By Rahil Nora Chopra
The political activity in Bihar is soaring high as Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan met BJP president J P Nadda on 17 July and discussed the current political situation in the poll-bound Bihar. In a post on X, Paswan later attacked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and alleged that the law-and-order situation in the state has become a matter of grave concern as criminal activities have aggravated such as murders which have become a daily activity with series of crimes and further the morale of criminals is sky-high, and the functioning of police and overall administration defies reason. Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, holds the charge of the home department and Paswan’s statement indirectly seems to be targeted at attracting Kumar’s attention to the state’s law and order. Chirag’s posturing in Bihar has left many guessing about his next moves, with the BJP quietly watching. Chirag has been an active vocal critic of Nitish and sees the Bihar elections as fertile ground to be active in state politics again. According to NDA sources, the JD(U) is expected to get more seats than the BJP. Chirag Paswan’s LJP may ask for nearly 30 to 35 seats. The final seat sharing formula is likely to be announced by August, while the candidate selection will follow soon to allow contestants to rally support ahead of polls. The BJP’s intention to give Nitish Kumar a marginal edge in terms of seats allocated might be a tactic to pacify the JDU leader ahead of this election given Chirag Paswan’s presence.
NDA ALLY TELUGU DESAMPARTY SEEKSFROM ECI MORE TIME FOR SIR IN BIHAR
As the high-stake political battle for Bihar gets closer, a key NDA ally TDP asked the Election Commission to clearly define the contours of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and explicitly communicate that it is not related to citizenship verification. It asked the EC to conduct SIR with sufficient lead time, ideally not within six months of any major election. Opposition parties are questioning the exercise, taken up 3-4 months before the Bihar polls. The issues were raised by a TDP delegation led by Lok Sabha floor leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayulu when they met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu. The Opposition has raised concerns about Bihar SIR and approached the Supreme Court, which will have its next hearing on the issue on July 28. Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on July 16 that her party will oppose the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls ‘tooth and nail’ if it is carried out in the TMC-ruled state, where assembly elections are scheduled next year. The TMC chief alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has plans to remove names from Bengal’s voter list. The EC subsequently sent a communication to Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all the states to activate poll machinery for a possible roll out of the exercise on a pan-India basis.
NEW PRESIDENTMAY BE APPOINTED FOR UTTAR PRADESH CONGRESS COMMITTEE
The grapevine is rife that Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai who bears a good equation with Priyanka Gandhi will be promoted and shifted to AICC. Rai, a Bhumihar, a caste constituting a small population in Eastern U.P., is having influence in hardly five parliamentary segments. The party seemingly plans to appoint a new state president. Several Muslim and Dalit leaders of the Congress are seeking that the next UP unit president should be from their respective community. The name which have been making round is of Congress MP Imran Masood.
MODI GOVTWANTS TO PASSEIGHT NEW LEGISLATIONS IN MONSOON SESSION OF PARLIAMENT
The Narendra Modi government is keen to make the Monsoon Session of Parliament, commencing on July 21, heavy with its legislative agenda. The Centre aims to attain Parliament’s approval for the Income Tax Bill and also to introduce eight new legislations.. Among the Bills planned for the Monsoon Session are the National Sports Governance Bill, the Geoheritage Sites and Geo-relics (Preservation and Maintenance) Bill, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill and the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill. The Opposition is set to confront the government over multiple issues, ranging from the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor to US President Donald Trump’s claim of brokering the India-Pakistan ceasefire, to the Election Commission (EC)’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar. The Congress-led Opposition is also expected to raise the demand for the Deputy Speaker’s post in the Lok Sabha. The Session will continue till August 21.
BIHAR CHIEF MINISTER NITISH KUMAR OFFERINGSOPS BEFOREASSEMBLY POLLS
Bihar is bustling with political activities ahead of the state Assembly polls later this year, significantly Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on July 17, 2025 announced that up to 125 units of electricity would be free for consumers in the State. The Bihar CM posted on the social media platform X “We have been providing electricity at a cheaper rate since the start. We have now decided that from August 1, 2025, that is, from the July bill itself, all domestic consumers of the state will not have to pay any money for electricity up to 125 units,” However, in November 2024 Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav had promised to give 200 units of free electricity to consumers if voted to power in the 2025 assembly election. The scheme is expected to help specially poor and middle-class households. Earlier, on July 16, Nitish Kumar confronted the Education Department to lay the ground for the fourth instalment of the Teacher Recruitment Exam (TRE) by the Bihar Public Service Commission, under which more than one lakh teachers would be recruited. (IPA Service)
After 20 Years As CM, Nitish Kumar Is Being Called The King Of Jungle Raj 