Nilanjana Bhaduri Jha

Patna, Bihar, India

Nitish Kumar must turn to old friends who are also old foes everytime he decides to dump an ally and take a new one. There are only so many choices that Bihar can offer. And so, like other times, a split with the BJP has meant going back into the arms of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the party founded by Lalu Prasad Yadav, comrade and bete noire by turns. Lalu Yadav, at 74, is not much older than Nitish Kumar, who is 71. But conviction and jail time in corruption cases forced him into retirement from active politics much earlier. So it was his son Tejashwi Yadav, 32, who accompanied Nitish Kumar to the Bihar governor's residence on Tuesday as the latter staked claim to set up a new government in the state with the help of the RJD. ,Also Read| Nitish Kumar resigns as Bihar CM, breaks alliance with BJP,Most of their political careers, however, have run parallel. In the early 1970s they were both drawn to the Sampoorna Kranti (total revolution) movement launched by Jayprakash Narayan and participated in agitations in Patna as young socialists. Nitish Kumar was an engineer from the Bihar College of Engineering. Lalu Yadav studied at Patna University and served as the president of the students' union. ,Both joined the Janata Party, formed as an opposition coalition to take on the might of the Congress and its leader Indira Gandhi after she engineered an Emergency in India. Lalu Yadav was the star, becoming the youngest Janata Party MP in 1977. ,They both joined the Janata Dal when the Janata Party imploded and in 1990, when their party won the Bihar elections, Nitish Kumar backed Lalu Yadav for chief minister. Four years later, their relationship soured and Nitish Kumar quit the Janata Dal to form his own party, the Samata Party, which later merged with the Janata Dal (United) in 2003. In 1997, as allegations against him in the fodder scam swirled and members of the Janata Dal began to question his leadership, Lalu Yadav broke away to launch the RJD and installed his wife Rabri Devi as chief minister. The 2000 assembly elections in Bihar threw up a hung verdict, with the RJD winning the most seats. After a minor blip, Rabri Devi aka Lalu Yadav's proxy, continued as chief minister with the support of the Congress. That minor blip was a seven-day stint as chief minister for Nitish Kumar, now a member of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The NDA was invited first by the governor to form government and Nitish Kumar took oath. He didn't last long in the chair though, outclassed by Lalu Yadav in political jugglery. ,Also Read| Bihar CM Nitish Kumar ends alliance with BJP,In the 2005 Bihar elections, Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), in alliance with the BJP, came to power and Nitish Kumar became chief minister. The BJP-JD (U) alliance won the 2010 elections as well, but in 2013, Kumar walked out of the NDA as it became clear that then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi - with whom Nitish Kumar did not share the warmest relationship - would be the face of the BJP's 2014 campaign in the national elections. Nitish Kumar's exit from the NDA ended a 17-year-long partnership with the BJP,In a trust vote that he had to face as a result of the split, Nitish Kumar was helped by the Congress to retain his CM's chair. The RJD voted against him, the BJP walked out before the vote. ,Nitish Kumar faced swift reprisal for dumping the BJP. In the national elections held in 2014, which saw a massive Narendra Modi wave sweep the BJP to power at the Centre, Nitish Kumar's party could win only two of Bihar's 40 seats. Nitish Kumar accepted responsibility for his party's debacle and resigned. In 2015, he joined hands with Lalu Yadav and the RJD's alliance with the Congress and Left, which they call the Mahagathbandhan or Grand Alliance. They won that election and Nitish Kumar was back as chief minister, with Tejashwi Yadav installed as his young deputy. ,That alliance was short-lived too, with Nitish Kumar walking out of the Grand Alliance in 2017 after allegations of corruption surfaced against Lalu Yadav, Tejashwi and other members of their family. ,Who could Nitish Kumar turn to but the BJP, which was waiting to welcome him. In a matter of hours, Nitish Kumar was back as chief minister. ,Also Read| Bihar elections: The nine lives of Nitish Kumar,In 2020, the NDA came back to power, winning 125 of Bihar's 243 seats, to the RJD alliance's 110. But the fine print was important. RJD was the single largest party with 75 seats, and the BJP was the biggest gainer with 74 seats, firmly establishing itself as the senior partner in the alliance with the JD(U) in Bihar. Nitish Kumar's party could win only 43 seats, but the BJP honoured its pre-poll promise that JD(U) boss would be chief minister. ,The change in their equation meant that episode 2 in the BJP-Nitish relationship was never the most comfortable. Nitish Kumar also accused the BJP of encouraging the Lok Janshakti Party led by Chirag Paswan, which cut into the JD(U) votes leading to its loss in many seats. For months the alliance had appeared to be at breakpoint. As things fell swiftly apart in the last few days, the RJD wasted no time in signalling that it would keep Nitish Kumar afloat in its larger mission to keep the BJP out of power.

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So it was his son <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/watch-pair-of-slippers-hurled-at-rjd-leader-tejashwi-yadav-during-a-rally-660934/\\\">Tejashwi Yadav</a>, 32, who accompanied Nitish Kumar to the Bihar governor's residence on Tuesday as the latter staked claim to set up a new government in the state with the help of the RJD. \"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also Read|&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/nitish-kumar-resigns-as-bihar-cm-breaks-alliance-with-bjp-721844/\\\">Nitish Kumar resigns as Bihar CM, breaks alliance with BJP</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Most of their political careers, however, have run parallel. In the early 1970s they were both drawn to the Sampoorna Kranti (total revolution) movement launched by Jayprakash Narayan and participated in agitations in Patna as young socialists. Nitish Kumar was an engineer from the&nbsp;Bihar College of Engineering. Lalu Yadav studied at Patna University and served as the president of the students' union.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Both joined the Janata Party, formed as an opposition coalition to take on the might of the Congress and its leader Indira Gandhi after she engineered an <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/explained-what-led-india-to-emergency-in-1975-427262/\\\">Emergency</a>&nbsp;in India. Lalu Yadav was the star, becoming the youngest Janata Party MP in 1977. \"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"They both joined the Janata Dal when the Janata Party imploded and in 1990, when their party won the Bihar elections, Nitish Kumar backed Lalu Yadav for chief minister. Four years later, their relationship soured and Nitish Kumar quit the Janata Dal to form his own party, the Samata Party, which later merged with the Janata Dal (United) in 2003.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"In 1997, as allegations against him in the fodder scam swirled and members of the Janata Dal began to question his leadership, Lalu Yadav broke away to launch the RJD and installed his wife Rabri Devi as chief minister. The 2000 assembly elections in Bihar threw up a hung verdict, with the RJD winning the most seats. After a minor blip, Rabri Devi aka Lalu Yadav's proxy, continued as chief minister with the support of the Congress.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"That minor blip was a seven-day stint as chief minister for Nitish Kumar, now a member of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).&nbsp; The NDA was invited first by the governor to form government and Nitish Kumar took oath. He didn't last long in the chair though, outclassed by Lalu Yadav in political jugglery.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also Read|&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/bihar-cm-nitish-kumar-ends-alliance-with-bjp-721761/\\\">Bihar CM Nitish Kumar ends alliance with BJP</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"In the 2005 Bihar elections, Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), in alliance with the BJP, came to power and Nitish Kumar became chief minister.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The BJP-JD (U) alliance won the 2010 elections as well, but in 2013, Kumar walked out of the NDA as it became clear that then Gujarat chief minister <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/search/posts/narendramodi/\\\">Narendra Modi</a> - with whom Nitish Kumar did not share the warmest relationship - would be the face of the BJP's 2014 campaign in the national elections. Nitish Kumar's exit from the NDA ended a 17-year-long partnership with the BJP\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"In a trust&nbsp;vote that he had to face as a result of the split, Nitish Kumar was helped by the Congress to retain his CM's chair. The RJD voted against him, the BJP walked out before the vote.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Nitish Kumar faced swift reprisal for dumping the BJP. In the national elections held in 2014, which saw a massive Narendra Modi wave sweep the BJP to power at the Centre, Nitish Kumar's party could win only two of Bihar's 40 seats. Nitish Kumar accepted responsibility for his party's debacle and resigned. In 2015, he joined hands with Lalu Yadav and the RJD's alliance with the Congress and Left, which they call the Mahagathbandhan or \\\"Grand Alliance.\\\"\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"They won that election and Nitish Kumar was back as chief minister, with Tejashwi Yadav installed as his young deputy.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"That alliance was short-lived too, with Nitish Kumar walking out of the Grand Alliance in 2017 after allegations of corruption surfaced against Lalu Yadav, Tejashwi and other members of their family.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Who could Nitish Kumar turn to but the BJP, which was waiting to welcome him. In a matter of hours, Nitish Kumar was back as chief minister.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also Read|&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/the-nine-lives-of-bihars-nitish-kumar-161793/\\\">Bihar elections: The nine lives of Nitish Kumar</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"In 2020, the <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/bihar-assembly-elections-2020-live-updates-nitish-kumar-tejashwi-yadav-sushil-modi-chirag-paswan-jd-u-391011/\\\">NDA came back to power</a>, winning 125 of Bihar's 243 seats, to the RJD alliance's&nbsp;110. But the fine print was important. RJD was the single largest party with 75 seats, and the BJP was the biggest gainer with 74 seats, firmly establishing itself as the senior partner in the alliance with the JD(U) in Bihar. Nitish Kumar's party could win only 43 seats, but the BJP honoured its pre-poll promise that JD(U) boss would be chief minister.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The change in their equation meant that episode 2 in the BJP-Nitish relationship was never the most comfortable. Nitish Kumar also accused the BJP of encouraging the Lok Janshakti Party led by Chirag Paswan, which cut into the JD(U) votes leading to its loss in many seats. For months the alliance had appeared to be at breakpoint. As things fell swiftly apart in the last few days, the RJD wasted no time in signalling that it would keep Nitish Kumar afloat in its larger mission to keep the BJP out of power.\"}}]}

Sayak Basu

<ul>
 <li>The political careers of Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav have run parallel over 50 years</li>
 <li>They have by turns been allies and rivals, together defining Bihar's politics&nbsp;</li>
 <li>Nitish Kumar has dumped the BJP and will form a new government with the help of Lalu Yadav's RJD</li>
</ul>

Opoyi Central

Frenemies Forever: The Nitish Kumar, Lalu Yadav relationship

NitishKumar

LaluPrasadYadav

Bihar

India

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

There have only ever been two cricketers who have owned my heart. Kapil Dev for the longest time and then, MS Dhoni. I am committed to be a CSK or Chennai Super Kings supporter till the day Dhoni plays for them. After that, I will likely be neutral and enjoy matches without having to offer bribes in my head to the powers that be for a Dhoni win. Also read: Pathetic: Internet slams IPL after DRS goes out of order during MI vs CSK game,When Dhoni walked in today with the CSK at 17 for 4, how could I not be struck by the similarity with another match, another format, in another country, in another century?,I was, well let’s just say very little, when I sat by an ancient radio set, heart in mouth, as wicket after Indian wicket fell in far away Tunbridge Wells in England. Also read: IPL 2022: Mumbai Indians give Pollard birthday bump, drop him vs CSK,It was the year 1983, June 18, a day before my birthday. Five wickets had fallen for 17 runs against Zimbabwe, the top batters gone. And then captain Kapil Dev, described variously as all-rounder and bowler-batsman, batted through, taking India to 266 for 8, which Zimbabwe found unreachable. ,Kapil Dev scored that magical 175 not out, in a match that has no video, because of a strike at the BBC. I sat through every one of those 50 overs, praying, my fingers and limbs in various stages of contortion. I officially stopped breathing when India were 78 for 7 as Ravi Shastri got out. My hero was batting valiantly, but there was a bleed on the other side. Also read: Brendon McCullum takes on England Test duties: Kiwi's coaching record,As I wrote this, CSK were 78 for 7 (I kid you not) with Dwayne Bravo out to a brilliant catch by Tilak Varma off Kumar Kartikeya. MS anchored the other end and I was reminding him that he had a lot fewer overs to see through than did Kapil Dev 39 years ago. Kapil was playing a 60-over-a-side match, Dhoni a 20-20,Would he, wouldn’t he? The heart was back in the mouth. I had wagered that CSK would score at least 150. Mumbai Indian fans watching the match with me were rooting for my captain getting out on every ball that he played. Wankhede Stadium, home for MI, rang out with cheers of “Dhoni, Dhoni.” Much loved man that. ,CSK didn’t get to 150. Not even to 100. Beside me a wager was won - these MI fans really. ,Tunbridge Wells didn’t happen. But I learned again that I am the steadfast sort. Dhoni dashing for a single to get to bat the next over - and resulting in number 10 Mukesh Choudhary getting run out - is the stuff of . ,MS Dhoni keeps my heart.

{\"time\":1652375411852,\"strCount\":3501,\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"There have only ever been two cricketers who have owned my heart. Kapil Dev for the longest time and then, <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/sports/who-is-mahendra-singh-dhoni-195460/\\\">MS Dhoni</a>. I am committed to be a <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/csk/\\\">CSK</a> or <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/sports/ravindra-jadeja-less-chennai-super-kings-record-second-lowest-total-in-ipl-falter-vs-mumbai-indians-676557/\\\">Chennai Super Kings</a> supporter till the day Dhoni plays for them. After that, I will likely be neutral and enjoy matches without having to offer bribes in my head to the powers that be for a Dhoni win.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/sports/pathetic-internet-slams-ipl-after-drs-goes-out-of-order-after-power-cut-during-mi-vs-csk-game-at-wankhede-158518/\\\">Pathetic: Internet slams IPL after DRS goes out of order during MI vs CSK game</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"When Dhoni walked in today with the CSK at 17 for 4, how could I not be struck by the similarity with another match, another format, in another country, in another century?\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"I was, well let’s just say very little, when I sat by an ancient radio set, heart in mouth, as wicket after Indian wicket fell in far away Tunbridge Wells in <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/england/\\\">England</a>.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/sports/ipl-2022-mumbai-indians-give-kieron-pollard-birthday-bump-drop-him-vs-chennai-super-kings-142255/\\\">IPL 2022: Mumbai Indians give Pollard birthday bump, drop him vs CSK</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"It was the year 1983, June 18, a day before my birthday. Five wickets had fallen for 17 runs against <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/zimbabwe/\\\">Zimbabwe</a>, the top batters gone. And then captain Kapil Dev, described variously as all-rounder and bowler-batsman, batted through, taking <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/\\\">India</a> to 266 for 8, which Zimbabwe found unreachable. \"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Kapil Dev scored that magical 175 not out, in a match that has no video, because of a strike at the <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/bbc/\\\">BBC</a>. I sat through every one of those 50 overs, praying, my fingers and limbs in various stages of contortion. I officially stopped breathing when India were 78 for 7 as Ravi Shastri got out. My hero was batting valiantly, but there was a bleed on the other side.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/sports/brendon-mccullum-takes-on-england-test-duties-kiwis-coaching-record-218120/\\\">Brendon McCullum takes on England Test duties: Kiwi's coaching record</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"As I wrote this, CSK were 78 for 7 (I kid you not) with Dwayne Bravo out to a brilliant catch by Tilak Varma off Kumar Kartikeya. MS anchored the other end and I was reminding him that he had a lot fewer overs to see through than did Kapil Dev 39 years ago. Kapil was playing a 60-over-a-side match, Dhoni a 20-20\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Would he, wouldn’t he? The heart was back in the mouth. I had wagered that CSK would score at least 150. <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/sports/ipl-2022-mumbai-indians-win-the-toss-elect-to-bowl-vs-chennai-super-kings-599198/\\\">Mumbai Indian</a> fans watching the match with me were rooting for my captain getting out on every ball that he played.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Wankhede Stadium, home for MI, rang out with cheers of “Dhoni, Dhoni.” Much loved man that. \"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"CSK didn’t get to 150. Not even to 100. Beside me a wager was won - these MI fans really. \"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Tunbridge Wells didn’t happen. But I learned again that I am the steadfast sort. Dhoni dashing for a single to get to bat the next over - and resulting in number 10 Mukesh Choudhary getting run out - is the stuff of . \"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"MS Dhoni keeps my heart.\"}}]}

Yash Bajaj

<ul>
 <li>MS Dhoni scored an unbeaten 36 off 33 balls vs Mumbai Indians</li>
 <li>The CSK captain smashed four boundaries and two maximums</li>
 <li>Chennai Super Kings posted 97 runs - their second-lowest total in IPL</li>
</ul>

MS Dhoni no Kapil Dev, but remains unbeaten

IPL2022

MSDhoni

ChennaiSuperKings

DwayneBravo

Sports

KapilDev

Asia

Cricket

IndiaNews

#Nitish Kumar has nine lives. Bihar's Chief Minister for the past 15 years, gritty survivor of multiple political unions and dramatic breakups, has pulled it off again. . Of course, the new balance of power that Bihar’s 17-hour vote count has revealed, put his fate neatly in the hands of ally BJP.  . The BJP,  for long the junior partner of Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United in Bihar, has now reversed that status making big gains and leading their alliance, the NDA, to 125 seats in the 243-member assembly. It also came heartbreakingly close to being the single largest party. Tejashwi Yadav’s RJD stole that crown, winning 75 to the BJP’s 74 seats. . In comparison, the party of Nitish Kumar, the man set to be chief minister again, is a pale number 3, winning 43 seats, 28 less than it had in 2015.  . As leads and results rolled in on Tuesday and it became clear that the BJP was powering the NDA’s performance, there was intense speculation on whether the party would exercise the option to dump or sideline Nitish Kumar and take the chief minister's post. . Critics have accused the BJP of tacitly supporting Chirag Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party to cut into Nitish Kumar's votes. Chirag Paswan stomped out of the NDA just ahead of the elections, asserting his allegiance to the BJP but declaring a continued partnership with Nitish untenable. The LJP contested about 135 seats, mainly intending to play spoiler for Nitish Kumar. It could win only one seat but is seen to have spoilt the JDU’s chances in quite a few. . A few months ago, as the BJP went about meticulously planning its Bihar campaign, the party's leaders in the state were pretty sure that this election would define the emergence of the BJP as a Bihar powerhouse. They reckoned that the BJP would withstand an anti-incumbency factor and the deep unpopularity that Nitish was seen to carry, to see the NDA through based on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's colossal popularity. . They asserted that the BJP would honour the partnership and that Nitish, even if diminished, would be Chief Minister. They were also clear that this would be the last election that the two parties would contest together. But the power shift does allow the BJP to demand a bigger role in governance at the very least. The BJP-JDU relationship has not been the smoothest. A deep fracture came when Nitish Kumar pulled out of the NDA ahead of the 2014 general elections, protesting against the BJP's move to project his bete noire Narendra Modi as the alliance's candidate for Prime Minister. The parties contested the general elections separately. Modi swept the country. In Bihar, Nitish Kumar was severely punished by voters for his disloyalty. His party could win only 2 Lok Sabha seats. . A humiliated Nitish then tied up with traditional rival Lalu Yadav and the Congress to form the Mahagathbandan, first testing waters with a by-election. In the 2015 assembly elections, allies Nitish and Lalu contested an equal  number of seats. Lalu's RJD won more seats than the JDU, but Nitish retained his chief ministership. . It was a bad marriage. The Nitish-Lalu misadventure ended when Nitish walked out of the alliance, and straight back into the BJP's waiting arms in July 2017. Nitish Kumar switched partners without losing a single day's pay as chief minister.  . Nitish Kumar seemed to have braced for a fall this time. Exit polls on Saturday, after the last round of voting in the Bihar elections, predicted an edge for the opposition Mahagathbandhan or alliance, now led by Lalu Yadav's son Tejashwi Yadav. . Two days before that Nitish had made an emotional election rally speech suggesting this was his last election. “Today is the last day of campaigning and day after tomorrow is the election. This is my last election…aant bhala to sab bhala (all well that ends well),” Nitish Kumar said in Purnia district’s Dhamdaha constituency. . Read with the exit polls knell, it sounded like resignation, though some interpreted it as a last-ditch effort at an emotional appeal. . This will be the seventh time that Nitish Kumar will take oath as Bihar’s chief minister. Yes, he is back. Not quite the winner of the election, but he keeps his crown.

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class=\\\"mention\\\" data-mention=\\\"#Nitish\\\" data-user-id=\\\"kHm7ajdDIjIW\\\" href=\\\"/topic/nitish\\\">#Nitish</a> Kumar has nine lives. Bihar's Chief Minister for the past 15 years, gritty survivor of multiple political unions and dramatic breakups, has pulled it off again.&nbsp;Of course, the new balance of power that Bihar’s 17-hour vote count has revealed, put his fate neatly in the hands of ally BJP.&nbsp;&nbsp;The BJP,&nbsp; for long the junior partner of Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United in Bihar, has now reversed that status making big gains and leading their alliance, the NDA, to 125 seats in the 243-member assembly. It also came heartbreakingly close to being the single largest party. Tejashwi Yadav’s RJD stole that crown, winning 75 to the BJP’s 74 seats.&nbsp;In comparison, the party of Nitish Kumar, the man set to be chief minister again, is a pale number 3, winning 43 seats, 28 less than it had in 2015.&nbsp;&nbsp;As leads and results rolled in on Tuesday and it became clear that the BJP was powering the NDA’s performance, there was intense speculation on whether the party would exercise the option to dump or sideline Nitish Kumar and take the chief minister's post.&nbsp;Critics have accused the BJP of tacitly supporting Chirag Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party to cut into Nitish Kumar's votes. Chirag Paswan stomped out of the NDA just ahead of the elections, asserting his allegiance to the BJP but declaring a continued partnership with Nitish untenable. The LJP contested about 135 seats, mainly intending to play spoiler for Nitish Kumar. It could win only one seat but is seen to have spoilt the JDU’s chances in quite a few.&nbsp;A few months ago, as the BJP went about meticulously planning its Bihar campaign, the party's leaders in the state were pretty sure that this election would define the emergence of the BJP as a Bihar powerhouse. They reckoned that the BJP would withstand an anti-incumbency factor and the deep unpopularity that Nitish was seen to carry, to see the NDA through based on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's colossal popularity.&nbsp;They asserted that the BJP would honour the partnership and that Nitish, even if diminished, would be Chief Minister. They were also clear that this would be the last election that the two parties would contest together.But the power shift does allow the BJP to demand a bigger role in governance at the very least.The BJP-JDU relationship has not been the smoothest. A deep fracture came when Nitish Kumar pulled out of the NDA ahead of the 2014 general elections, protesting against the BJP's move to project his bete noire Narendra Modi as the alliance's candidate for Prime Minister. The parties contested the general elections separately. Modi swept the country. In Bihar, Nitish Kumar was severely punished by voters for his disloyalty. His party could win only 2 Lok Sabha seats.&nbsp;A humiliated Nitish then tied up with traditional rival Lalu Yadav and the Congress to form the Mahagathbandan, first testing waters with a by-election. In the 2015 assembly elections, allies Nitish and Lalu contested an equal&nbsp; number of seats. Lalu's RJD won more seats than the JDU, but Nitish retained his chief ministership.&nbsp;It was a bad marriage. The Nitish-Lalu misadventure ended when Nitish walked out of the alliance, and straight back into the BJP's waiting arms in July 2017. Nitish Kumar switched partners without losing a single day's pay as chief minister.&nbsp;&nbsp;Nitish Kumar seemed to have braced for a fall this time. Exit polls on Saturday, after the last round of voting in the Bihar elections, predicted an edge for the opposition Mahagathbandhan or alliance, now led by Lalu Yadav's son Tejashwi Yadav.&nbsp;Two days before that Nitish had made an emotional election rally speech suggesting this was his last election. “Today is the last day of campaigning and day after tomorrow is the election. This is my last election…aant bhala to sab bhala (all well that ends well),” Nitish Kumar said in Purnia district’s Dhamdaha constituency.&nbsp;Read with the exit polls knell, it sounded like resignation, though some interpreted it as a last-ditch effort at an emotional appeal.&nbsp;This will be the seventh time that Nitish Kumar will take oath as Bihar’s chief minister. Yes, he is back. Not quite the winner of the election, but he keeps his crown.\",\"time\":1627977663312,\"strCount\":4177,\"isLegacyPost\":false}

<ul><li>The NDA won a majority in the Bihar elections and Nitish Kumar is set to be Chief Minister again&nbsp;</li><li>The BJP powered that performance; Nitish Kumar's party has not fared well</li><li>Nitish Kumar has juggled allies, but has managed to remain Chief Minister of Bihar for the last 15 years &nbsp;</li></ul>

Bihar%20elections%3A%20The%20nine%20lives%20of%20%20Nitish%20Kumar

Nitish

Mamata Banerjee has proved multiple times now that she does not deal in ambiguous results. Certainly not in <a href="https://opoyi.com/topic/westbengalelection2021">West Bengal assembly elections</a>. By Sunday night, her Trinamool Congress (TMC) had registered another emphatic victory in the state, which Mamata snatched 10 years ago from the Left and then retained with more seats in 2016.,Exit polls predicted a close match two days ago between Mamata and the BJP. Mamata Banerjee has gone on to win even more seats than five years ago. Two more. The TMC has won or is leading in 213 of the state’s 292 seats that went to polls. The BJP is way behind at 77.&nbsp;&nbsp;,Mamata lost own election in Nandigram to former protege <a href="https://opoyi.com/suvendu-adhikari-the-man-bjp-picked-to-challenge-mamata-banerjee">Suvendu Adhikari</a>, who joined the BJP and contested against his ex-boss. “Don't worry about Nandigram, I struggled for Nandigram because I fought a movement. It's ok. Let the Nandigram people give whatever verdict they want, I accept that. I don't mind. We won more than 221 seats &amp; BJP has lost the election,” the West Bengal Chief Minister said.,With <a href="https://opoyi.com/mamata-banerjee-returns-in-west-bengal-dmk-sweeps-tamil-nadu-bjp-takes-assam">today’s win</a> she has denied the BJP what it wanted keenly. West Bengal added to its list of conquests. It will have to wait some more.&nbsp;,“<a href="https://opoyi.com/what-does-khela-hobe-mean-mamata-banerjees-slogan-for-upcoming-elections-in-west-bengal">Khela Hobe (game on)</a>,” Mamata had said as defections like Adhikari’s piled up around her with many key TMC leaders joining the BJP in the run-up to the elections. “Khela Shesh (game over for Mamata) countered the BJP, but those calculations were wrong.&nbsp;,"The TMC won because of Mamata Banerjee. It seems people have chosen Didi. We will introspect what went wrong, whether it was organisational issues, lack of face, insider- outsider debate. We will see what went wrong," <a href="https://opoyi.com/mamata-banerjee-behind-tmcs-win-bjps-bengal-minder-kailash-vijayvargiya">said the BJP’s national general secretary in charge of Bengal, Kailash Vijayvargiya</a> on Sunday afternoon.&nbsp;,Battling a deep anti-incumbency sentiment and an aggressive <a href="https://opoyi.com/didi-bole-khela-hobe-bjp-bole-pm-narenda-modi-plays-on-mamata-banerjees-slogan-11-times">BJP’s full-on assault</a>, Mamata Banerjee projected herself as a lone woman taking on the big guns of the BJP. Didi to many for years, she repackaged herself as Bengal’s daughter or “beti,” and rallied women voters and the state’s substantial Muslim vote base.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;,The diminutive Mamata, 66, hobbled through an intense election, one leg in a cast after an injury that also saw her campaign in a wheelchair. She matched a barrage of taunts and invectives from an army of BJP leaders assigned to Mission Bengal, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, chief architect of the BJP’s growth-on-steroids in the state.,The BJP said she was faking it. The TMC accused the BJP of misogyny. Mamata was injured while campaigning in Nandigram in March. It wasn’t her first workplace injury. In 1990, she was attacked during a rally and her skull was fractured.&nbsp;,Mamata Banerjee is an effective solo act. She has always been.,As a young Congresswoman obsessed with ending Communist rule in Bengal, she was quickly spotted for her passion in removing or defacing political posters of the CPI(M) in Kolkata. She first registered herself as a giant killer when at age 29 she defeated Left colossus Somnath Chatterjee in the 1984 general election. It was the only election Chatterjee ever lost.,Marxists called her “that girl” as she made it her mission to trip them up, attack their image and generally make trouble for them. She was dismayed at the lack of energy displayed by other Congress leaders through years and years of Left rule.&nbsp;,Mamata was 42 when she launched the Trinamool Congress in 1997. She had been expelled by the Congress for accusing it of playing B team to the Left and of not being serious about uprooting the Left.&nbsp;,The Nandigram movement when she protested for farmers’ rights and against the land acquisition policy of the then Left government, set her on the path to 2011, when she stormed Bengal and threw out the Left, becoming chief minister for the first time.

{\"time\":1620021788823,\"strCount\":4441,\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Mamata Banerjee has proved multiple times now that she does not deal in ambiguous results. Certainly not in <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topics/westbengalelection2021/\\\">West Bengal assembly elections</a>. By Sunday night, her Trinamool Congress (TMC) had registered another emphatic victory in the state, which Mamata snatched 10 years ago from the Left and then retained with more seats in 2016.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Exit polls predicted a close match two days ago between Mamata and the BJP. Mamata Banerjee has gone on to win even more seats than five years ago. Two more. The TMC has won or is leading in 213 of the state’s 292 seats that went to polls. The BJP is way behind at 77.&nbsp;&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Mamata lost own election in Nandigram to former protege <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/suvendu-adhikari-the-man-bjp-picked-to-challenge-mamata-banerjee-189725/\\\">Suvendu Adhikari</a>, who joined the BJP and contested against his ex-boss. “Don't worry about Nandigram, I struggled for Nandigram because I fought a movement. It's ok. Let the Nandigram people give whatever verdict they want, I accept that. I don't mind. We won more than 221 seats &amp; BJP has lost the election,” the West Bengal Chief Minister said.\"}},{\"type\":\"embed\",\"data\":{\"service\":\"twitter\",\"source\":\"https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1388844071217553415\",\"embed\":\"ANI/status/1388844071217553415\",\"width\":520,\"height\":300,\"caption\":\"\",\"aspectRatio\":173.33333333333334}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"With <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/mamata-banerjee-returns-in-west-bengal-dmk-sweeps-tamil-nadu-bjp-takes-assam-569025/\\\">today’s win</a> she has denied the BJP what it wanted keenly. West Bengal added to its list of conquests. It will have to wait some more.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"“<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/what-does-khela-hobe-mean-mamata-banerjees-slogan-for-upcoming-elections-in-west-bengal-593201/\\\">Khela Hobe (game on)</a>,” Mamata had said as defections like Adhikari’s piled up around her with many key TMC leaders joining the BJP in the run-up to the elections. “Khela Shesh (game over for Mamata) countered the BJP, but those calculations were wrong.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\\"The TMC won because of Mamata Banerjee. It seems people have chosen Didi. We will introspect what went wrong, whether it was organisational issues, lack of face, insider- outsider debate. We will see what went wrong,\\\" <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/mamata-banerjee-behind-tmcs-win-bjps-bengal-minder-kailash-vijayvargiya-481909/\\\">said the BJP’s national general secretary in charge of Bengal, Kailash Vijayvargiya</a> on Sunday afternoon.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Battling a deep anti-incumbency sentiment and an aggressive <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/didi-bole-khela-hobe-bjp-bole-pm-narenda-modi-plays-on-mamata-banerjees-slogan-11-times-438947/\\\">BJP’s full-on assault</a>, Mamata Banerjee projected herself as a lone woman taking on the big guns of the BJP. Didi to many for years, she repackaged herself as Bengal’s daughter or “beti,” and rallied women voters and the state’s substantial Muslim vote base.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The diminutive Mamata, 66, hobbled through an intense election, one leg in a cast after an injury that also saw her campaign in a wheelchair. She matched a barrage of taunts and invectives from an army of BJP leaders assigned to Mission Bengal, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, chief architect of the BJP’s growth-on-steroids in the state.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The BJP said she was faking it. The TMC accused the BJP of misogyny. Mamata was injured while campaigning in Nandigram in March. It wasn’t her first workplace injury. In 1990, she was attacked during a rally and her skull was fractured.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Mamata Banerjee is an effective solo act. She has always been.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"As a young Congresswoman obsessed with ending Communist rule in Bengal, she was quickly spotted for her passion in removing or defacing political posters of the CPI(M) in Kolkata. She first registered herself as a giant killer when at age 29 she defeated Left colossus Somnath Chatterjee in the 1984 general election. It was the only election Chatterjee ever lost.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Marxists called her “that girl” as she made it her mission to trip them up, attack their image and generally make trouble for them. She was dismayed at the lack of energy displayed by other Congress leaders through years and years of Left rule.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Mamata was 42 when she launched the Trinamool Congress in 1997. She had been expelled by the Congress for accusing it of playing B team to the Left and of not being serious about uprooting the Left.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The Nandigram movement when she protested for farmers’ rights and against the land acquisition policy of the then Left government, set her on the path to 2011, when she stormed Bengal and threw out the Left, becoming chief minister for the first time.\"}}]}

Abhimanyu Kulkarni

<ul>
 <li>Exit polls predicted a close match two days ago between Mamata and the BJP</li>
 <li>Mamata Banerjee has gone on to win even more seats than five years ago. Two more</li>
 <li>The TMC has won or is leading in 213 of the state’s 294 seats. The BJP is way behind at 77</li>
</ul>

Khela Hobe to Khela Shesh: How Mamata Banerjee thumped the BJP

MamataBanerjee

WestBengalElection2021

TrinamoolCongress

WestBengal

KhelaHobe

AssemblyElections

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It's just past midnight and votes are still being counted in the Bihar assembly elections. Results are in for 207 of Bihar's 243 seats. A party or alliance has to win 122 seats to form government. . The NDA, which includes the BJP, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and two smaller parties is still ahead, hovering at 120, just below the majority mark, in wins and leads. Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav's Mahagathbandhan is trailing by nine seats at 111, but his party, the RJD, is now leading the race for single largest party, ahead in 76 seats to the BJP's 73. . The BJP has firmly shrugged off its status of junior partner to Ntish Kumar's Janata Dal United in Bihar. It contested 110 seats and is leading in 73, up 20 seats from its 53 in 2015, powering the NDA's lead. Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked Bihar in tweets for “backing the NDA.” . Ally Janata Dal United or JDU is the weak link in the alliance; it contested 115 seats, is leading or has won 43, down 28 from its 71 from last time.  . The opposition alliance, grandly called the Mahagathbandan from the days that Nitish Kumar was a part of it, and now led by 31-year-old Tejashwi Yadav began strong today but has since conceded ground. . The Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD - birthed by the legendary Lalu Prasad Yadav who is now in jail, leaving his political heir and son Tejashwi to lead - contested 140 seats. It was the single largest party in 2015 and this is a strong comeback after a rout in last year's general elections, when it didn't win a single parliament seat. Partner Congress is in the minus by 7 seats. The three Communist party allies are gaining, but they contested fewer seats. Counting began at 8 am, and the Mahagathbandhan  was off to an early lead over the NDA. By 10 am, however, Team Tejashwi's lead had narrowed. The shift to an NDA lead happened over the next hour and has held since. . There was huge interest in young politician, #ChiragPaswan, who broke away from the NDA just before elections after years of acrimony with Nitish Kumar. Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party or LJP is contesting 135 seats, but has won only one.  . Paswan had projected his role in this election as chief contributor to the fall of Nitish Kumar, who has been chief minister of Bihar for the last 15 years, changing alliances but never giving up the throne.  . In 2015, Nitish Kumar had broken away from the NDA and joined hands with arch Bihar rival Lalu Yadav and the Congress to isolate the BJP. The uneasy alliance won, with Lalu Yadav's party winning the most seats but Nitish Kumar, projected as Chef Minister, returning to the top post. . In 2015, the RJD and JDU had both contested 101 seats each. RJD had won 80, the JDU had won 71. The Congress had contested 41 seats and had won 27, The BJP had contested 157 seats and had won 53. The LJP had contested 42 seats and won 2.  .

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just past midnight and votes are still being counted in the Bihar assembly elections. Results are in for 207 of Bihar's 243 seats. A party&nbsp;or alliance has to win 122 seats to form government.&nbsp;The NDA, which includes the BJP, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and two smaller parties is still ahead, hovering at 120, just below the majority mark, in wins and leads. Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav's Mahagathbandhan is trailing by nine seats at 111, but his party, the RJD, is now leading the race for single largest party, ahead in 76 seats to the BJP's 73.&nbsp;The BJP has firmly shrugged off its status of junior partner to Ntish Kumar's Janata Dal United in Bihar. It contested 110 seats and is leading in 73, up 20 seats from its 53 in 2015, powering the NDA's lead. Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked Bihar in tweets for “backing the NDA.”&nbsp;Ally Janata Dal United or JDU is the weak link in the alliance; it contested 115 seats, is leading or has won 43, down 28 from its 71 from last time. &nbsp;The opposition alliance, grandly called the Mahagathbandan from the days that Nitish Kumar was a part of it, and now led by 31-year-old Tejashwi Yadav began strong today but has since conceded ground.&nbsp;The Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD - birthed by the legendary Lalu Prasad Yadav who is now in jail, leaving his political heir and son Tejashwi to lead - contested 140 seats. It was the single largest party in 2015 and this is a strong comeback after a rout in last year's general elections, when it didn't win a single parliament seat. Partner Congress is in the minus by 7 seats. The three Communist party allies are gaining, but they contested fewer seats.Counting began at 8 am, and the Mahagathbandhan &nbsp;was off to an early lead over the NDA. By 10 am, however, Team Tejashwi's lead had narrowed. The shift to an NDA lead happened over the next hour and has held since.&nbsp;There was huge interest in young politician, <a href=\\\"/topic/chirag-paswan\\\">#ChiragPaswan</a>, who broke away from the NDA just before elections after years of acrimony with Nitish Kumar. Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party or LJP is contesting 135 seats, but has won only one.&nbsp;&nbsp;Paswan had projected his role in this election as chief contributor to the fall of Nitish Kumar, who has been chief minister of Bihar for the last 15 years, changing alliances but never giving up the throne.&nbsp;&nbsp;In 2015, Nitish Kumar had broken away from the NDA and joined hands with arch Bihar rival Lalu Yadav and the Congress to isolate the BJP. The uneasy alliance won, with Lalu Yadav's party winning the most seats but Nitish Kumar, projected as Chef Minister, returning to the top post.&nbsp;In 2015, the RJD and JDU had both contested 101 seats each. RJD had won 80, the JDU had won 71. The Congress had contested 41 seats and had won 27, The BJP had contested 157 seats and had won 53. The LJP had contested 42 seats and won 2.&nbsp;\",\"time\":1605036436642,\"strCount\":2833,\"isLegacyPost\":false}

<ul><li>Bihar has 243 seats. A party&nbsp;or alliance has to win 122 seats to form government.&nbsp;</li><li>The ruling NDA is hovering just shy of the half-way mark in wins plus leads. The BJP is driving the gains.&nbsp;</li><li>Tejashwi Yadav's RJD has gone ahead of the BJP in the race for single largest party. &nbsp; &nbsp;</li></ul>

Bihar%20counting%20spills%20into%20Day%202.%20%20Numbers%20explained%20

New Delhi, Delhi, India

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%20Mukherjee%20to%20his%20status%20as%20top%20minister.%26nbsp%3B\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"In%202004%2C%20when%20Sonia%20Gandhi%20declined%20to%20be%20Prime%20Minister%20after%20the%20Congress%27%20surprise%20win%20in%20the%20national%20elections%20and%20picked%20Manmohan%20SIngh%2C%20Pranab%20Mukherjee%20missed%20another%20chance.%20%u201CI%20am%20comfortable%20at%20the%20height%20where%20destiny%20has%20put%20me%2C%u201D%20the%20diminutive%20politician%20reportedly%20said%2C%20in%20what%20is%20now%20pinned%20high%20in%20the%20gallery%20of%20quotable%20quotes.%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"In%20his%20book%20%u2018The%20coalition%20years%20%281996-2012%29%2C%20Pranab%20Mukherjee%20wrote%2C%20%u201CThe%20prevalent%20expectation%20was%20that%20I%20would%20be%20the%20next%20choice%20for%20prime%20minister%20after%20Sonia%20Gandhi%20declined.%20This%20expectation%20was%20possibly%20based%20on%20the%20fact%20that%20I%20had%20extensive%20experience%20in%20government%2C%20while%20Singh%u2019s%20vast%20experience%20was%20as%20a%20civil%20servant%20with%20five%20years%20as%20a%20reformist%20finance%20minister.%u201D%20At%20the%20launch%20of%20the%20book%2C%20Manmohan%20Singh%20said%20Mukherjee%20was%20better%20qualified%20than%20him%20to%20be%20Prime%20Minister.%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"In%20Manmohan%20Singh%27s%2010-year%20regime%2C%20Pranab%20Mukherjee%20was%20first%20Defence%20Minister%2C%20then%20External%20Affairs%20Minister%20and%20then%20Finance%20Minister.%20After%20lights%20out%20in%20his%20North%20Block%20office%20in%20the%20heart%20of%20Delhi%2C%20Mukherjee%20would%20head%20home%20and%20hold%20political%20meetings.%20These%20typically%20began%20after%2010%2C%20when%20cars%20would%20begin%20lining%20up%20outside%20his%20residence.%20As%20the%20Congress%27%20chief%20troubleshooter%2C%20Pranab%20Mukherjee%20navigated%20the%20party%27s%20relations%20both%20with%20coalition%20partners%20in%20the%20United%20Progressive%20Alliance%20%28UPA%29%20that%20his%20party%20led%2C%20and%20with%20opposition%20leaders%20on%20key%20parliamentary%20matters.%20The%2075-year-old%20would%20hold%20these%20meetings%20till%20well%20beyond%20midnight%2C%20solving%20gnarly%20problems%20for%20the%20party.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The%20Congress%2C%20with%20its%20legacy%20as%20India%27s%20main%20political%20party%20for%20many%20decades%2C%20adopted%20coalition%20politics%20after%20much%20debate%20and%20soul-searching%20in%20the%20years%20that%20the%20BJP%27s%20Atal%20Bihari%20Vajpayee%20ran%20a%2023-party%20coalition%20government.%26nbsp%3B\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"As%20a%20trusted%20advisor%20to%20Sonia%20Gandhi%2C%20Pranab%20Mukherjee%20was%20one%20of%20two%20top%20leaders%20in%20a%20discussion%20with%20the%20Congress%20president%20on%20the%20need%20for%20the%20party%20to%20build%20alliances%20for%20a%20comeback%20at%20the%20Centre.%20When%20I%20learnt%20of%20the%20meeting%20from%20the%20other%20Congress%20leader%20present%20in%20the%20discussion%20with%20Sonia%20Gandhi%2C%20I%20talked%20to%20Pranab%20Mukherjee%20to%20confirm%20details%20before%20reporting%20it.%20He%20confirmed%20the%20meeting%20also%20adding%20in%20Bangla%2C%20with%20a%20grin%2C%20%22Journalists%20should%20always%20double%20check%20for%20accuracy.%20But%20now%20you%20have%20revealed%20your%20source%20to%20me.%22\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Pranab%20Mukherjee%20had%20a%20stint%20as%20a%20journalist%20on%20his%20CV.%20Also%20teacher%2C%20both%20before%20he%20became%20a%20politician.%20Other%20entries%20include%20being%20on%20the%20board%20of%20governors%20at%20the%20International%20Monetary%20Fund%2C%20the%20World%20Bank%20and%20the%20Asian%20Development%20Bank.%26nbsp%3B\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"He%20would%27ve%20added%20President%20of%20India%20In%202007%2C%20but%20the%20Congress%20could%20not%20find%20a%20replacement%20or%20ten%20for%20him%20in%20the%20government%20and%20party.%20In%202012%2C%20he%20defeated%20PA%20Sangma%2C%20the%20candidate%20for%20President%20supported%20by%20the%20BJP-led%20National%20Democratic%20Alliance.%20Some%20BJP%20allies%20openly%20stated%20they%20would%20back%20Pranab%20Mukherjee%20underscoring%20his%20excellent%20relations%20across%20parties%20-%20%22supporting%20him%2C%20not%20the%20Congress%2C%22%20said%20the%20Janata%20Dal%20United.%20There%20was%20also%20cross-voting%20in%20his%20favour.%26nbsp%3B\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"As%20President%2C%20Pranab%20Mukherjee%20was%20seen%20to%20get%20along%20well%20with%20Prime%20Minister%20Narendra%20Modi%2C%20who%20also%20announced%20the%20Bharat%20Ratna%2C%20the%20country%27s%20highest%20civilian%20honour%20last%20year%20for%20the%20career%20Congressman.%26nbsp%3B\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"While%20Pranab%20Mukherjee%20refused%20to%20run%20for%20a%20second%20term%20as%20President%20citing%20his%20advanced%20years%2C%20he%20continued%20to%20keep%20amongst%20the%20headlines.%20Like%20when%20he%20accepted%20an%20invitation%20by%20the%20Rashtriya%20Swayamsevak%20Sangh%20or%20RSS%2C%20the%20ideological%20parent%20of%20the%20BJP%2C%20to%20visit%20its%20headquarters%20in%20Nagpur.%26nbsp%3B\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The%20visit%20spawned%20analyses%20that%20included%20speculation%20that%20the%20consummate%20politician%20was%20positioning%20himself%20as%20a%20contender%20for%20Prime%20Minister%20once%20again.%26nbsp%3B\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Earlier%20this%20month%2C%20another%20flurry%20of%20headlines%20drew%20from%20his%20announcement%20on%20his%20Twitter%20handle%20@CitiznMukherjee%20that%20he%20had%20tested%20positive%20for%20Covid%20as%20he%20headed%20for%20a%20surgery.%26nbsp%3B\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The%2084-year-old%20was%20on%20ventilator%20support%20for%2021%20days%20before%20breathing%20his%20last.\"}}]}

<ul><li>Pranab Mukherjee, Pranabda to many, would scold you but never failed to help.&nbsp;</li><li>He was respected across parties, acknowledged as one of the best Parliamentarians.</li><li>He had loads of practice; an MP at 34, an MP and Leader of the Lok Sabha at 76 when he stepped down to contest for President . &nbsp;</li></ul>

Pranabda: chats, reprimands and riveting storytelling

PranabMukherjee

Congress

ManmohanSingh

AtalBihariVajpayee

SoniaGandhi

Amar Singh never quite qualified for the sobriquet top politician. But for many years he was omnipresent lurking just below the surface when important political moments were scripted. And he knew how to keep among the headlines despite his status never upgrading beyond Rajya Sabha member. . Singh's detractors called him a wheeler-dealer. When they were being nice. His friends, across parties - well, Amar Singh once said to me, "I am everyone's friend and I guess no one is my friend." That was much before he was estranged from famous allies like Samajwadi Party's Mulayam Singh Yadav or actor Amitabh Bachchan and I, then a political reporter with Times of India, thought he was being uncharacteristically self-effacing. Or attempting philosophy. . Angling for a headline, I thought and called him out on it. He grinned. That was characteristic. . Amar Singh seemed to have spent the last few years attempting to make up with people. He apologised to the Congress' Sonia Gandhi for his concerted attack on her over her foreign origin, he apologised to Amitabh Bachchan earlier this year, saying he had overreacted. That was for a series of public attacks on Bachchan and family apparently because the actor had not visited him when he was admitted in hospital while in Tihar jail over allegations that he bribed members of Parliament. That apology was on Twitter in February this year, around the same time that he also tweeted a video debunking rumors that he had died, declaring, "Tiger zinda hai (Tiger is alive)," borrowing from a Bollywood movie title. He also posted a lot of videos, from a hospital bed, giving opinion on big news for anyone who cared to listen, clearly fighting for relevance till the end. Two decades ago, it was different. When Amar Singh threw a party, everyone attended. The Bachchans, other actors, top industrialists, stood at the door of the venue with folded hands to welcome guests. Many politicians, sportspersons, other celebs flocked to attend. Very few wanted to talk on record about why he was important, but they were there. Also there were those who said he was a “fixer” or "BJP agent" or a "Congress agent" depending on who they were. I first met Amar Singh in 2001, when my editor asked me to profile the politician. "Who is Amar Singh, what is Amar SIngh, let's find out," was the brief. Amar Singh had been constantly in the news since his role two years before in the Samajwadi Party ditching the Congress at the last minute after Sonia Gandhi said her party had the support of 272 MPs in the Lok Sabha, enough to form government. . Amar Singh, as always, was happy to talk. Mostly on record, sometimes reaching for my dictaphone and turning it off before shooting a rude one-liner about other politicians. In later conversations, he didn't bother to check if he was being recorded. It was just impossible to report some of the things he said about people any way. A rebuke would earn a giggle, he was never quite repentant. He was at the time unflinching in his support for Mulayam Singh Yadav, "Netaji," as everyone in the latter's universe calls him. "He is a much better man than me, trust me," he said once when gossip about Mulayam Singh's personal life was rife. Mulayam Singh had a special fondness for Amar Singh, who played the role of his party's urban face and political liaison; and the Thakur for upper caste votes. But many in the party, including Mulayam Singh's son and former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav nursed a visceral hatred for Amar SIngh. That resulted in a tumultuous relationship in the last few years that saw Amar Singh being exiled, reinstated and thrown out again from the party. On December 13, 2001, as I entered Parliament House minutes before terrorists attacked it, I met Amar Singh at gate no 1. He was rushing to the Rajya Sabha of which he was a member. I stopped him to get details about a meeting of opposition leaders in Mulayam Singh's chambers for a story I was writing. He said he hadn't planned to attend but would drop in to get me the details I wanted. He was in a huge hurry so I reminded him that the House had been adjourned. "Yes, but I have to sign the register to record my attendance," he said like an errant schoolboy, promising to meet me in half an hour at the same place with the info I wanted. We met hours later, as politicians trooped out of Parliament's Central Hall after it was confirmed that all the terrorists had been killed and we could move out of the building. . I didn't need his details anymore, my story overtaken by the story of the year. "Remind me to avoid talking to you," he said wagging a finger at me, adding, "look at what has happened since.". As a digital reporter in those early days, I was grateful for politicians who understood, or at least said they did, my requirement for immediate comments or interviews around big news. Most of them were used to the publish cycles of newspapers or tv bulletins and struggled with the immediacy that digital publish demanded. Amar Singh always responded immediately. . In 2002, he called up from a lock-up in Lucknow and shared details of his arrest while protesting against the then Mayawati government in Lucknow. "Lots of reporters waiting outside he said smugly, "but I thought you might need to know first." Thank you, Mr Singh, in those days it made a hell of a difference. . I last met Amar Singh at the Hindustan Times leadership summit dinner one-and-a-half years ago. He looked frail and old having battled for many years crippling illness that necessitated a kidney transplant. I hadn't met him since hanging up my boots as a political reporter many years before and was shocked to see him. On his passing today, I noted with surprise that he was just 64.  .

{\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Amar%20Singh%20never%20quite%20qualified%20for%20the%20sobriquet%20top%20politician.%20But%20for%20many%20years%20he%20was%20omnipresent%20lurking%20just%20below%20the%20surface%20when%20important%20political%20moments%20were%20scripted.%20And%20he%20knew%20how%20to%20keep%20among%20the%20headlines%20despite%20his%20status%20never%20upgrading%20beyond%20Rajya%20Sabha%20member.%26nbsp%3B\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Singh%27s%20detractors%20called%20him%20a%20wheeler-dealer.%20When%20they%20were%20being%20nice.%20His%20friends%2C%20across%20parties%20-%20well%2C%20Amar%20Singh%20once%20said%20to%20me%2C%20%22I%20am%20everyone%27s%20friend%20and%20I%20guess%20no%20one%20is%20my%20friend.%22%20That%20was%20much%20before%20he%20was%20estranged%20from%20famous%20allies%20like%20Samajwadi%20Party%27s%20Mulayam%20Singh%20Yadav%20or%20actor%20Amitabh%20Bachchan%20and%20I%2C%20then%20a%20political%20reporter%20with%20Times%20of%20India%2C%20thought%20he%20was%20being%20uncharacteristically%20self-effacing.%20Or%20attempting%20philosophy.%26nbsp%3B\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Angling%20for%20a%20headline%2C%20I%20thought%20and%20called%20him%20out%20on%20it.%20He%20grinned.%20That%20was%20characteristic.%26nbsp%3B\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Amar%20Singh%20seemed%20to%20have%20spent%20the%20last%20few%20years%20attempting%20to%20make%20up%20with%20people.%20He%20apologised%20to%20the%20Congress%27%20Sonia%20Gandhi%20for%20his%20concerted%20attack%20on%20her%20over%20her%20foreign%20origin%2C%20he%20apologised%20to%20Amitabh%20Bachchan%20earlier%20this%20year%2C%20saying%20he%20had%20overreacted.%20That%20was%20for%20a%20series%20of%20public%20attacks%20on%20Bachchan%20and%20family%20apparently%20because%20the%20actor%20had%20not%20visited%20him%20when%20he%20was%20admitted%20in%20hospital%20while%20in%20Tihar%20jail%20over%20allegations%20that%20he%20bribed%20members%20of%20Parliament.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"That%20apology%20was%20on%20Twitter%20in%20February%20this%20year%2C%20around%20the%20same%20time%20that%20he%20also%20tweeted%20a%20video%20debunking%20rumors%20that%20he%20had%20died%2C%20declaring%2C%20%22Tiger%20zinda%20hai%20%28Tiger%20is%20alive%29%2C%22%20borrowing%20from%20a%20Bollywood%20movie%20title.%20He%20also%20posted%20a%20lot%20of%20videos%2C%20from%20a%20hospital%20bed%2C%20giving%20opinion%20on%20big%20news%20for%20anyone%20who%20cared%20to%20listen%2C%20clearly%20fighting%20for%20relevance%20till%20the%20end.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Two%20decades%20ago%2C%20it%20was%20different.%20When%20Amar%20Singh%20threw%20a%20party%2C%20everyone%20attended.%20The%20Bachchans%2C%20other%20actors%2C%20top%20industrialists%2C%20stood%20at%20the%20door%20of%20the%20venue%20with%20folded%20hands%20to%20welcome%20guests.%20Many%20politicians%2C%20sportspersons%2C%20other%20celebs%20flocked%20to%20attend.%20Very%20few%20wanted%20to%20talk%20on%20record%20about%20why%20he%20was%20important%2C%20but%20they%20were%20there.%20Also%20there%20were%20those%20who%20said%20he%20was%20a%20%u201Cfixer%u201D%20or%20%22BJP%20agent%22%20or%20a%20%22Congress%20agent%22%20depending%20on%20who%20they%20were.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"I%20first%20met%20Amar%20Singh%20in%202001%2C%20when%20my%20editor%20asked%20me%20to%20profile%20the%20politician.%20%22Who%20is%20Amar%20Singh%2C%20what%20is%20Amar%20SIngh%2C%20let%27s%20find%20out%2C%22%20was%20the%20brief.%20Amar%20Singh%20had%20been%20constantly%20in%20the%20news%20since%20his%20role%20two%20years%20before%20in%20the%20Samajwadi%20Party%20ditching%20the%20Congress%20at%20the%20last%20minute%20after%20Sonia%20Gandhi%20said%20her%20party%20had%20the%20support%20of%20272%20MPs%20in%20the%20Lok%20Sabha%2C%20enough%20to%20form%20government.%26nbsp%3B\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Amar%20Singh%2C%20as%20always%2C%20was%20happy%20to%20talk.%20Mostly%20on%20record%2C%20sometimes%20reaching%20for%20my%20dictaphone%20and%20turning%20it%20off%20before%20shooting%20a%20rude%20one-liner%20about%20other%20politicians.%20In%20later%20conversations%2C%20he%20didn%27t%20bother%20to%20check%20if%20he%20was%20being%20recorded.%20It%20was%20just%20impossible%20to%20report%20some%20of%20the%20things%20he%20said%20about%20people%20any%20way.%20A%20rebuke%20would%20earn%20a%20giggle%2C%20he%20was%20never%20quite%20repentant.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"He%20was%20at%20the%20time%20unflinching%20in%20his%20support%20for%20Mulayam%20Singh%20Yadav%2C%20%22Netaji%2C%22%20as%20everyone%20in%20the%20latter%27s%20universe%20calls%20him.%20%22He%20is%20a%20much%20better%20man%20than%20me%2C%20trust%20me%2C%22%20he%20said%20once%20when%20gossip%20about%20Mulayam%20Singh%27s%20personal%20life%20was%20rife.%20Mulayam%20Singh%20had%20a%20special%20fondness%20for%20Amar%20Singh%2C%20who%20played%20the%20role%20of%20his%20party%27s%20urban%20face%20and%20political%20liaison%3B%20and%20the%20Thakur%20for%20upper%20caste%20votes.%20But%20many%20in%20the%20party%2C%20including%20Mulayam%20Singh%27s%20son%20and%20former%20UP%20chief%20minister%20Akhilesh%20Yadav%20nursed%20a%20visceral%20hatred%20for%20Amar%20SIngh.%20That%20resulted%20in%20a%20tumultuous%20relationship%20in%20the%20last%20few%20years%20that%20saw%20Amar%20Singh%20being%20exiled%2C%20reinstated%20and%20thrown%20out%20again%20from%20the%20party.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"On%20December%2013%2C%202001%2C%20as%20I%20entered%20Parliament%20House%20minutes%20before%20terrorists%20attacked%20it%2C%20I%20met%20Amar%20Singh%20at%20gate%20no%201.%20He%20was%20rushing%20to%20the%20Rajya%20Sabha%20of%20which%20he%20was%20a%20member.%20I%20stopped%20him%20to%20get%20details%20about%20a%20meeting%20of%20opposition%20leaders%20in%20Mulayam%20Singh%27s%20chambers%20for%20a%20story%20I%20was%20writing.%20He%20said%20he%20hadn%27t%20planned%20to%20attend%20but%20would%20drop%20in%20to%20get%20me%20the%20details%20I%20wanted.%20He%20was%20in%20a%20huge%20hurry%20so%20I%20reminded%20him%20that%20the%20House%20had%20been%20adjourned.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"%22Yes%2C%20but%20I%20have%20to%20sign%20the%20register%20to%20record%20my%20attendance%2C%22%20he%20said%20like%20an%20errant%20schoolboy%2C%20promising%20to%20meet%20me%20in%20half%20an%20hour%20at%20the%20same%20place%20with%20the%20info%20I%20wanted.%20We%20met%20hours%20later%2C%20as%20politicians%20trooped%20out%20of%20Parliament%27s%20Central%20Hall%20after%20it%20was%20confirmed%20that%20all%20the%20terrorists%20had%20been%20killed%20and%20we%20could%20move%20out%20of%20the%20building.%26nbsp%3B\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"I%20didn%27t%20need%20his%20details%20anymore%2C%20my%20story%20overtaken%20by%20the%20story%20of%20the%20year.%20%22Remind%20me%20to%20avoid%20talking%20to%20you%2C%22%20he%20said%20wagging%20a%20finger%20at%20me%2C%20adding%2C%20%22look%20at%20what%20has%20happened%20since.%22\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"As%20a%20digital%20reporter%20in%20those%20early%20days%2C%20I%20was%20grateful%20for%20politicians%20who%20understood%2C%20or%20at%20least%20said%20they%20did%2C%20my%20requirement%20for%20immediate%20comments%20or%20interviews%20around%20big%20news.%20Most%20of%20them%20were%20used%20to%20the%20publish%20cycles%20of%20newspapers%20or%20tv%20bulletins%20and%20struggled%20with%20the%20immediacy%20that%20digital%20publish%20demanded.%20Amar%20Singh%20always%20responded%20immediately.%26nbsp%3B\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"In%202002%2C%20he%20called%20up%20from%20a%20lock-up%20in%20Lucknow%20and%20shared%20details%20of%20his%20arrest%20while%20protesting%20against%20the%20then%20Mayawati%20government%20in%20Lucknow.%20%22Lots%20of%20reporters%20waiting%20outside%20he%20said%20smugly%2C%20%22but%20I%20thought%20you%20might%20need%20to%20know%20first.%22%20Thank%20you%2C%20Mr%20Singh%2C%20in%20those%20days%20it%20made%20a%20hell%20of%20a%20difference.%26nbsp%3B\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"I%20last%20met%20Amar%20Singh%20at%20the%20Hindustan%20Times%20leadership%20summit%20dinner%20one-and-a-half%20years%20ago.%20He%20looked%20frail%20and%20old%20having%20battled%20for%20many%20years%20crippling%20illness%20that%20necessitated%20a%20kidney%20transplant.%20I%20hadn%27t%20met%20him%20since%20hanging%20up%20my%20boots%20as%20a%20political%20reporter%20many%20years%20before%20and%20was%20shocked%20to%20see%20him.%20On%20his%20passing%20today%2C%20I%20noted%20with%20surprise%20that%20he%20was%20just%2064.%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B\"}}],\"rawState\":\"Amar Singh never quite qualified for the sobriquet top politician. But for many years he was omnipresent lurking just below the surface when important political moments were scripted. And he knew how to keep among the headlines despite his status never upgrading beyond Rajya Sabha member.&nbsp;Singh's detractors called him a wheeler-dealer. When they were being nice. His friends, across parties - well, Amar Singh once said to me, \\\"I am everyone's friend and I guess no one is my friend.\\\" That was much before he was estranged from famous allies like Samajwadi Party's Mulayam Singh Yadav or actor Amitabh Bachchan and I, then a political reporter with Times of India, thought he was being uncharacteristically self-effacing. Or attempting philosophy.&nbsp;Angling for a headline, I thought and called him out on it. He grinned. That was characteristic.&nbsp;Amar Singh seemed to have spent the last few years attempting to make up with people. He apologised to the Congress' Sonia Gandhi for his concerted attack on her over her foreign origin, he apologised to Amitabh Bachchan earlier this year, saying he had overreacted. That was for a series of public attacks on Bachchan and family apparently because the actor had not visited him when he was admitted in hospital while in Tihar jail over allegations that he bribed members of Parliament.That apology was on Twitter in February this year, around the same time that he also tweeted a video debunking rumors that he had died, declaring, \\\"Tiger zinda hai (Tiger is alive),\\\" borrowing from a Bollywood movie title. He also posted a lot of videos, from a hospital bed, giving opinion on big news for anyone who cared to listen, clearly fighting for relevance till the end.Two decades ago, it was different. When Amar Singh threw a party, everyone attended. The Bachchans, other actors, top industrialists, stood at the door of the venue with folded hands to welcome guests. Many politicians, sportspersons, other celebs flocked to attend. Very few wanted to talk on record about why he was important, but they were there. Also there were those who said he was a “fixer” or \\\"BJP agent\\\" or a \\\"Congress agent\\\" depending on who they were.I first met Amar Singh in 2001, when my editor asked me to profile the politician. \\\"Who is Amar Singh, what is Amar SIngh, let's find out,\\\" was the brief. Amar Singh had been constantly in the news since his role two years before in the Samajwadi Party ditching the Congress at the last minute after Sonia Gandhi said her party had the support of 272 MPs in the Lok Sabha, enough to form government.&nbsp;Amar Singh, as always, was happy to talk. Mostly on record, sometimes reaching for my dictaphone and turning it off before shooting a rude one-liner about other politicians. In later conversations, he didn't bother to check if he was being recorded. It was just impossible to report some of the things he said about people any way. A rebuke would earn a giggle, he was never quite repentant.He was at the time unflinching in his support for Mulayam Singh Yadav, \\\"Netaji,\\\" as everyone in the latter's universe calls him. \\\"He is a much better man than me, trust me,\\\" he said once when gossip about Mulayam Singh's personal life was rife. Mulayam Singh had a special fondness for Amar Singh, who played the role of his party's urban face and political liaison; and the Thakur for upper caste votes. But many in the party, including Mulayam Singh's son and former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav nursed a visceral hatred for Amar SIngh. That resulted in a tumultuous relationship in the last few years that saw Amar Singh being exiled, reinstated and thrown out again from the party.On December 13, 2001, as I entered Parliament House minutes before terrorists attacked it, I met Amar Singh at gate no 1. He was rushing to the Rajya Sabha of which he was a member. I stopped him to get details about a meeting of opposition leaders in Mulayam Singh's chambers for a story I was writing. He said he hadn't planned to attend but would drop in to get me the details I wanted. He was in a huge hurry so I reminded him that the House had been adjourned.\\\"Yes, but I have to sign the register to record my attendance,\\\" he said like an errant schoolboy, promising to meet me in half an hour at the same place with the info I wanted. We met hours later, as politicians trooped out of Parliament's Central Hall after it was confirmed that all the terrorists had been killed and we could move out of the building.&nbsp;I didn't need his details anymore, my story overtaken by the story of the year. \\\"Remind me to avoid talking to you,\\\" he said wagging a finger at me, adding, \\\"look at what has happened since.\\\"As a digital reporter in those early days, I was grateful for politicians who understood, or at least said they did, my requirement for immediate comments or interviews around big news. Most of them were used to the publish cycles of newspapers or tv bulletins and struggled with the immediacy that digital publish demanded. Amar Singh always responded immediately.&nbsp;In 2002, he called up from a lock-up in Lucknow and shared details of his arrest while protesting against the then Mayawati government in Lucknow. \\\"Lots of reporters waiting outside he said smugly, \\\"but I thought you might need to know first.\\\" Thank you, Mr Singh, in those days it made a hell of a difference.&nbsp;I last met Amar Singh at the Hindustan Times leadership summit dinner one-and-a-half years ago. He looked frail and old having battled for many years crippling illness that necessitated a kidney transplant. I hadn't met him since hanging up my boots as a political reporter many years before and was shocked to see him. On his passing today, I noted with surprise that he was just 64.&nbsp;&nbsp;\",\"time\":1596299538655,\"strCount\":5728}

<ul><li>Amar Singh seemed to have been around forever, but was only 64</li><li>For many years he was omnipresent in Indian politics, lurking just below the surface</li><li>He had friends across parties. Detractors were unsparing</li></ul>

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