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Elections in Bihar
Bihar Assembly Polls Should Be After CWG: Home Ministry 
The Bihar assembly election is likely to take place after the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
At a meeting with the Election Commission, home ministry officials today said that they will be pre-occupied with the security arrangements for the CWG and a large section of the central para-military forces will be deployed in the capital. This would virtually make it impossible to deploy additional forces in Bihar -- a state where a large part is declared as Naxal-affected.
The home ministry said it would prefer if the Bihar elections take place between October 20 and November 20. The CWG will end on October 14. In the 2005 assembly elections in Bihar, polling was conducted in four phases over one month. The term of the present assembly in Bihar ends on November 27. "Most political parties want the elections to be over before Diwali -- on November 5. Source: Business-standard Bihar Assembly polls should be after CWG: Home ministry Click On "Full Story" For More... (328 words in story) Full Story By ugesh sarkar, Section Elections in BiharPosted on Tue Aug 24, 2010 at 10:32:13 PM EST
Countdown To Crucial Bihar Elections To Begin Soon
Both Quraishi and Sampath had visited Bihar earlier this month to discuss in details readiness of the state with local authorities
Countdown to the crucial Bihar legislative assembly elections may start this weekend with the Election Commission (EC) likely to announce the election schedule in the next few days. According to indications available, the EC has already worked out details to hold elections for 243-seats in the eastern state in five phases and is likely to make a formal announcement to this regard on Saturday. Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi and Election Commissioner V.S. Sampath Tuesday held detailed meetings with federal home secretary G.K.
Pillai and heads of various central police forces to discuss deployment of central forces in the state notorious for violent elections in the past. Election Commission, which is a three-member constitutional body with two election commissioners and a chief election commissioner, is unlikely to get the second election commissioner before Bihar elections. While Quraishi was promoted as the chief election commissioner on July 29 following retirement of his predecessor Navin Chawla, the government is yet to name the second election commissioner. The Election Commission has already rejected demands for single day polling for al 243 seats and is likely to hold it in five phases to ensure better mobilisation and deployment of security forces in its bid to hold a free and fair election. Source: gulfnews.com Countdown To Crucial Bihar Elections To Begin Soon Click On "Full Story" For More... (463 words in story) Full Story By ugesh sarkar, Section Elections in BiharPosted on Wed Aug 18, 2010 at 12:17:20 AM EST
No Tieup In Bihar: Congress
The Congress would stick to its original plan of "going solo" in Bihar as the party on Friday scotched all rumours of it having truck with any party, including the Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP.
Reiterating the party stand, AICC general secretary in-charge of Bihar Mukul Wasnik said, "We are going it alone. We are preparing to contest all the 243 seats in the state." A lot of groundwork has already been completed and so there was no question of having truck with anyone in the coming Assembly elections in the state, he added. Dismissing reports of a possible tieup with the LJP ahead of the Assembly election as "rumours", Mr Wasnik said the Congress is looking at regaining its lost ground in the politically sensitive state and it is going to be very important election for the party, as suggested by Congress president Sonia Gandhi. The party has already put in motion the exercise of selecting candidates for all the 243 Assembly seats in the state. This has begun after the party's central observers submitted their report to Mr Wasnik last month on the ground-level feedback. Source: The Asian Age No Tieup In Bihar: Congress Click On "Full Story" For More... (400 words in story) Full Story By ugesh sarkar, Section Elections in BiharPosted on Fri Aug 13, 2010 at 11:19:05 PM EST
Congress Puts Its Best Foot Forward In Bihar
The Congress, which has been out of power in Bihar for the last two decades, is going all out to shake up its own moribund organisation in the State ahead of the Assembly elections slated for October-November this year.
Having decided bravely that it will contest alone in a State where it has just nine MLAs (in a 240-strong Assembly) and two MPs (out of the 40 in the State), it is now making up for lost time by parachuting a host of Central Ministers and party functionaries, and planning commemorative functions at every district headquarters on August 9 (Quit India Day) as part of its 125th anniversary celebrations. All these activities, the party hopes, will galvanise workers for the public rally in Patna's historic Gandhi Maidan in August-end, to be addressed by party President Sonia Gandhi.
NOT FINALISED For party general-secretary Mukul Wasnik -- who was given charge of Bihar in early June, along with Mahboob Ali Qaiser who was appointed Bihar Pradesh Congress chief, thus ending months of slanging match between their predecessors, Jagdish Tytler and Anil Sharma -- the last seven weeks have been a period of frenzied activity. Source: The Hindu Congress puts its best foot forward in Bihar * ALLEGATIONS Click On "Full Story" To Read This Point... (568 words in story) Full Story By ugesh sarkar, Section Elections in BiharPosted on Sat Jul 31, 2010 at 11:52:46 PM EST
NCP Wants To Tie Up With Congress
An alliance with the Congress in Bihar is on the wish list of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), but the party is preparing to contest all the 243 seats on its own if the understanding does not materialize.
The NCP despite having limited presence in Bihar, plans to contest as many assembly seats as practically possible. To widen its support base NCP chief and Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar is expected to make a whirlwind tour of the state prior to the assembly election scheduled in October-November. "The party seriously wants to expand its base in Hindi heartland and this process will begin with the Bihar assembly polls," NCP general secretary Tariq Anwar told TOI on Tuesday. He said the NCP is sharing power with the Congress in Mahrashtra and Goa and has considerable presence in Gujarat, north-east and Orissa. "We want to have an alliance with the Congress in Bihar also, but if the party will show no interest we will contest on our own strength," Anwar said. Source: Times Of India By Faizan Ahmad NCP wants to tie up with Cong Click On "Full Story" For More... (445 words in story) Full Story By ugesh sarkar, Section Elections in BiharPosted on Fri Jul 30, 2010 at 12:42:00 AM EST
Congress All Set For Bihar Blitz
The Congress is bracing up to show it is back in the reckoning in Bihar. After more than 20 years, the party is organising a public rally on its own at the historic Gandhi Maidan in Patna next month. Congress sources said party president Sonia Gandhi would address the election rally, to be held on any day between August 22 and 25. The Congress president had earlier addressed a public meeting at Gandhi Maidan but that was a joint rally held few days ahead of the Bihar assembly elections in October 2005.
She had then shared the dais with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) boss Lalu Prasad and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar as part of the Secular Democratic Front of which the CPM was also a member. Gandhi's rally would be show of strength for the Congress that has been out of power in the state for the past two decades, and currently having only 10 members in the 234-member Bihar assembly. "There are certainly winds of change in Bihar. And the rally will determine whether those winds are in favour of Congress," a senior party leader said. The Bihar unit is leaving no stone unturned to make the public meeting a grand success. Source: Hindustan Times By Aurangzeb Naqshbandi, Cong all set for Bihar blitz Click On "Full Story" For More... (353 words in story) Full Story By ugesh sarkar, Section Elections in BiharPosted on Sat Jul 17, 2010 at 12:51:16 AM EST
Congress Gears Up For Polls In Bihar
With state assembly elections just a few months away, the Congress has decided to send its top leaders, including Union ministers, to Bihar on a whirlwind tour of the state this month to accelerate the party's poll cam-paign.
Senior party leaders and Union ministers Ghulam Nabi Azad, C P Joshi, Anand Sharma, Sri Prakash Jaiswal, Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Krishna Tirath and Bharatsinh Solanki are being sent to the state to hold meetings organized by the party's state unit to boost the morale of the Congress workers. Union minister and AICC general secretary, in-charge Bihar, Mukul Wasnik will visit Gaya and Jehanabad on July 3 and address district-level convention of party workers. Wasnik would also visit Ara and Buxar on July 4 and Bhabhua and Sasaram on July 5 to attend the workers' conven-tion there. Scindia will visit Vaishali and Patna on July 7 while Jaiswal would visit Siwan, Gopalganj and Bettiah on July 13 and 14. Union minister Sachin Pilot would visit Arwal, Jehanabad, Nalanda and Bakhtiyarpur on July 16 and 17 while Union minister Krishna Tirath would visit Khagaria, Saharsa and Madhepura on July 14 and 15 where she would address party workers. Source: Times Of India By Alok Mishra Congress gears up for polls Click On "Full Story" For More... (492 words in story) Full Story By ugesh sarkar, Section Elections in BiharPosted on Sat Jul 03, 2010 at 12:28:06 AM EST
Congress Rules Out Tie-Up With JD(U)
Ahead of Bihar Assembly election, the Congress seems to have smelt an opportunity in the face-off between the BJP and Janata Dal (United). Though it sounded the death knell for the NDA with the rift widening between the BJP and JD (U), the Congress completely ruled out any alliance with Nitish Kumar saying he had run his Government for five years with the help of the BJP.
By ugesh sarkar, Section Elections in Bihar
Referring to the recent developments, Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said, "It is not as if Bihar Chief Minister has recused himself from the circle of questions. After all he ran the Government for four years eight months with the help of the BJP." Asked whether the Congress is open to an alliance with the JD(U) if it splits with the BJP, Tewari said that a senior party leader has already replied on it. AICC general secretary incharge of Bihar Mukul Wasnik had said that the party will go solo in Bihar Assembly election. "(Nitish) Kumar's real communal face has been exposed during the national executive meeting of the BJP," Wasnik said on Monday addressing party workers in Kishanganj, Bihar. The Congress said that with the BJP's alliance partners in NDA deserting it before State Assembly election, the NDA had ceased to exist. "In 2004, people of India rejected NDA. In 2009, the rejection was decisively reiterated. In Orissa, the Biju Janata Dal decided to part ways with the NDA. In Jharkhand we saw the BJP making a spectacle of itself in the scramble for power. One thing has become absolutely clear, the NDA as an alliance has ceased to exist. It may exist on paper but in reality, it is almost finished. The rap that Nitish Kumar had given to the BJP clearly shows the alliance is over," Tewari said. Since people have rejected communalism, NDA's allies are now "scurrying for cover", the Congress spokesperson said. Source: The Pioneer Cong rules out tie-up with JD(U) Posted on Mon Jun 21, 2010 at 11:10:54 PM EST
Congress Prepares For Bihar Polls
Union Social Justice Minister and AICC General Secretary in charge of Bihar Mukul Wasnik has convened a meeting tomorrow to discuss the party's election preparations for the Bihar assembly elections scheduled later this year.
By ugesh sarkar, Section Elections in Bihar
Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) General Secretary and MLC Sanjay Dutt who has been appointed as the Chief Co-ordinator of the AICC co-ordination centre for the elections said that meeting will be held in Delhi. He also said that party's election plank would be stability and development of the state. Dutt said the party will be deputing observer district wise and assembly constituency wise who will be campaigning in their assigned areas to co-ordinate implementation of the party agenda and also assimilate grass root feedback based on which campaign strategy will be decided upon by the party high command. Congress also plans to organise public meetings and rallies of party president Sonia Gandhi, General secretary Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and other senior party leaders in different parts of the state. He said the morale of the cadre is very high over the decision that the Congress will go alone in the elections. "Wasnik toured Bihar for four days last week and got a positive feedback," Dutt said. Source: Times Of India Cong prepares for Bihar polls Posted on Sun Jun 13, 2010 at 11:57:12 PM EST
Bihar Congress Revamp
In an apparent bid to set its faction-ridden house in order in poll-bound Bihar, the Congress high command today replaced state Congress chief Anil Sharma with Mehboob Ali Kaiser, a Muslim face.
Sonia Gandhi has also replaced the general secretary and in-charge of Bihar affairs, Jagdish Tytler with Mukul Wasnik, clearly giving weight to Rahul Gandhi's agenda to rope in the "youth power" in the run-up to the Assembly polls due in October/November. The revamping of the state unit of the party precedes a protracted war between Sharma and Tytler. Moreover, most of the party legislators and cadre were opposed to the duo and had given in writing to the party high command to replace them. The Congress high command's action is aimed at ending the feud in the party and strengthening its support base among the Muslims and Dalits. "Wasnik, a young Dalit leader, and Kaiser are reply to Nitish Kumar's efforts to expand his base among the Muslims and Dalits by taking up special measures to benefit the Mahadalits and Pasmanda Muslims," said a Congress leader. At least 100 office-bearers of the state unit had offered in writing to the high command to demit their posts, demanding removal of Sharma and Tytler. Those who had offered to resign included MLAs, MLCs and former state Congress chief Sadanand Singh. Source: The Telgraph Bihar Congress revamp Click On "Full Story" For More.... (361 words in story) Full Story By ugesh sarkar, Section Elections in BiharPosted on Wed Jun 02, 2010 at 11:01:08 PM EST
NCP May Tie Up With Congress For Bihar Polls
A senior NCP leader on Thursday hinted at a possible tie up between his party and Congress for the Bihar assembly polls but said a final decision rests with the party chief Sharad Pawar.
By ugesh sarkar, Section Elections in Bihar
Party general secretary Tariq Anwar, while ruling out any truck with RJD and LJP, pointed out that the NCP has electoral alliance with the Congress in Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat.
For the first time, the party's national executive meet will be held here on June 19 in which senior leaders like Pawar, Praful Patel, Chaggan Bhujbal and others will participate to discuss many issues, including the strategy for the assembly polls due on November this year, he said. Source: Hindustan Times NCP may tie up with cong for bihar polls Posted on Thu May 20, 2010 at 10:10:05 PM EST
AICC-Bihar PCC Tussle May Hurt Party In Poll Runup
Days after AICC scrapped the showcause notices served by Bihar Congress chief Anil Sharma on its Yadav acquisitions from Lalu Prasad's camp -- Sadhu and Pappu -- fresh PCC vs AICC battlelines are drawn with another notice slapped on Sadhu on Monday.
Sadhu may ignore PCC chief Sharma and reply to AICC headquarters. Sharma has charged RJD chief Lalu Prasad's brother-in-law with orchestrating protests against him. There is also the possibility of AICC scrapping the notice. The drama has brought back focus on the mess in Bihar Congress. The party is hoping to do well in October polls after being out of the frame for two decades but the infighting is continuing unabated. The notice drama took a new turn after the men who showed black flags to Sharma said it was done at the instance of Sharma's close aide. Now, sources said the PCC chief has become a party in the case and Sadhu may file his answer to AICC. It will mean a telling blow to Sharma's authority who is facing a revolt in the party. AICC, last month, embarrassed him by revoking the notices he sent to Sadhu and Pappu. CLP chief Ashok Ram was showcaused last month for a meeting at his residence, which also drew criticism. Source: Times Of India By Subodh Ghildiyal AICC-Bihar PCC tussle may hurt party in poll runup Click On "Full Story" For More... (407 words in story) Full Story By ugesh sarkar, Section Elections in BiharPosted on Thu Apr 08, 2010 at 01:58:03 AM EST
Nitish Rules Out Cabinet Reshuffle, Early Polls
Shutting the doors on aspirants who were hoping to make it to the council of ministers, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has ruled out the possibility of Cabinet expansion, saying there was little time left in view of the state assembly elections. "The Assembly elections are round the corner and so it would not be in the fitness of things to undertake a Cabinet expansion," the chief minister remarked.
By ugesh sarkar, Section Elections in Bihar
The chief minister has also sought to dispel the notion of early Assembly elections. Those vouching for early elections held the view that the chief minister may be seriously thinking of advancing the elections ahead of the monsoon so that he would not be left grappling with the challenges of flood fury which normally shows up in North Bihar. So it would be politically damaging for electoral prospects of the ruling JD(U)-BJP combine if the elections were held in the immediate aftermath of the flood . All such speculation has now been laid to rest. Aware that the flood may wreak havoc again, Mr Kumar has now announced that the amount of Bihar contingency fund will be raised to Rs 1500 crore for meeting any eventuality on account of flood. Source: Economic Times By Ashok K Mishra Nitish rules out Cabinet reshuffle, early polls Posted on Fri Mar 26, 2010 at 11:28:59 PM EST
Changes In Bihar PCC likely
With a faction-ridden Bihar PCC in turmoil, changes in the organisation appear to on the cards to make the party fighting fit for the Assembly elections scheduled for October.
By ugesh sarkar, Section Elections in Bihar
Many prominent leaders are camping in Delhi to impress upon the high command the need for effecting changes and putting in place the right combination for the key post of the PCC chief and the AICC in-charge ahead of elections in the state where the party has been out of power for the last two decades. The leaders include former PCC chief Sadanand Singh, CLP leader Ashok Ram, Leader of the Legislative Council Mahachandra Singh, former CLP leader Vijay Shankar Dubey and over half of the ten party MLAs in the state. They have met Ahmed Patel, Political Secretary to Congress President, and most of the AICC General Secretaries demanding changes. Source: PTI Changes in Bihar PCC likely Posted on Fri Mar 19, 2010 at 03:32:14 AM EST
Congress Launches Parivartan Rath Yatra in Bihar
Bihar Congress today flagged off the 'Parivartan Rath Yatra' aimed at dislodging the NDA government in the state claiming it had failed to fulfill its pre-poll promises made in 2005.
By ugesh sarkar, Section Elections in Bihar
The yatra commenced from Congress headquarters at Sadaquat ashram and was flagged off by party's state election officer Girish Kumar Sanghi and BPCC president Anil Kumar Sharma. In its first phase, the 'Parivartan Rath' carrying Jagdish Tytler would visit remote villages of Jehanabad, Gaya, Aurangabad, Rohtas, Buxar, Bhojpur and Patna covering 32 assembly constituencies. People had reposed faith in the Nitish Kumar government that he would change the face of Bihar, but the chief minister gave a free hand to the bureaucracy to loot the state exchequer in the name of development, Sharma alleged. He said Congress would also bring to light a number of scams during the government's regime. Source: PTI Congress launches Parivartan Rath Yatra in Bihar Posted on Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 01:49:17 AM EST
Slim Chance For Early Polls In State
The Election Commission (EC) has indicated that it would need at least six months for holding Assembly elections in the state. This has, thereby, ended all speculations being made in various circles, including the media, that elections to the Bihar Assembly could be held before the monsoon, or before the onset of the floods.
Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi on Monday said the commission would require a period of six months, as cushion, to get the poll process rolling till the final completion of the polls. Implicitly, for the elections to be held before monsoon, the polling process had to begin in full gear around December last year, which, however, has not happened. In fact, even as the election process is a continuing exercise, the first formal ground-level review of the poll preparedness at the EC-level began only last week, with the arrival of first EC deputy commissioner Vinod Zutshi on February 19, followed by that of Quraishi the next day. Earlier, the EC held discussions with state chief electoral officer (CEO) Sudhir Kumar Rakesh in Delhi. Source: Times Of India Slim chance for early polls in state Click on "Full Story" For More... (384 words in story) Full Story By ugesh sarkar, Section Elections in BiharPosted on Mon Feb 22, 2010 at 09:24:24 PM EST
Season Of Hope For Congress In Bihar
Rahul Gandhi's recent visit to Bihar has enthused the Congressmen in the state like never before. Their body language has changed now.
They believe that their party is headed for better times, given the response of the people, particularly the youths, to their young leader. During his two-day trip across seven districts earlier this month, the Congress general secretary received a tremendous ovation from the same people who were earlier not ready to look beyond the troika of Lalu Prasad-Nitish Kumar-Ram Vilas Paswan in Bihar politics. Rahul's visit has made the Bihar Congressmen realise that even a moribund organisation can get back into shape if it has a sincere leader to look up to. Before Rahul turned his focus on Bihar, they apparently had no faith in their abilities. Perennially caught in bitter infighting and factionalism, the party looked like an organisation well past its prime with no hope left for regaining the lost glory. Source: India Today By Giridhar Jha Season of hope for Congress in Bihar Click On "Full Story" For More... (630 words in story) Full Story By ugesh sarkar, Section Elections in BiharPosted on Tue Feb 09, 2010 at 02:05:19 AM EST
Bihar Early Poll Worry For Congress
Murmurs of early elections in Bihar have jolted the Congress leadership which had been planning for the party's revival in the state but done little on the ground.
The Congress's worries are linked to signals emanating from Patna about chief minister Nitish Kumar's plans to advance the scheduled October-November elections to April-May, which wouldn't leave his rivals in the NDA-ruled state much time to recoup. Sources said Nitish was planning to advance the elections primarily because of floods, which wreak havoc in north Bihar every year around August. The magnitude of the problem is so big that no government can satisfy the affected people by its relief programmes and the Janata Dal(United) leader does not want to run the risk of going into the election under a deluge of discontent, the sources said. But the plan to advance the polls, the sources added, is also driven by political considerations. Source: The Telegraph Bihar early poll worry for Congress Click On "Full Story" For More... (450 words in story) Full Story By ugesh sarkar, Section Elections in BiharPosted on Wed Jan 06, 2010 at 01:44:57 AM EST
Rahul To Woo Bihar, Launch IYC Membership Drive
With Assembly elections in Bihar scheduled for yearend, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi is set to launch the party's campaign in the state this month. He is expected to make an extensive tour of the state to promote the membership drive of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), which will be launched on January 12.
The drive is expected to bring life to the state unit of the Congress, which has long been inactive with party leaders preoccupied with bitter infighting. While Bihar Congress president Anil Sharma, who is facing a rebellion from party colleagues, is mostly seen in Delhi fortifying his position, the recent appointment of Jagdish Tytler as AICC in-charge of the state has made little impact. The state unit's failure to project itself as a credible opposition party has proved to be a big dampener to the Congress, which aspired to revive itself in Bihar and therefore, even abandoned a reliable ally like Lalu Prasad Yadav. Congress leaders believe the IYC membership drive could be the launching pad for the party to initiate the process of revival. A similar drive in Jharkhand was said to have a strong bearing on the Congress' performance in the recent Assembly elections, which saw the party improve its tally to 14 seats from 9 seats that it had won in 2005 elections. The IYC had enrolled 3.5 lakh members in Jharkhand. Some Congress leaders even believed that had the IYC launched its membership drive before the Assembly elections in Haryana, the Congress could have fared better in that state. Source: Financial Express Rahul to woo Bihar, launch IYC membership drive Click On "Full Story" For More... (432 words in story) Full Story By ugesh sarkar, Section Elections in BiharPosted on Sat Jan 02, 2010 at 12:12:17 AM EST
No Alliance With Congress For Bihar Polls: Lalu
It is official now. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad has made it clear that his party will not align with former ally Congress for the state assembly polls next year.
By ugesh sarkar, Section Elections in Bihar
The RJD and its ally Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJP) would go without the Congress in the assembly polls. “The RJD will not join hands with the Congress in the next assembly polls,” Lalu Prasad said during his visit to Siwan district to attend a party meeting Tuesday. His remarks come ahead of assembly polls in neighbouring Jharkhand, where the Congress has joined hands with the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha of Babulal Marandi instead of Lalu’s RJD. State Congress leaders as well as the party in-charge of Bihar, Jagdish Tytler, have said time and again that the party will not align with the RJD and go it alone in the next assembly polls. Until recently, Lalu Prasad repeatedly tried his best to impress top Congress leaders from Sonia Gandhi to Rahul Gandhi for an alliance with the RJD ahead of the Bihar elections. But last week he hinted that his relations with the Congress were not going smooth when he said the party was trying to marginalise regional outfits to deny power to the deprived. Source: Thaindian.com No alliance with Congress for Bihar polls: Lalu Posted on Thu Nov 12, 2009 at 12:45:57 AM EST
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