Ahead of Bihar Assembly elections, the issue of the chief ministerial candidate for the NDA Alliance is being prominently getting discussed. Posters were spotted outside the JD(U)’s Patna office saying “Nitish again from 2025 to 2030”, indicating that the Bihar Chief Minister was pitching for another term. However, mixed reactions and signals from ally BJP have added confusion to the matter. While the confusion was aggravated and intensified when Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini remarked that the NDA would win the Bihar elections under BJP’s Samrat Choudhary, the current Deputy Chief Minister. Saini, the OBC face for the BJP in Haryana, triggered speculation with his statement. Although BJP has clarified on several occasions that the Bihar election will be fought under CM Nitish Kumar but has remained mum on whether he would be the CM for five years after the NDA victory. Meanwhile, as the uncertainty shrouds Nitish’s chief ministership, the Mahagathbandhan alliance in Bihar held a crucial closed-door meeting on April 17, at the RJD headquarters in Patna. The leaders of the alliance comprising the RJD, the Congress, the Left, and Mukesh Sahani’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) agreed to set up a coordination committee led by the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav. Earlier Tejashwi Yadav held a closed-door meeting with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. The meeting also decided to organise district-level meetings involving all party presidents, followed by meetings at the block and booth levels to ensure grassroots mobilisation. As the Bihar elections 2025 draw closer, the Mahagathbandhan seems to be projecting itself as a united front, aiming to challenge the ruling alliance by emphasizing on governance issues and public unhappiness.
BOTH BJP AND CONGRESS LAUNCH OUTREACH TO DALITS IN BIHAR BEFORE STATE POLLS
Ahead of Assembly polls in Bihar, the fight for votes of the Scheduled Castes (SC) has intensified, with political parties ramping up their Dalit outreach. The JD(U) has renewed its strategic push to connect with the Dalit communities across the state. As part of this outreach, which began in November-December last year with the “Bhim Sansad”, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar addressed a “Bhim Samvad” in Patna on April 13, where he urged party leaders to spread awareness about government schemes among the Scheduled Castes (SCs). On the other hand, the Congress recently appointed Rajesh Kumar Ram as the party’s new state president, replacing Akhilesh Prasad Singh. Ram belongs to the Jatav community which accounts for 5.25% of the population in the state. In February this year, Congress also celebrated the 130th birth anniversary of SC leader Jaglal Choudhary, which was attended by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Bihar has 19.65% SC population and 38 SC reserved Assembly seats. Among the SCs, the Paswans constitute the biggest block with 5.3% of the population. LJP (Ram Vilas), which has a strong presence among the community, is with the NDA now. LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan is currently a Union minister in the Modi cabinet and the NDA is banking on his pull among the Paswans. Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi is another Union minister and has influence over 3% Musahar voters in the state. HAM is also active holding public meetings, highlighting the importance of his vote bank. Pashupati Kumar Paras’ Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) look to retain their influence among their respective SC bases.
BSP SUPREMO MAYAWATI BLASTS SAMAJWADI PARTY FOR ITS PDA CAMPAIGN
The SP and BSP are trying to attain the trust of Dalit voters but BSP Chief Mayawati wishes to remind people of her party’s long history of working for their welfare. In a scathing attack on the Samajwadi Party (SP), Mayawati on Thursday accused its leaders of exploiting Dalits for attaining political gains under the guise of its recent PDA (Pichhde, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) campaign. Mayawati said her party, the BSP, always worked to uplift Dalits and backward communities with honesty. She pointed out that during her time as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, her government opened schools, created jobs, and improved safety for Dalits and other poor people. She asked people for a comparative study of what the SP did when they were in power.
DISSIDENT ODISHA CONGRESS LEADER SRIKANT JENA’S MEETING WITH AKHILESH HAS CREATED A FURORE
An interactive meeting between Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav and senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Srikant Jena and their joint press conference in Bhubaneswar have left many in the Congress uneasy, While Jena maintains that he remains within the Congress party, the discussions revealed that the SP is aiming to expand its influence in Odisha. Both leaders emphasized their commitment to fighting for “SamajikNyay” (social justice) and indicated their intention to continue their efforts in this direction. Sources suggest that Shrikant Jena could potentially become an eminent figure for the SP in Odisha, though no final decision has been made yet. These developments come at a time when Srikant Jena has complained of being sidelined after BhaktaCharan Das, a leader junior to him, was picked for the post of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president in February. While the SP is reportedly seeking a new face for the party in the state. All eyes are now focused on Shrikant Jena’s next move.
CONGRESS WORKERS TO CONTINUE CAMPAIGN AGAINST ED CHARGESHEET ON GANDHIS
Congress leaders and workers in different states carried protests slamming the BJP-led Central government over the ED’s charge sheet against senior party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in connection with the National Herald case. Congress workers gathered at AICC HQ in Delhi in large numbers shouting slogans of “Sonia Gandhi Zindabad, Rahul Gandhi Zindabad, Tanashahi Nahi Chalegi, and Modi-Shah jawab do”. The demonstration witnessed participation from party leaders, including MPs, workers, and members of Congress-affiliated organisations such as the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) and National Students’ Union of India (NSUI). Addressing a joint press conference with senior advocate and Rajya Sabha member Abhishek Singhvi, Congress communication chief Jairam Ramesh strongly claimed that the money laundering allegation was fake. While Singhvi said the case was nothing but vendetta in legal disguise. “Selective justice is nothing but political thuggery,” he alleged. The party claimed that the ED chargesheet against the Gandhis was an attempt to divert attention from public issues, economic crisis and foreign policy. (IPA Service)
Present Fractured Relationship Between USA And Europe Is An Outcome Of MAGA Programme 