for a poll rally giving way due to the sheer weight of people on stage.
A video of the incident showed the stage collapsing just as the 53-year-old Mr Yadav was speaking to his supporters through the microphone.
#WATCH: Stage collapses at Jan Adhikar Party leader Pappu Yadav's campaign rally in Muzaffarpur's Minapur Assembly Constituency.#BiharElections2020 pic.twitter.com/pZIfEINAm1
- ANI (@ANI) October 31, 2020
Kamal Nath Goes To Top Court For Removing Him As Star Campaigner In Bihar
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission's decision to remove him from as a "star campaigner" ahead of the by-elections next week.
The powerful election body said the 73-year-old leader's star campaigner status was being revoked for "repeated violation of model code of conduct" and for "complete disregard" of warnings to him. Kamal Nath, being a leader of a political party, had repeatedly "breached ethical and dignified behaviour", the commission said in its order.
Bihar Elections 2020: Tejashwi Yadav Can't Even Spell "Cabinet", Says BJP Leader Ashwini Choubey
Taking a dig at Mahagathbandan's chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav, Union Minister Ashwini Choubey on Saturday said the RJD leader can't even spell "Cabinet" correctly.
"That person who doesn't understand the issue and couldn't even clear class 10th exam is criticising Nitish Kumar who is a qualified engineer. He cannot even write the spelling of Cabinet. His father's first cabinet decision promised that one lakh jobs will be provided but he collected money from them and the applications for the jobs are still there in the dustbin," said Mr Choubey.
Mr Choubey termed the coalition of RJD and Congress as ''Gappu and Pappu''.
"The people of Congress-RJD alliance are Gappu and Pappu will only give ''lappu'' that means making false tall promises and people should be aware," he added while advising people to be cautious of the false promises.
Rahul Gandhi Should Apologise Over Stand On Pulwama Attack: JP NaddaCiting Pakistani minister's admission that his country was behind the 2019 Pulwama attack, BJP president JP Nadda Friday said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the country for his stand on the dastardly attack." itemprop="description
Income Tax Department Find Rs 75-Crore "Unaccounted Income'' In Raids On Bihar TradersThe Income Tax Department had detected "undisclosed" income of Rs 75 crore after it raided some contractors and traders at multiple places in the poll-bound Bihar, the CBDT said on Friday." itemprop="description
Bihar Assembly Election: Tejashwi Yadav Can't Even Spell "Cabinet" While Nitish Kumar Is Qualified Engineer, Says BJP's Ashwini ChoubeyTaking a dig at Mahagathbandan's chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav, Union Minister Ashwini Choubey on Saturday said the RJD leader can't even spell "Cabinet" correctly." itemprop="description
Bihar Election: As Nitish Kumar Backs BJP, Uphill Task For Tejashwi Yadav To Defend Raghopur SeatTejashwi Yadav is going from one region to another daily to drum up support for the Grand Alliance so that he could become Chief Minister of Bihar, but winning his own seat won't be easy as is up against an experienced BJP rival in Raghopur constituency." itemprop="description
Bihar Assembly Election: On Caste Reservation Issue, Differences Between Nitish Kumar, Ally BJPBihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar addressed the issue of population-based reservation for jobs and education opportunities in the state, stating that while his government was in favour it could only be implemented with fresh census data" itemprop="description
Observers'' no to repolling in 71 seats of Bihar assembly: Report
Observers have not recommended repolling in any of the 71 seats that went to polls in the first phase of the Bihar assembly elections on October 28, news agency PTI reported quoting sources in the Election Commission.
State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) H R Srinivas, in his report based on inputs provided by returning officers and district election officers, has also concluded that repolling was not required in any of the seats, they said.
Tejashwi Yadav Shares PM's Old Clip To Attack Nitish Kumar Over "Scams"
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, often targetted by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over corruption during his father Lalu Prasad Yadav's rule, this morning hit out at the Chief Minister, alleging that his government was involved in over 60 scams of over Rs 30,000 crore. As a proof of his claim, the 31-year-old RJD leader - son of ex-chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav- shared a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi listing over 30 scams linked to the state government.
"Under respected Nitish Kumar ji, over 60 scams of over 30,000 crore have happened. Of these, 33 were listed by PM Modi five years back...You can listen for yourself," Tejashwi Yadav tweeted in Hindi this morning, adding on to the scams mentioned by PM Modi. (Read full story here)
