Patna, Bihar, India

When the Lok Janshakti party chief Chirag Paswan walked out of the NDA in Bihar, he had made his intention clear -- he wanted to see the back of Nitish Kumar as Bihar Chief Minister in the Assembly election 2020. “I appeal to all not to let the vote go to waste. People have given blessings for a change in Bihar. Nitish free Bihar.......Bihar first Bihari first.” the 38-year-old leader tweeted. Also read: Bihar polls results a victory of PM Modi, says LJP chief Chirag Paswan. Not only did Chirag Paswan not achieve that target,  his party also registered its worst-ever performance by winning just one seat -- Matihani in Begusarai district -- in the first election he fought without the guidance of his father Ram Vilas Paswan. Paswan senior died after a heart surgery in Delhi, days before the elections in Bihar. So, what did Chirag Paswan achieve?. Chirag had put up 142 candidates, most against JD(U) candidates. The Election Commission’s data shows that the LJP bagged 5.66% votes, which political commentators believe was enough to spoil the chances of JD(U) candidates in close to 25 seats. This dealt a huge blow to 69-year-old Nitish with his party tally coming down to 43 from 71 and BJP, with 74 seats, occupying the seat of the big brother in the state. Also read: 'Secured 6% votes while contesting alone,' says LJP chief Chirag Paswan as party wins one seat. So Nitish, on course for a fourth straight term as CM,  may have survived but is bruised and battered and may not be able to call the shots like before. This, in a way, serves Chirag Paswan's purpose. Now, the question is how will Nitish Kumar respond to Chirag's rebellion. Paswan junior has gone out of his way to sing praises of PM Narendra Modi. "I am Hanuman of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he lives in my heart,” he said. Will this earn him a berth in the union cabinet? Only time will tell. Even while Nitish Kumar is heavily dependent on the BJP post-elections, he would certainly demand the ouster of Chirag Paswan from the NDA. In case the BJP agrees to Nitish’s demand, the LJP chief may have to seek greener pastures, in this case the Mahagathbandhan. If not allowed there too, then it would be a long journey for Chirag like it was for his father late Ram Vilas Paswan in 2005, when he fought two consecutive elections alone. At 38 years of age, Chirag has a lot of time to plan and make a comeback, unlike his film career which ended with just one film called ‘Miley Na Miley’ produced back in 2011, with co star Kangna Ranaut. #ChiragPaswan #LokJanshaktiParty #NitishKumar #BiharElection2020 #Bihar #NDA .

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the Lok Janshakti party chief Chirag Paswan walked out of the NDA in Bihar, he had made his intention clear -- he wanted to see the back of Nitish Kumar as Bihar Chief Minister in the Assembly election 2020. “I appeal to all not to let the vote go to waste. People have given blessings for a change in Bihar. Nitish free Bihar.......Bihar first Bihari first.” the 38-year-old leader tweeted.Also read: <a target=\\\"_blank\\\" rel=\\\"noopener noreferrer\\\" href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/bihar-polls-results-a-victory-of-pm-modi-says-ljp-chief-chirag-paswan-533603/\\\">Bihar polls results a victory of PM Modi, says LJP chief Chirag Paswan</a>Not only did Chirag Paswan not achieve that target,&nbsp; his party also registered its worst-ever performance by winning just one seat -- Matihani in Begusarai district -- in the first election he fought without the guidance of his father Ram Vilas Paswan. Paswan senior died after a heart surgery in Delhi, days before the elections in Bihar.So, what did Chirag Paswan achieve?Chirag had put up 142 candidates, most against JD(U) candidates. The Election Commission’s data shows that the LJP bagged 5.66% votes, which political commentators believe was enough to spoil the chances of JD(U) candidates in close to 25 seats. This dealt a huge blow to 69-year-old Nitish with his party tally coming down to 43 from 71 and BJP, with 74 seats, occupying the seat of the big brother in the state.Also read: <a target=\\\"_blank\\\" rel=\\\"noopener noreferrer\\\" href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/secured-6-votes-while-contesting-alone-says-ljp-chief-chirag-paswan-as-party-wins-one-seat-276907/\\\">'Secured 6% votes while contesting alone,' says LJP chief Chirag Paswan as party wins one seat</a>So Nitish, on course for a fourth straight term as CM,&nbsp; may have survived but is bruised and battered and may not be able to call the shots like before. This, in a way, serves Chirag Paswan's purpose.Now, the question is how will Nitish Kumar respond to Chirag's rebellion. Paswan junior has gone out of his way to sing praises of PM Narendra Modi. \\\"I am Hanuman of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he lives in my heart,” he said. Will this earn him a berth in the union cabinet? Only time will tell.Even while Nitish Kumar is heavily dependent on the BJP post-elections, he would certainly demand the ouster of Chirag Paswan from the NDA. In case the BJP agrees to Nitish’s demand, the LJP chief may have to seek greener pastures, in this case the Mahagathbandhan.If not allowed there too, then it would be a long journey for Chirag like it was for his father late Ram Vilas Paswan in 2005, when he fought two consecutive elections alone.At 38 years of age, Chirag has a lot of time to plan and make a comeback, unlike his film career which ended with just one film called ‘Miley Na Miley’ produced back in 2011, with co star Kangna Ranaut.<a class=\\\"mention\\\" data-mention=\\\"#ChiragPaswan\\\" data-user-id=\\\"09V5taSwtduU\\\" href=\\\"/topic/chirag-paswan\\\">#ChiragPaswan</a> <a class=\\\"mention\\\" data-mention=\\\"#LokJanshaktiParty\\\" data-user-id=\\\"CsZ2ibgti24a\\\" href=\\\"/topic/lok-janshakti-party\\\">#LokJanshaktiParty</a> <a class=\\\"mention\\\" data-mention=\\\"#NitishKumar\\\" data-user-id=\\\"6qzS1kYkZwEl\\\" href=\\\"/topic/nitish-kumar\\\">#NitishKumar</a> <a class=\\\"mention\\\" data-mention=\\\"#BiharElection2020\\\" data-user-id=\\\"BV2zd2QfB7Kx\\\" href=\\\"/topic/bihar-election-2020\\\">#BiharElection2020</a> <a class=\\\"mention\\\" data-mention=\\\"#Bihar\\\" data-user-id=\\\"TX0XR8BClWRB\\\" href=\\\"/topic/bihar\\\">#Bihar</a> <a class=\\\"mention\\\" data-mention=\\\"#NDA\\\" data-user-id=\\\"tG036zzhJOSj\\\" href=\\\"/topic/nda\\\">#NDA</a>&nbsp;\",\"time\":1605149129998,\"strCount\":2587,\"isLegacyPost\":false}

Sami Ahmad

<ul><li>Lok Janshakti Party registered its worst-ever performance by winning just one seat</li><li>Ram Vilas Paswan died after a heart surgery in Delhi, days before the elections in Bihar</li><li>The Election Commission’s data shows that the LJP bagged 5.66% votes</li></ul>

Chirag%20Paswan%27s%20gambit%20fails%20as%20Nitish%20flounders%20but%20survives

ChiragPaswan

LokJanshaktiParty

NitishKumar

BiharElection2020

Bihar

Nitish Kumar has proved to be a gritty survivor. The 69-year-old JD(U) leader is all set to take over as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the 7th time. Born in the Kurmi caste, which comprises just 2% of Bihar's population, this is no mean task.Once called the ‘PM Material’, Nitish Kumar's political career of more than 45 years is marked by social engineering, picking right allies, dumping suspect ones at opportune time and, what critics call, opportunism.The NDA alliance led by now senior partner in the coalition, BJP, has managed a comfortable win for Kumar, winning 125 seats in the 243-member assembly. The JD(U)’s tally, however, has slipped from 71 seats in 2015 to 43 seats this time. Tejashwi Yadav-led RJD has pocketed 75 seats and became the largest party in the state. The Congress, a laggard in the alliance, settled at 19 seats of the 70 it contested and the Left in 11 seats of 29 it fought.Called ‘Chanakya’ of Bihar politics by many, Nitish hasn’t always got what he wanted the easy way, and has found himself to be in situations in the last two decades where he seemed more like an ‘Abhimanyu’.In 1999, he accepted his defeat in a parliamentary election from Barh only to be declared a winner by around 1300 votes after some re-arrangement of vote calculations, defeating RJD’s Vijay Krishna. In 2004 he lost to Vijay Krishna from the same Barh constituency by over 37 thousand votes-- but still reached Parliament winning from Nalanda, his second seat.Nitish Kumar may vouch for “principled” politics now, but year 2000 tells a different story. He made his way to the chief ministership of then undivided Bihar, just two days after his 49th birthday. Bihar governor VN Pandey, with the then Atal Bihai Vajpayee government at centre, enabled Nitish to become the chief minister without his securing majority. He enjoyed his post till March 10, 2000 and then resigned opting out of a floor test.This ‘Butter Masala Dosa’-loving politician is arguably the last of JP's (Jai Prakash Narayan) pupils to survive in Bihar politics, rest all are now out of the picture. Lalu Prasad Yadav is in Jail. Ram Vilas Paswan is no more. Sharad Yadav, though a non-Bihari, has almost vanished from the political scene. Geroge Fernandes, popular in Bihar despite being from Karnataka, was dumped much before his death.Hailed widely as ‘Sushasan Babu’, Nitish is in a peculiar position yet again. Though he has been saved by the BJP from a major defeat at the hands of the political heir of an ex-stalwart, he risks being roughshod by the saffron party, his on-and-off political ally of two decades.So, it is once again an Abhimanyu situation for him.Son of an Ayurveda practitioner and a freedom fighter, Nitish was a sharp student of Mathematics with keen interest in politics. In 1967, he graduated from Bihar College of Engineering (Now an NIT) with a degree in electrical engineering. But, soon moved to political engineering, which further evolved into an interest in social engineering, as he became a member of Ram Manohar Lohia’s youth organization, Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha in 1971.He joined the JP movement of ‘Sampurn Kranti’ in 1974. He went to jail too under MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act) in 1975. His parliamentary career was launched in 1989 and till 2004 he became an MP six consecutive times.Nitish Kumar gives the impression of being a leader who sees ‘beyond caste’, but in 1994, when he was still with Lalu Prasad, he famously organized a big Kurmi rally.  Lalu Prasad summed him up pithily by calling him ‘Pait Mein Dant’ (Teeth in the stomach) for his shrewdness. And when he broke away from ‘Mahagathbandhan’ to form government with BJP, Lalu coined a new term for him-- the ‘Paltu Ram’.Nitish Kumar’s U-turn ways are not limited to his Janta Parivar allies. He has done the same with NDA in the past, breaking away from it in 2013, when BJP announced Narendra Modi as its Prime Minister candidate.There was yet another ‘Paltu Ram’ moment in between 2013 and 2015.After a humiliating defeat in 2014 in Lok Sabha election, he resigned on moral ground and handed over the reins to an old ally Jitan Ram Manjhi, still with the JD(U).But soon he grew uncomfortable with Manjhi’s handling of the government and forced him to resign. It took just nine months for him to shed the ‘moral ground’ plot, and take reins back from Manjhi to become the chief minister again.He showed the same scrupulousness, when he resigned as Bihar CM, in 2017, having been elected in 2015, after Tejashwi Yadav, one of his allies in the grand alliance, was accused of corruption by the NDA.With just 71 JD (U) MLAs, he got an instant support from BJP with its 53 MLAs. Nitish took yet another oath to become Bihar Chief Minister.So, will he take another U-turn if JD(U) is forced to play second fiddle now that his party has got less number of seats compared to the BJP? That is a big question in Bihar and the undisputable answer is known only to Nitish Kumar. #BiharElection2020 #NitishKumar #Bihar #NDA #BJP .

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Kumar has proved to be a gritty survivor. The 69-year-old JD(U) leader is all set to take over as the Chief Minister of Bihar for the 7th time. Born in the Kurmi caste, which comprises just 2% of Bihar's population, this is no mean task. Once called the ‘PM Material’, Nitish Kumar's political career of more than 45 years is marked by social engineering, picking right allies, dumping suspect ones at opportune time and, what critics call, opportunism. The NDA alliance led by now senior partner in the coalition, BJP, has managed a comfortable win for Kumar, winning 125 seats in the 243-member assembly. The JD(U)’s tally, however, has slipped from 71 seats in 2015 to 43 seats this time. Tejashwi Yadav-led RJD has pocketed 75 seats and became the largest party in the state. The Congress, a laggard in the alliance, settled at 19 seats of the 70 it contested and the Left in 11 seats of 29 it fought. Called ‘Chanakya’ of Bihar politics by many, Nitish hasn’t always got what he wanted the easy way, and has found himself to be in situations in the last two decades where he seemed more like an ‘Abhimanyu’. In 1999, he accepted his defeat in a parliamentary election from Barh only to be declared a winner by around 1300 votes after some re-arrangement of vote calculations, defeating RJD’s Vijay Krishna. In 2004 he lost to Vijay Krishna from the same Barh constituency by over 37 thousand votes-- but still reached Parliament winning from Nalanda, his second seat. Nitish Kumar may vouch for “principled” politics now, but year 2000 tells a different story. He made his way to the chief ministership of then undivided Bihar, just two days after his 49th birthday. Bihar governor VN Pandey, with the then Atal Bihai Vajpayee government at centre, enabled Nitish to become the chief minister without his securing majority. He enjoyed his post till March 10, 2000 and then resigned opting out of a floor test. This ‘Butter Masala Dosa’-loving politician is arguably the last of JP's (Jai Prakash Narayan) pupils to survive in Bihar politics, rest all are now out of the picture. Lalu Prasad Yadav is in Jail. Ram Vilas Paswan is no more. Sharad Yadav, though a non-Bihari, has almost vanished from the political scene. Geroge Fernandes, popular in Bihar despite being from Karnataka, was dumped much before his death. Hailed widely as ‘Sushasan Babu’, Nitish is in a peculiar position yet again. Though he has been saved by the BJP from a major defeat at the hands of the political heir of an ex-stalwart, he risks being roughshod by the saffron party, his on-and-off political ally of two decades. So, it is once again an Abhimanyu situation for him. Son of an Ayurveda practitioner and a freedom fighter, Nitish was a sharp student of Mathematics with keen interest in politics. In 1967, he graduated from Bihar College of Engineering (Now an NIT) with a degree in electrical engineering. But, soon moved to political engineering, which further evolved into an interest in social engineering, as he became a member of Ram Manohar Lohia’s youth organization, Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha in 1971. He joined the JP movement of ‘Sampurn Kranti’ in 1974. He went to jail too under MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act) in 1975. His parliamentary career was launched in 1989 and till 2004 he became an MP six consecutive times. Nitish Kumar gives the impression of being a leader who sees ‘beyond caste’, but in 1994, when he was still with Lalu Prasad, he famously organized a big Kurmi rally.&nbsp; Lalu Prasad summed him up pithily by calling him ‘Pait Mein Dant’ (Teeth in the stomach) for his shrewdness. And when he broke away from ‘Mahagathbandhan’ to form government with BJP, Lalu coined a new term for him-- the ‘Paltu Ram’. Nitish Kumar’s U-turn ways are not limited to his Janta Parivar allies. He has done the same with NDA in the past, breaking away from it in 2013, when BJP announced Narendra Modi as its Prime Minister candidate. There was yet another ‘Paltu Ram’ moment in between 2013 and 2015. After a humiliating defeat in 2014 in Lok Sabha election, he resigned on moral ground and handed over the reins to an old ally Jitan Ram Manjhi, still with the JD(U). But soon he grew uncomfortable with Manjhi’s handling of the government and forced him to resign. It took just nine months for him to shed the ‘moral ground’ plot, and take reins back from Manjhi to become the chief minister again. He showed the same scrupulousness, when he resigned as Bihar CM, in 2017, having been elected in 2015, after Tejashwi Yadav, one of his allies in the grand alliance, was accused of corruption by the NDA. With just 71 JD (U) MLAs, he got an instant support from BJP with its 53 MLAs. Nitish took yet another oath to become Bihar Chief Minister. So, will he take another U-turn if JD(U) is forced to play second fiddle now that his party has got less number of seats compared to the BJP? That is a big question in Bihar and the undisputable answer is known only to Nitish Kumar.<a class=\\\"mention\\\" data-mention=\\\"#BiharElection2020\\\" data-user-id=\\\"BV2zd2QfB7Kx\\\" href=\\\"/topic/bihar-election-2020\\\">#BiharElection2020</a> <a class=\\\"mention\\\" data-mention=\\\"#NitishKumar\\\" data-user-id=\\\"6qzS1kYkZwEl\\\" href=\\\"/topic/nitish-kumar\\\">#NitishKumar</a> <a class=\\\"mention\\\" data-mention=\\\"#Bihar\\\" data-user-id=\\\"TX0XR8BClWRB\\\" href=\\\"/topic/bihar\\\">#Bihar</a> <a class=\\\"mention\\\" data-mention=\\\"#NDA\\\" data-user-id=\\\"tG036zzhJOSj\\\" href=\\\"/topic/nda\\\">#NDA</a> <a class=\\\"mention\\\" data-mention=\\\"#BJP\\\" data-user-id=\\\"cqfihWqpWO59\\\" href=\\\"/topic/bjp\\\">#BJP</a>&nbsp;\",\"time\":1605068298990,\"strCount\":5024,\"isLegacyPost\":false}

<ul><li>Once called the ‘PM Material’, Nitish Kumar's political career of more than 45 years is marked by social engineering and picking the right allies</li><li>The NDA alliance led by now a senior partner in the coalition, BJP, has managed a comfortable win for Kumar</li><li>The JD(U)’s tally, however, has slipped from 71 seats in 2015 to 43 seats this time</li></ul>

Nitish%20Kumar%2C%20the%20shrewd%20survivor

Lalu Prasad’s son Tejashwi Yadav, who was considered a political novice just a few months back, emerged as a dark horse but lost in the last leg of the poll race to Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance in Bihar. The ruling alliance sailed past the majority with 125 seats, while the grand alliance led by Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Yadav had to settle for 110 seats. The RJD, however, emerged as the largest party in the state. For Tejashwi Yadav, this election was more than grabbing the power of the state. It also meant establishing himself as the legitimate heir of Lalu Yadav, who ruled Bihar for 15 years and is now serving a jail term in Jharkhand following his conviction in a case related to a fodder scam in Bihar. Tejashwi, in fact, strategically kept father Lalu out of his campaigns, even refusing to defend him openly and in some cases apologising for the mistakes during his father’s tenure. If Lalu Prasad pitched for social justice when he began, Tejashwi made economic justice his unique selling point. In RJD’s first assembly election minus Lalu Prasad, Tejashwi made unemployment in the state an election issue to accuse the Nitish Kumar government of ignoring youths and promoting migration. He did manage to breach Fort JD(U) but the BJP’s reinforcement pulled the strings of his victory march. When Tejashwi started off, not many were convinced about his ability as a leader, he played second fiddle to the Congress in the 2015 elections. However, a few weeks before the polling in October, he emerged from his cloak of an underdog and took control with his million-jobs promise becoming a talking point. He drew a major crowd at his poll rallies with his 'Bihari Yuva' pitch that resonated well with young voters in the state. Tejashwi, unlike his father, carefully chose his enemies, and friends too. Gauging the current equation between Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Lok Janshakti Party chief Chirag Paswan, the RJD leader maintained a cordial “Bade Bhai” relationship with Chirag Paswan. All exit polls gave a massive mandate to the grand alliance led by Tejashwi. Early trends also favoured the RJD chief but the party fell back to 75 seats out of 144 it fought as the counting progressed. Though the party failed to gain the majority but the fight itself established Tejashwi Yadav’s authority in his party. At the start of the election announcement, all poll surveys put him much behind. But now his biggest introduction has changed from Lalu Prasad’s youngest son to a prominent leader in the state. His team tried to make Tejaswhi a man of his own and he succeeded in it with his solo picture on RJD’s poll posters. RJD was known to be an M-Y (Muslim-Yadav) party but Tejashwi renamed it as A to Z party which is above caste, religion, and sexes. Though Tejashwi could not finish his schooling, he got his political training straight from his parents Lalu and Rabri Devi, both ex-chief ministers of Bihar. Tejashwi served as deputy Chief Minister of Bihar for 18 months with Nitish Kumar after the huge win in 2015. Leading the Mahagathbandhan with the Congress, Tejashwi brought in the Left parties for the first time in its fold, a feat which even Lalu could have envied. He was reluctant to go to the polls due to the Covid-19 pandemic but as soon as the dates of the election were announced, he did not look back. His poll strategy team swung in action for the virtual and actual rallies. Tejashwi started to pull a crowd much more than expected. And after the famous job promise, he became the flavour of the season attracting youths in thousands at his rallies. He addressed as many as 19 rallies in a day and finished with a tally of 251, breaking the record of his father Lalu Yadav, who had addressed 243 rallies in 2015. Tejashwi had opponents like PM Modi and three-time Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and was attacked with all sorts of barbs including the one by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Jungle ke Yuvraj’, but he remained undeterred and held on to his economic progress plank. A rather sober politician, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also attacked his parents over the number of siblings he has but Tejaswi responded with humility addressing him as aadarniya (Respected) and Chacha (uncle). He fumbled once by stating ‘Babu sahab’ referring to a particular caste but his team covered up and he was quick to do the damage control. Back on November 3, 2017, a visibly upset Tejashwi Yadav had written a post how “Aadarniy Nitish Chacha” had allegedly planned his political assassination by putting out his photograph with a girl that was taken in 2010. He claimed that the picture was taken in an ‘after match party’, and added that though the post was done by his spookies, it was Nitish Kumar who engineered that. At that time Nitish Kumar had parted ways with RJD. Nitish Kumar’s spokesperson had started an all out attack against his deputy for 18 months. Tejashwi Yadav is a changed politician now. He has learned how to reply, duck and deflect a question. Earlier this month, in an interview with Opoyi, he smartly skipped the question of the impact of Lalu’s absence in the election campaign saying that it is the party, which fights the election. It is to be seen how Tejashwi Yadav, being the leader of the largest party in the state, contributes to a constructive Opposition in Bihar. #BiharElection2020 #TejashwiYadav #LaluPrasadYadav #NitishKumar #BJP #RJD .

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0in%20its%20fold%2C%20a%20feat%20which%20even%20Lalu%20could%20have%20envied.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"blockLen\":218,\"data\":{\"text\":\"He%20was%20reluctant%20to%20go%20to%20the%20polls%20due%20to%20the%20Covid-19%20pandemic%20but%20as%20soon%20as%20the%20dates%20of%20the%20election%20were%20announced%2C%20he%20did%20not%20look%20back.%20His%20poll%20strategy%20team%20swung%20in%20action%20for%20the%20virtual%20and%20actual%20rallies.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"blockLen\":337,\"data\":{\"text\":\"Tejashwi%20started%20to%20pull%20a%20crowd%20much%20more%20than%20expected.%20And%20after%20the%20famous%20job%20promise%2C%20he%20became%20the%20flavour%20of%20the%20season%20attracting%20youths%20in%20thousands%20at%20his%20rallies.%20He%20addressed%20as%20many%20as%2019%20rallies%20in%20a%20day%20and%20finished%20with%20a%20tally%20of%20251%2C%20breaking%20the%20record%20of%20his%20father%20Lalu%20Yadav%2C%20who%20had%20addressed%20243%20rallies%20in%202015.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"blockLen\":262,\"data\":{\"text\":\"Tejashwi%20had%20opponents%20like%20PM%20Modi%20and%20three-time%20Chief%20Minister%20Nitish%20Kumar%20and%20was%20attacked%20with%20all%20sorts%20of%20barbs%20including%20the%20one%20by%20Prime%20Minister%20Narendra%20Modi%u2019s%20%u2018Jungle%20ke%20Yuvraj%u2019%2C%20but%20he%20remained%20undeterred%20and%20held%20on%20to%20his%20economic%20progress%20plank.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"blockLen\":350,\"data\":{\"text\":\"A%20rather%20sober%20politician%2C%20Chief%20Minister%20Nitish%20Kumar%20also%20attacked%20his%20parents%20over%20the%20number%20of%20siblings%20he%20has%20but%20Tejaswi%20responded%20with%20humility%20addressing%20him%20as%20aadarniya%20%28Respected%29%20and%20Chacha%20%28uncle%29.%20He%20fumbled%20once%20by%20stating%20%u2018Babu%20sahab%u2019%20referring%20to%20a%20particular%20caste%20but%20his%20team%20covered%20up%20and%20he%20was%20quick%20to%20do%20the%20damage%20control.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"blockLen\":527,\"data\":{\"text\":\"Back%20on%20November%203%2C%202017%2C%20a%20visibly%20upset%20Tejashwi%20Yadav%20had%20written%20a%20post%20how%20%u201CAadarniy%20Nitish%20Chacha%u201D%20had%20allegedly%20planned%20his%20political%20assassination%20by%20putting%20out%20his%20photograph%20with%20a%20girl%20that%20was%20taken%20in%202010.%20He%20claimed%20that%20the%20picture%20was%20taken%20in%20an%20%u2018after%20match%20party%u2019%2C%20and%20added%20that%20though%20the%20post%20was%20done%20by%20his%20spookies%2C%20it%20was%20Nitish%20Kumar%20who%20engineered%20that.%20At%20that%20time%20Nitish%20Kumar%20had%20parted%20ways%20with%20RJD.%20Nitish%20Kumar%u2019s%20spokesperson%20had%20started%20an%20all%20out%20attack%20against%20his%20deputy%20for%2018%20months.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"blockLen\":294,\"data\":{\"text\":\"Tejashwi%20Yadav%20is%20a%20changed%20politician%20now.%20He%20has%20learned%20how%20to%20reply%2C%20duck%20and%20deflect%20a%20question.%20Earlier%20this%20month%2C%20in%20an%20interview%20with%20Opoyi%2C%20he%20smartly%20skipped%20the%20question%20of%20the%20impact%20of%20Lalu%u2019s%20absence%20in%20the%20election%20campaign%20saying%20that%20it%20is%20the%20party%2C%20which%20fights%20the%20election.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"blockLen\":139,\"data\":{\"text\":\"It%20is%20to%20be%20seen%20how%20Tejashwi%20Yadav%2C%20being%20the%20leader%20of%20the%20largest%20party%20in%20the%20state%2C%20contributes%20to%20a%20constructive%20Opposition%20in%20Bihar.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"blockLen\":74,\"data\":{\"text\":\"%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23BiharElection2020%22%20data-user-id%3D%22BV2zd2QfB7Kx%22%20href%3D%22/topic/bihar-election-2020%22%3E%23BiharElection2020%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23TejashwiYadav%22%20data-user-id%3D%2242LF5CuYoO3t%22%20href%3D%22/topic/tejashwi-yadav%22%3E%23TejashwiYadav%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23LaluPrasadYadav%22%20data-user-id%3D%2279O2uuXtRR59%22%20href%3D%22/topic/lalu-yadav%22%3E%23LaluPrasadYadav%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23NitishKumar%22%20data-user-id%3D%226qzS1kYkZwEl%22%20href%3D%22/topic/nitish-kumar%22%3E%23NitishKumar%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23BJP%22%20data-user-id%3D%22cqfihWqpWO59%22%20href%3D%22/topic/bjp%22%3E%23BJP%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23RJD%22%20data-user-id%3D%22o8dyCkCeGRfw%22%20href%3D%22/topic/rjd%22%3E%23RJD%3C/a%3E%26nbsp%3B\"}}],\"rawState\":\"Lalu Prasad’s son Tejashwi Yadav, who was considered a political novice just a few months back, emerged as a dark horse but lost in the last leg of the poll race to Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance in Bihar. The ruling alliance sailed past the majority with 125 seats, while the grand alliance led by Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Yadav had to settle for 110 seats. The RJD, however, emerged as the largest party in the state.For Tejashwi Yadav, this election was more than grabbing the power of the state. It also meant establishing himself as the legitimate heir of Lalu Yadav, who ruled Bihar for 15 years and is now serving a jail term in Jharkhand following his conviction in a case related to a fodder scam in Bihar.Tejashwi, in fact, strategically kept father Lalu out of his campaigns, even refusing to defend him openly and in some cases apologising for the mistakes during his father’s tenure. If Lalu Prasad pitched for social justice when he began, Tejashwi made economic justice his unique selling point.In RJD’s first assembly election minus Lalu Prasad, Tejashwi made unemployment in the state an election issue to accuse the Nitish Kumar government of ignoring youths and promoting migration. He did manage to breach Fort JD(U) but the BJP’s reinforcement pulled the strings of his victory march.When Tejashwi started off, not many were convinced about his ability as a leader, he played second fiddle to the Congress in the 2015 elections. However, a few weeks before the polling in October, he emerged from his cloak of an underdog and took control with his million-jobs promise becoming a talking point. He drew a major crowd at his poll rallies with his 'Bihari Yuva' pitch that resonated well with young voters in the state.Tejashwi, unlike his father, carefully chose his enemies, and friends too. Gauging the current equation between Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Lok Janshakti Party chief Chirag Paswan, the RJD leader maintained a cordial “Bade Bhai” relationship with Chirag Paswan.All exit polls gave a massive mandate to the grand alliance led by Tejashwi. Early trends also favoured the RJD chief but the party fell back to 75 seats out of 144 it fought as the counting progressed. Though the party failed to gain the majority but the fight itself established Tejashwi Yadav’s authority in his party. At the start of the election announcement, all poll surveys put him much behind. But now his biggest introduction has changed from Lalu Prasad’s youngest son to a prominent leader in the state. His team tried to make Tejaswhi a man of his own and he succeeded in it with his solo picture on RJD’s poll posters.RJD was known to be an M-Y (Muslim-Yadav) party but Tejashwi renamed it as A to Z party which is above caste, religion, and sexes.Though Tejashwi could not finish his schooling, he got his political training straight from his parents Lalu and Rabri Devi, both ex-chief ministers of Bihar. Tejashwi served as deputy Chief Minister of Bihar for 18 months with Nitish Kumar after the huge win in 2015.Leading the Mahagathbandhan with the Congress, Tejashwi brought in the Left parties for the first time in its fold, a feat which even Lalu could have envied.He was reluctant to go to the polls due to the Covid-19 pandemic but as soon as the dates of the election were announced, he did not look back. His poll strategy team swung in action for the virtual and actual rallies.Tejashwi started to pull a crowd much more than expected. And after the famous job promise, he became the flavour of the season attracting youths in thousands at his rallies. He addressed as many as 19 rallies in a day and finished with a tally of 251, breaking the record of his father Lalu Yadav, who had addressed 243 rallies in 2015.Tejashwi had opponents like PM Modi and three-time Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and was attacked with all sorts of barbs including the one by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Jungle ke Yuvraj’, but he remained undeterred and held on to his economic progress plank.A rather sober politician, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also attacked his parents over the number of siblings he has but Tejaswi responded with humility addressing him as aadarniya (Respected) and Chacha (uncle). He fumbled once by stating ‘Babu sahab’ referring to a particular caste but his team covered up and he was quick to do the damage control.Back on November 3, 2017, a visibly upset Tejashwi Yadav had written a post how “Aadarniy Nitish Chacha” had allegedly planned his political assassination by putting out his photograph with a girl that was taken in 2010. He claimed that the picture was taken in an ‘after match party’, and added that though the post was done by his spookies, it was Nitish Kumar who engineered that. At that time Nitish Kumar had parted ways with RJD. Nitish Kumar’s spokesperson had started an all out attack against his deputy for 18 months.Tejashwi Yadav is a changed politician now. He has learned how to reply, duck and deflect a question. Earlier this month, in an interview with Opoyi, he smartly skipped the question of the impact of Lalu’s absence in the election campaign saying that it is the party, which fights the election.It is to be seen how Tejashwi Yadav, being the leader of the largest party in the state, contributes to a constructive Opposition in Bihar.<a class=\\\"mention\\\" data-mention=\\\"#BiharElection2020\\\" data-user-id=\\\"BV2zd2QfB7Kx\\\" href=\\\"/topic/bihar-election-2020\\\">#BiharElection2020</a> <a class=\\\"mention\\\" data-mention=\\\"#TejashwiYadav\\\" data-user-id=\\\"42LF5CuYoO3t\\\" href=\\\"/topic/tejashwi-yadav\\\">#TejashwiYadav</a> <a class=\\\"mention\\\" data-mention=\\\"#LaluPrasadYadav\\\" data-user-id=\\\"79O2uuXtRR59\\\" href=\\\"/topic/lalu-yadav\\\">#LaluPrasadYadav</a> <a class=\\\"mention\\\" data-mention=\\\"#NitishKumar\\\" data-user-id=\\\"6qzS1kYkZwEl\\\" href=\\\"/topic/nitish-kumar\\\">#NitishKumar</a> <a class=\\\"mention\\\" data-mention=\\\"#BJP\\\" data-user-id=\\\"cqfihWqpWO59\\\" href=\\\"/topic/bjp\\\">#BJP</a> <a class=\\\"mention\\\" data-mention=\\\"#RJD\\\" data-user-id=\\\"o8dyCkCeGRfw\\\" href=\\\"/topic/rjd\\\">#RJD</a>&nbsp;\",\"time\":1605067613149,\"strCount\":5404,\"isLegacyPost\":false}

<ul><li>Lalu Prasad’s son Tejashwi Yadav emerged as a dark horse in Bihar elections</li><li>However, Yadav-led Mahagathbandhan lost in the last leg of the poll race to Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance</li><li>The ruling alliance sailed past the majority with 125 seats, while the grand alliance led by RJD’s Yadav had to settle for 110 seats</li></ul>

Tejashwi%27s%20bid%20to%20recast%20Lalu%27s%20RJD%20remains%20a%20work%20in%20progress%20

TejashwiYadav

LaluPrasadYadav

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav is drawing crowds and his rallies are much talked about in the first assembly election he is fighting without the guidance of his father Lalu Prasad. But, the way this former deputy chief minister of Bihar works the crowd, engages them and regales them with one-liners brings back memories of Lalu in his heydays.,An intelligent communicator, Tejashwi is running the poll show this time -- picking candidates, overseeing the campaign, addressing rallies and engaging rivals. Opoyi caught up with him at his 10, Circular Road residence in Patna, which was throbbing with action at 10 PM on Sunday. A good number of RJD supporters could be seen waiting under a tin shed outside for their leader to return from the poll campaign and inside senior leaders are waiting for his return to discuss issues.,Speaking to Opoyi, Tejashwi detailed his vision for Bihar, his counter of PM Modi's 'Jungle raj ka yuvraj' barb and his views on his opponents among other things. Here are some excerpts from the interview:,This is the first election the RJD is fighting without Lalu Prasad. What is the impact of his absence?,The election is fought by the party. The party is fighting the election all on its own. I am not alone. We are raising issues in a positive way. What Bihar needs these days is Padhai, Dawai, Kamai, Sinchai, Sunwai, Karwai. (Bihar needs education, medical facilities, jobs, irrigation facilities, forum to raise and redress problems). We are focusing on farmer issues, migration issues, closed factories issues. There is 15 years of anti-incumbency. Bihar did not get anything from this double engine government. No special status, no special package. Eighty-five lakh people were affected as 18 districts were flooded but no central team came to at least see the situation. But despite this they are asking for votes. During the Corona crisis, labourers were charged for their journey. Forty trains went missing, trains for Patna went to Puri. If you see all these things, you will realise that people are very anguished.,Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/in-bihar-migrants-feel-let-down-by-govt-but-caste-loyalty-may-persist">In Bihar, migrants feel let down by govt but caste loyalty may persist</a>,How do you counter the allegations of ‘Family Raj’ and ‘jungle raj ka Yuvraj’ levelled by the Prime Minister and other opponents?,I don’t need to counter that. People of Bihar have seen me as a deputy chief minister. I challenge them to find any problem with my 18-month work as deputy chief minister. See, they want to remain caught in the pages of history. I am caring for the present and looking at the future.,How do you view LJP suddenly parting ways with JD(U) but staying on in the NDA at the centre?,That is their politics. That shows that everything is not okay within the NDA. Obviously, Chirag has been saying that he is Modi ji’s Hanuman and he will be with BJP.,Chirag Paswan has called you his ‘younger brother’. Do you think this bonhomie will result in any post-poll arrangement?,We have a very good relationship. Actually, my family, my dad had a very good relationship with the late Ram Vilas Paswan Ji. That family relation is still there but politically, there is nothing to read. When Chirag Paswan ji has clarified that if people are thinking that LJP would go with RJD, that is foolish. I think that he will stick with the BJP. So, there is no point talking about this.,Why do you think people should vote for you, what is your USP?,I have been raising the issues. I have been fighting for what Bihar requires. What they need.,Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/stepping-out-of-lalus-shadow-can-tejashwi-yadav-clinch-victory-in-bihar-polls-1">Stepping out of Lalu's shadow, can Tejashwi Yadav clinch victory in Bihar polls?</a>,What do you mean by RJD being an A to Z party? Earlier it was known for its MY equation.,A to Z party is for everyone. A party for Bihar’s 12 crore people. Across the caste, religion and sex.,How is poll work divided between you and your brother Tej?,The people are handling it. This is not the first time. This is the second time. We have the experience. I have to campaign all over, he is taking care of his constituency.,Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now?,Actually I have not thought about when I will be 41. Mostly, I have been thinking if I will get a responsibility I will do what Bihar needs.,Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/seat-pact-stitched-up-but-rjd-congress-have-a-tough-challenge-to-repeat-2015-performance">Seat pact stitched up, but RJD-Congress have a tough challenge to repeat 2015 performance</a>,We all know election days are very hectic, how do you unwind at the end of a busy day?,These days, I hardly get time to do anything, I am up till 2-3 am in the night and I get up at around 7 am in the morning. So, as soon as I hit the bed, I fall asleep. I am doing around 19 rallies a day so the hectic schedule makes up for exercise. All the sprints and strides are done there in the rallies.,Which was the last book you read in recent times?,It has been quite some time since I read a book. But the last book I read was on Ram Manohar Lohia.

{\"time\":1604410154710,\"strCount\":5315,\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"\\n\\nRashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav is drawing crowds and his rallies are much talked about in the first assembly election he is fighting without the guidance of his father Lalu Prasad. But, the way this former deputy chief minister of Bihar works the crowd, engages them and regales them with one-liners brings back memories of Lalu in his heydays.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"An intelligent communicator, Tejashwi is running the poll show this time -- picking candidates, overseeing the campaign, addressing rallies and engaging rivals. Opoyi caught up with him at his 10, Circular Road residence in Patna, which was throbbing with action at 10 PM on Sunday. A good number of RJD supporters could be seen waiting under a tin shed outside for their leader to return from the poll campaign and inside senior leaders are waiting for his return to discuss issues.\"}},{\"type\":\"embed\",\"data\":{\"service\":\"youtube\",\"source\":\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3Mx-RlN7fs&feature=youtu.be\",\"embed\":\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/s3Mx-RlN7fs?\",\"caption\":\"\",\"aspectRatio\":null}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Speaking to Opoyi, Tejashwi detailed his vision for Bihar, his counter of PM Modi's 'Jungle raj ka yuvraj' barb and his views on his opponents among other things. Here are some excerpts from the interview:\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"This is the first election the RJD is fighting without Lalu Prasad. What is the impact of his absence?\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The election is fought by the party. The party is fighting the election all on its own. I am not alone. We are raising issues in a positive way. What Bihar needs these days is Padhai, Dawai, Kamai, Sinchai, Sunwai, Karwai. (Bihar needs education, medical facilities, jobs, irrigation facilities, forum to raise and redress problems). We are focusing on farmer issues, migration issues, closed factories issues. There is 15 years of anti-incumbency. Bihar did not get anything from this double engine government. No special status, no special package. Eighty-five lakh people were affected as 18 districts were flooded but no central team came to at least see the situation. But despite this they are asking for votes. During the Corona crisis, labourers were charged for their journey. Forty trains went missing, trains for Patna went to Puri. If you see all these things, you will realise that people are very anguished.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also Read |&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/in-bihar-migrants-feel-let-down-by-govt-but-caste-loyalty-may-persist-384453/\\\">In Bihar, migrants feel let down by govt but caste loyalty may persist</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"How do you counter the allegations of ‘Family Raj’ and ‘jungle raj ka Yuvraj’ levelled by the Prime Minister and other opponents?\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"I don’t need to counter that. People of Bihar have seen me as a deputy chief minister. I challenge them to find any problem with my 18-month work as deputy chief minister. See, they want to remain caught in the pages of history. I am caring for the present and looking at the future.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"How do you view LJP suddenly parting ways with JD(U) but staying on in the NDA at the centre?\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"That is their politics. That shows that everything is not okay within the NDA. Obviously, Chirag has been saying that he is Modi ji’s Hanuman and he will be with BJP.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Chirag Paswan has called you his ‘younger brother’. Do you think this bonhomie will result in any post-poll arrangement?\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"We have a very good relationship. Actually, my family, my dad had a very good relationship with the late Ram Vilas Paswan Ji. That family relation is still there but politically, there is nothing to read. When Chirag Paswan ji has clarified that if people are thinking that LJP would go with RJD, that is foolish. I think that he will stick with the BJP. So, there is no point talking about this.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Why do you think people should vote for you, what is your USP?\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"I have been raising the issues. I have been fighting for what Bihar requires. What they need.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also Read |&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/stepping-out-of-lalus-shadow-can-tejashwi-yadav-clinch-victory-in-bihar-polls-234406/\\\">Stepping out of Lalu's shadow, can Tejashwi Yadav clinch victory in Bihar polls?</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"What do you mean by RJD being an A to Z party? Earlier it was known for its MY equation.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"A to Z party is for everyone. A party for Bihar’s 12 crore people. Across the caste, religion and sex.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"How is poll work divided between you and your brother Tej?\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The people are handling it. This is not the first time. This is the second time. We have the experience. I have to campaign all over, he is taking care of his constituency.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now?\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Actually I have not thought about when I will be 41. Mostly, I have been thinking if I will get a responsibility I will do what Bihar needs.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also Read |&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/seat-pact-stitched-up-but-rjd-congress-have-a-tough-challenge-to-repeat-2015-performance-153255/\\\">Seat pact stitched up, but RJD-Congress have a tough challenge to repeat 2015 performance</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"We all know election days are very hectic, how do you unwind at the end of a busy day?\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"These days, I hardly get time to do anything, I am up till 2-3 am in the night and I get up at around 7 am in the morning. So, as soon as I hit the bed, I fall asleep. I am doing around 19 rallies a day so the hectic schedule makes up for exercise. All the sprints and strides are done there in the rallies.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Which was the last book you read in recent times?\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"It has been quite some time since I read a book. But the last book I read was on Ram Manohar Lohia.\\n\\n\"}}]}

<ul>
 <li>RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav is drawing crowds ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections</li>
 <li>This is the first assembly election he is fighting without the guidance of his father Lalu Prasad</li>
 <li>Opoyi caught up with him at his 10, Circular Road residence in Patna amid all preparations</li>
</ul>

Opoyi Central

'They are caught in the past, I think about present and future': Tejashwi on 'yuvraj' barb

BiharAssemblySeats2020

Election

Elections

Politcs

India

Bihar is gearing up to witness Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first-ever election rally on Friday after the COVID-19 pandemic. He is all set to address two rallies in the south Bihar cities of Gaya and Sasaram while his third rally is slated to be in the eastern region of the state. ,Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is also set to visit two places Kahalgaon and Hisua for Bihar election rally. ,According to sources, PM Modi would be addressing a dozen such rallies while Gandhi  would attend six rallies, two each in three phases.,PM Modi on Thursday night tweeted about his rallies in Bihar. He wrote, "Tomorrow I will get an opportunity to be with my brothers and sisters from Bihar. I will address rallies in Sasaram, Gaya and Bhagalpur. During this time, I will put the development agenda of the NDA in front of the people and seek blessings for our alliance.",Aurangabad MP Sushil Kumar Singh expects that PM Modi would address the key issues of development, national security and poor welfare apart from other issues.&nbsp;,Talking to Opoyi, Singh told that there is a huge enthusiasm for PM’s rally.&nbsp;,The big question being discussed in Bihar is that what would be the poll slogan of PM Modi as Bihar BJP came up with a resolve to provide 19 lakh jobs seemingly in response to Grand Alliance’s chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav’s promise to provide 10 lakh jobs in Bihar.,In Bihar, employment has become a poll issue after RJD’s announcement of 10 lakh jobs. BJP too has resolved to create four lakh government and 14 lakh non government jobs. Interestingly, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar of JDU and deputy CM Sushil  Kumar Modi of BJP had ridiculed this employment promise and asked the source of money for this  purpose. ,According to a newspaper advertisement by the BJP, it has been announced that PM Modi’s programmes would be broadcasted live to one hundred 'maidans' of each rally centre. Candidates and supporters of around six dozen assembly constituencies are expected to attend the two election rallies.,Gaya-based senior journalist Abdul  Qadir says that COVID-19 has dampened the mood of the voters. He says that there is a restriction on the number of attendants for the rally and it would be tough for the administration to ensure social distancing. He pointed out that in a rally attended by BJP chief JP Nadda, social distance norm was thrown to the wind and an FIR  was registered too.&nbsp;,On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi’s rallies are being organised at two smaller places where crowd controlling might not be an issue. He is expected to enthuse his party workers attacking the PM Modi’s policies. Senior Congress leader Rashid Hussain says that rural area is being focused this time. He says that Rahul Gandhi would explain party’s vision for Bihar. ‘He may also speak on the employment issue in Bihar. He would also question the central government’s handling of COVID-19 and distribution of yet to be finalised vaccine. His presence would help the Mahagathbandhan a lot. ,Meanwhile, there are concerns over the laxity in following the norms set for such rallies in view of COVID-19. Rashid says that it would be tough to count the number of attendants in a political rally. It is up to the Election Commission to take care of that to ensure safety as it was advised by the opposition parties not hold election in the prevailing situation.

{\"time\":1603425028956,\"strCount\":3380,\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Bihar is gearing up to witness Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first-ever election rally on Friday after the COVID-19 pandemic. He is all set to address two rallies in the south Bihar cities of Gaya and Sasaram while his third rally is slated to be in the eastern region of the state. \"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is also set to visit two places Kahalgaon and Hisua for Bihar election rally. \"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"According to sources, PM Modi would be addressing a dozen such rallies while Gandhi  would attend six rallies, two each in three phases.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"PM Modi on Thursday night tweeted about his rallies in Bihar. He wrote, \\\"Tomorrow I will get an opportunity to be with my brothers and sisters from Bihar. I will address rallies in Sasaram, Gaya and Bhagalpur. During this time, I will put the development agenda of the NDA in front of the people and seek blessings for our alliance.\\\"\"}},{\"type\":\"embed\",\"data\":{\"service\":\"twitter\",\"source\":\"https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1319290685384617987\",\"embed\":\"narendramodi/status/1319290685384617987\",\"width\":520,\"height\":300,\"caption\":\"\",\"aspectRatio\":173.33333333333334}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Aurangabad MP Sushil Kumar Singh expects that PM Modi would address the key issues of development, national security and poor welfare apart from other issues.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Talking to Opoyi, Singh told that there is a huge enthusiasm for PM’s rally.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The big question being discussed in Bihar is that what would be the poll slogan of PM Modi as Bihar BJP came up with a resolve to provide 19 lakh jobs seemingly in response to Grand Alliance’s chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav’s promise to provide 10 lakh jobs in Bihar.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"In Bihar, employment has become a poll issue after RJD’s announcement of 10 lakh jobs. BJP too has resolved to create four lakh government and 14 lakh non government jobs. Interestingly, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar of JDU and deputy CM Sushil  Kumar Modi of BJP had ridiculed this employment promise and asked the source of money for this  purpose. \"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"According to a newspaper advertisement by the BJP, it has been announced that PM Modi’s programmes would be broadcasted live to one hundred 'maidans' of each rally centre. Candidates and supporters of around six dozen assembly constituencies are expected to attend the two election rallies.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Gaya-based senior journalist Abdul  Qadir says that COVID-19 has dampened the mood of the voters. He says that there is a restriction on the number of attendants for the rally and it would be tough for the administration to ensure social distancing. He pointed out that in a rally attended by BJP chief JP Nadda, social distance norm was thrown to the wind and an FIR  was registered too.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi’s rallies are being organised at two smaller places where crowd controlling might not be an issue. He is expected to enthuse his party workers attacking the PM Modi’s policies. Senior Congress leader Rashid Hussain says that rural area is being focused this time. He says that Rahul Gandhi would explain party’s vision for Bihar. ‘He may also speak on the employment issue in Bihar. He would also question the central government’s handling of COVID-19 and distribution of yet to be finalised vaccine. His presence would help the Mahagathbandhan a lot. \"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Meanwhile, there are concerns over the laxity in following the norms set for such rallies in view of COVID-19. Rashid says that it would be tough to count the number of attendants in a political rally. It is up to the Election Commission to take care of that to ensure safety as it was advised by the opposition parties not hold election in the prevailing situation.\"}}]}

Chandandeep Kour

<ul>
 <li>PM Modi will address three rallies in Bihar</li>
 <li>Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is also set to visit two places Kahalgaon and Hisua</li>
 <li>PM Modi on Thursday night tweeted about his rallies in Bihar</li>
</ul>

A day of mega rallies in Bihar:  PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi to address poll meetings today

NarendraModi

RahulGandhi

Congress

For the past 27 years, Jogi Bhuiyan worked as a cook in Punjab's Jalandhar and earned just about enough to keep the home fires burning. The COVID-19 pandemic that struck in March, and the subsequent lockdown, uprooted him and his family of seven and forced him to retrace the journey back to his roots in Bihar's Dumaria. Bhuiyan was one of the estimated 40 lakh migrant workers who was forced to return when the lockdown closed businesses and snatched livelihoods. The initial sense of relief over being in familiar environs amid the deadly pandemic was soon replaced with concern over how to survive and where the next meal would come from. Many looked to the Nitish Kumar government with hope. Some felt that Kumar, seeking a fourth straight term as chief minister in the upcoming assembly polls, was found wanting in his response. Ashok Singh, a senior secretary at Indian National Trade Union Congress, says that the Nitish government has shown apathy towards the migrants. "Even the basic work of registration of the migrants has not been done properly," he alleges. "That is why most of the migrants were forced to return to their workplace or are planning to return. Those who are still in Bihar are facing unemployment," he adds. But Pragati Mehta, JD (U) spokesperson, has a different view of the government’s role. "The Bihar government worked very tactfully. It was tough work to bring back those workers as there was a threat for infection. The government made many coordination committees in Delhi and many other big cities where Bihar labourers were stranded," he said. Mehta added that around 21 lakh labourers were provided Rs. 1000 each as emergency help. "Those put in quarantine centers were helped with Rs. 5300 each". However, a study done with around 300 migrant workers by 'Right to Food Campaign' showed that only 12% of them got Rs. 1000 each from the Bihar government. Nearly 44% were unable to fill the form to get financial help and only 10% could avail of the benefits of the migrant workers' scheme." Thousands were left disillusioned. Bhuiyan, of Dumaria in Imamganj Assembly constituency, was one such migrant. He says that the government left him and many others like him helpless. "Why should I vote for the government that is not supporting me," he asks. Jitan Ram Manjhi, ex chief minister of Bihar, and founder president of Hindustani Awam Morcha (secular) had won the last election from Imamganj (reserved seat for Scheduled caste) and he is seeking a second term . He faces a stiff challenge from Uday Narayan Chaudhary of RJD here. Another migrant worker Jitendra Das, belonging to SC category and a resident of Mohammadpur village under Sherghati Assembly constituency, is angry with the state government and has decided not to vote for the ruling party. He says that the Bihar government was not willing to bring them back while at the same time workers of other states were being provided with help by their governments. Senior journalist Syed Khatibullah from Gaya says that the government started very late. And it was too little. "Provisions were made for financial help to labourers but not all of them were successful in getting it", he says. Khatibullah, however, says that while there is anger among the migrants, eventually some will vote for their caste and the candidate’s party will become immaterial. "In the areas where the left parties are working for the migrants, they may vote against the ruling parties’ candidates ignoring caste affiliation," he adds. Bihar goes to polls in three phases on October 28, November 3 and 7. Votes will be counted on November 10.  .

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the past 27 years, Jogi Bhuiyan worked as a cook in Punjab's Jalandhar and earned just about enough to keep the home fires burning. The COVID-19 pandemic that struck in March, and the subsequent lockdown, uprooted him and his family of seven and forced him to retrace the journey back to his roots in Bihar's Dumaria.Bhuiyan was one of the estimated 40 lakh migrant workers who was forced to return when the lockdown closed businesses and snatched livelihoods. The initial sense of relief over being in familiar environs amid the deadly pandemic was soon replaced with concern over how to survive and where the next meal would come from.Many looked to the Nitish Kumar government with hope. Some felt that Kumar, seeking a fourth straight term as chief minister in the upcoming assembly polls, was found wanting in his response.Ashok Singh, a senior secretary at Indian National Trade Union Congress, says that the Nitish government has shown apathy towards the migrants. \\\"Even the basic work of registration of the migrants has not been done properly,\\\" he alleges. \\\"That is why most of the migrants were forced to return to their workplace or are planning to return. Those who are still in Bihar are facing unemployment,\\\" he adds.But Pragati Mehta, JD (U) spokesperson, has a different view of the government’s role. \\\"The Bihar government worked very tactfully. It was tough work to bring back those workers as there was a threat for infection. The government made many coordination committees in Delhi and many other big cities where Bihar labourers were stranded,\\\" he said.Mehta added that around 21 lakh labourers were provided Rs. 1000 each as emergency help. \\\"Those put in quarantine centers were helped with Rs. 5300 each\\\".However, a study done with around 300 migrant workers by 'Right to Food Campaign' showed that only 12% of them got Rs. 1000 each from the Bihar government. Nearly 44% were unable to fill the form to get financial help and only 10% could avail of the benefits of the migrant workers' scheme.\\\" Thousands were left disillusioned.Bhuiyan, of Dumaria in Imamganj Assembly constituency, was one such migrant. He says that the government left him and many others like him helpless. \\\"Why should I vote for the government that is not supporting me,\\\" he asks.Jitan Ram Manjhi, ex chief minister of Bihar, and founder president of Hindustani Awam Morcha (secular) had won the last election from Imamganj (reserved seat for Scheduled caste) and he is seeking a second term . He faces a stiff challenge from Uday Narayan Chaudhary of RJD here.Another migrant worker Jitendra Das, belonging to SC category and a resident of Mohammadpur village under Sherghati Assembly constituency, is angry with the state government and has decided not to vote for the ruling party. He says that the Bihar government was not willing to bring them back while at the same time workers of other states were being provided with help by their governments.Senior journalist Syed Khatibullah from Gaya says that the government started very late. And it was too little. \\\"Provisions were made for financial help to labourers but not all of them were successful in getting it\\\", he says. Khatibullah, however, says that while there is anger among the migrants, eventually some will vote for their caste and the candidate’s party will become immaterial. \\\"In the areas where the left parties are working for the migrants, they may vote against the ruling parties’ candidates ignoring caste affiliation,\\\" he adds.Bihar goes to polls in three phases on October 28, November 3 and 7. Votes will be counted on November 10. &nbsp;\",\"time\":1603356706720,\"strCount\":3612,\"isLegacyPost\":false}

<ul><li>An estimated 40 lakh migrant workers were forced to return&nbsp;to Bihar during the COVID lockdown</li><li>Many of these migrants looked to the Nitish Kumar government with hope</li><li>Some felt that Nitish Kumar was found wanting in his response</li></ul>

In%20Bihar%2C%20migrants%20feel%20let%20down%20by%20govt%20but%20caste%20loyalty%20may%20persist

One description Asaduddin Owaisi, the barrister MP from Hyderabad and the chief of All India Majlis Ittehadul Muslim (AIMIM), does not like is that of a 'vote-cutter'. But the word seems to follow him in every state where he puts up candidates for elections.,The AIMIM has been often accused of dividing 'secular votes' and thereby allegedly aiding the BJP. Many Congress leaders have called him the 'B Team' of the BJP. As the countdown begins for Bihar assembly elections, the allegation is back to haunt Owaisi after his party formed an alliance with a little known Samajwadi Janta Dal (Democratic) party led by former MP and central minister Devendra Prasad Yadav. It was called UDSA (United Democratic Secular Alliance).,<a href="https://opoyi.com/bihar-elections-2020-pm-narendra-modi-home-minister-amit-shah-among-bjps-list-of-star-campaigners">Also Read|&nbsp;PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah among BJP’s list of star campaigners for Bihar elections</a>,Rashtriya Janata Dal and other votaries of secular politics dread Owaisi as he poses direct questions to the parties' contribution towards Muslims. They label Owaisi as a 'Vote Spoiler', who could create trouble for the parties' electoral gains.,In Bihar, the RJD claims to have the biggest Muslim vote bank as a part of their MY (Muslim-Yadav) equation. So, after the UDSA alliance, Tejaswhi Yadav indirectly name-called him.,But the RJD-led Grand Alliance was met with another blow, when on Thursday the UDSA formed another alliance with a rather formidable partner, Upendra Kushwaha. Kushwaha's party is already in an alliance with the BSP, the Mayawati-led entity.,This culminated in a six-party alliance called GDSF (Grand Democratic Secular Front). The other two parties -&nbsp;Bhartiya Samaj Party and Jantantrik Party- are not so known.,GDSF has announced Upendra Kushwaha as their CM candidate while Devendra Yadav would be the convener.,Fazed with the allegation of being a vote-cutter, Owaisi reverts with ‘Old Cassette’ jibe. He accuses the secular parties of being the Thekedars (Lords) of the anti-BJP votes.,Recently, he asked what happened to these secular parties in the 2019 general election when only one non-NDA candidate won and the RJD finished with naught. He said that they were playing an old cassette by accusing him of being an enabler of BJP's electoral success.,AIMIM fought on six seats in the 2015 Bihar Assembly election and lost, forfeiting the deposit at five places. It could garner only 0.2% votes but did well in a by-poll.,In the 2019 general election, AIMIM contested only from Kisanganj seat in Bihar and its candidate Akhtarul Iman secured 3 lakh votes in third place. JD(U) candidate bagged 3.25 lakh votes and the winning Congress nominee Jawed Anwar garnered 3.50 lakh votes. But the Kishanganj Assembly seat that fell vacant was captured by Qamrul Hoda of the AIMIM in the by-election. Hoda got more than 40% of votes there. After this win Owaisi asked that could his party be dismissed as an insignificant player?,Interestingly, Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP was a part of NDA in 2015. It could barely manage to win two seats with 2.56% total seats numbering 23 as the Grand Alliance came up with a huge win. At that time Nitish Kumar led JDU was part of GA.,But can Owaisi and Upendra make a difference in the upcoming polls? Senior journalist Abdul Qadir says, "A section of Muslims would be supporting Owaisi. Though the number of voters supporting Owaisi is not much, a few thousand votes can tilt the balance against the GA candidates, particularly the RJD ones. It will certainly help the BJP in some places.",AIMIM is likely to fight polls on 50 or more seats as the new alliance, GDSF, has announced to field candidates for all the 243 Assembly seats.,Talking about the coalition and Upendra Kushwaha effect, Qadir says that the coalition is a misnomer as neither Owaisi nor Kushwaha is in a position to transfer votes to the other. Some of their candidates may win more by fluke than strategy and their number can in no way be in double digits.,But journalist Deepak Kumar, who is well versed with the caste politics, says that Kushwaha votes would hurt the NDA candidates. He adds given LJP's stand of fielding candidates against all the JDU aspirants, this alliance can pose some trouble for the JDU nominees. It is likely that JDU &nbsp;also gets some portion of Muslim votes.

{\"time\":1602505804039,\"strCount\":4394,\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"One description Asaduddin Owaisi, the barrister MP from Hyderabad and the chief of All India Majlis Ittehadul Muslim (AIMIM), does not like is that of a 'vote-cutter'. But the word seems to follow him in every state where he puts up candidates for elections.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The AIMIM has been often accused of dividing 'secular votes' and thereby allegedly aiding the BJP. Many Congress leaders have called him the 'B Team' of the BJP. As the countdown begins for Bihar assembly elections, the allegation is back to haunt Owaisi after his party formed an alliance with a little known Samajwadi Janta Dal (Democratic) party led by former MP and central minister Devendra Prasad Yadav. It was called UDSA (United Democratic Secular Alliance).\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/bihar-elections-2020-pm-narendra-modi-home-minister-amit-shah-among-bjps-list-of-star-campaigners-520342/\\\">Also Read|&nbsp;PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah among BJP’s list of star campaigners for Bihar elections</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Rashtriya Janata Dal and other votaries of secular politics dread Owaisi as he poses direct questions to the parties' contribution towards Muslims. They label Owaisi as a 'Vote Spoiler', who could create trouble for the parties' electoral gains.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"In Bihar, the RJD claims to have the biggest Muslim vote bank as a part of their MY (Muslim-Yadav) equation. So, after the UDSA alliance, Tejaswhi Yadav indirectly name-called him.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"But the RJD-led Grand Alliance was met with another blow, when on Thursday the UDSA formed another alliance with a rather formidable partner, Upendra Kushwaha. Kushwaha's party is already in an alliance with the BSP, the Mayawati-led entity.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"This culminated in a six-party alliance called GDSF (Grand Democratic Secular Front). The other two parties -&nbsp;Bhartiya Samaj Party and Jantantrik Party- are not so known.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"GDSF has announced Upendra Kushwaha as their CM candidate while Devendra Yadav would be the convener.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Fazed with the allegation of being a vote-cutter, Owaisi reverts with ‘Old Cassette’ jibe. He accuses the secular parties of being the Thekedars (Lords) of the anti-BJP votes.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Recently, he asked what happened to these secular parties in the 2019 general election when only one non-NDA candidate won and the RJD finished with naught. He said that they were playing an old cassette by accusing him of being an enabler of BJP's electoral success.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"AIMIM fought on six seats in the 2015 Bihar Assembly election and lost, forfeiting the deposit at five places. It could garner only 0.2% votes but did well in a by-poll.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"In the 2019 general election, AIMIM contested only from Kisanganj seat in Bihar and its candidate Akhtarul Iman secured 3 lakh votes in third place. JD(U) candidate bagged 3.25 lakh votes and the winning Congress nominee Jawed Anwar garnered 3.50 lakh votes. But the Kishanganj Assembly seat that fell vacant was captured by Qamrul Hoda of the AIMIM in the by-election. Hoda got more than 40% of votes there. After this win Owaisi asked that could his party be dismissed as an insignificant player?\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Interestingly, Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP was a part of NDA in 2015. It could barely manage to win two seats with 2.56% total seats numbering 23 as the Grand Alliance came up with a huge win. At that time Nitish Kumar led JDU was part of GA.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"But can Owaisi and Upendra make a difference in the upcoming polls? Senior journalist Abdul Qadir says, \\\"A section of Muslims would be supporting Owaisi. Though the number of voters supporting Owaisi is not much, a few thousand votes can tilt the balance against the GA candidates, particularly the RJD ones. It will certainly help the BJP in some places.\\\"\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"AIMIM is likely to fight polls on 50 or more seats as the new alliance, GDSF, has announced to field candidates for all the 243 Assembly seats.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Talking about the coalition and Upendra Kushwaha effect, Qadir says that the coalition is a misnomer as neither Owaisi nor Kushwaha is in a position to transfer votes to the other. Some of their candidates may win more by fluke than strategy and their number can in no way be in double digits.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"But journalist Deepak Kumar, who is well versed with the caste politics, says that Kushwaha votes would hurt the NDA candidates. He adds given LJP's stand of fielding candidates against all the JDU aspirants, this alliance can pose some trouble for the JDU nominees. It is likely that JDU &nbsp;also gets some portion of Muslim votes.\\n\\n\"}}]}

Joy Tirkey

<ul>
 <li>Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM formed UDSA, an alliance with Samajwadi Janta Dal (Democratic) party in Bihar</li>
 <li>On Thursday, the UDSA formed another alliance with Upendra Kushwaha</li>
 <li>Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP was a part of NDA in 2015</li>
</ul>

Can Asaduddin Owaisi, Upendra Kushwaha make a difference in the upcoming Bihar polls?

AsaduddinOwaisi

AIMIM

Ram Vilas Paswan, elected as an MLA in 1969 at the age of 23, died in a Delhi hospital on Thursday. Son Chirag Paswan announced the news on his official Twitter account. "Papa, you are not with us anymore," tweeted son Chirag.,Paswan was considered one of the most important people in the era as a member of the trio, comprising of Lalu Prasad Yadav, Nitish Kumar and him.,Paswan qualified for a job as DySp and was elected as an MLA in 1969. He was a well-qualified politician, having an MA and LLB degree.,Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://opoyi.com/union-minister-ram-vilas-paswan-dies-says-son-chirag-paswan">Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan dies at 74, days after a heart surgery</a>,He was a shrewd politician whose favourite indoor game was chess. For his political fortune-telling, he was called a 'Mausam Vaigyanik', a term first used by Lalu Prasad. Paswan also enjoyed good relations with the party ruling at the Centre. ,He first became a member of parliament in 1977 by a record margin of 4,24,545 votes at that time. He went on to win the Lok Sabha election for the 9th term and later became a member of Rajya Sabha. ,In his 3rd term as an MP, Lok Sabha he became Union Cabinet Minister, Labour and Welfare for the first time. The last profile that he held was of Union Cabinet Minister, Consumer Affair, Food &amp; Public Distribution.,A man, who loved to travel, Ram Vilas Paswan, had a penchant for food. And before every sumptuous meal, he would go for a strenuous exercise session.

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<ul>
 <li>Ram Vilas Paswan, in his third term as an MP, Lok Sabha became Union Cabinet Minister, Labour and Welfare</li>
 <li>Ram Vilas Paswan was elected as an MLA in 1969 at the age of 23</li>
 <li>Paswan became an MP in 1977 by a record margin of 4,24,545 votes at that time</li>
</ul>

Ram Vilas Paswan: A shrewd politician with a penchant for food

RamVilasPaswan

UnionMinister

Politics

A day after Lok Janshakti Party president Ram Vilas Paswan underwent a heart surgery at a Delhi hospital, his son and political successor Chirag Paswan announced the party's decision to break off from the NDA in Bihar and go solo in the upcoming three-phased Assembly elections. A decision that many say is the 'coming of political age' moment of Paswan junior.,The 37-year old 'Yuva Bihari', as his Twitter bio reads, decided not to contest the election under the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance. But, decided to stay on in the coalition at the Centre as the LJP's 'problem' is with the JD(U) and not the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).,The LJP, formed in 2000 when Paswan senior broke off from the Janata Dal, plans to contest 140 plus seats this time. In 2015, the party that has a support base mainly among the Paswan caste (5-6 % of the electorate), had contested 42 seats in coalition with BJP as part of the NDA and managed to win two.&nbsp; In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, they were allotted six seats and won all six.,Chirag, whose Bollywood aspirations saw him featuring in the movie 'Miley Naa Miley Hum, opposite actor Kangana Ranaut in 2011, has come a long way since. In sharp contrast to his film career, his political career has shown some promise with two electoral wins in Lok Sabha elections since 2014. His takeover of the party, facilitated by father Ram Vilas Paswan, has also been more or less smooth. Sunday's decision to break off from Nitish Kumar can be seen as his first big solo decision, the consequences of which will be known on November 10, when the votes will be counted.,Before breaking off from Nitish Kumar, Chirag often took potshots at him, posing tougher questions to Nitish Kumar-led NDA government than the Opposition. In early August this year, Chirag created ripples within the NDA alleging that the Bihar CM was ignoring him and hence, he wanted a Common Minimum Programme (CMP).,Though he has been a little subdued past month due to the illness of his father, Chirag did not relent on his demand for 40 plus seats and the deputy chief minister's post in the state. His aggressive branding of himself as Bihari Yuva and the party's vision as ‘Bihar 1st, Bihari 1st’ has been in the news. There was a jacket ad in all major newspapers of Bihar where his picture was much bigger than his father’s.,So, having taken full control of the party, what next for him? Will Chirag play Nitish Kumar, like his father played Lalu Yadav?,Back in 2005, Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP fought the election on its own and fielded 178 candidates damaging RJD considerably despite being in the UPA at the Centre. LJP won 29 seats and RJD could not form the government despite being the single largest party with 81 seats.,And Ram Vilas Paswan famously said, "Chabi Tou Hamare Pas Hai" ("Key to form the government lies with LJP"). Subsequently, President rule was declared in Bihar and in the next election in November, NDA bagged 141 seats and formed its first government.,Is Chirag planning to do the same to the JD(U)?,Senior journalist Abdul Qadir says that it is time for Chirag to show his DNA as a true heir of the 'Mausam Vaigyanik', a euphemism for Paswan's penchant for changing sides at the right time. It was given by none other than the iconic Lalu Prasad Yadav.,Qadir says that the Hathras brutality has gifted Chirag some much-needed alibi to chart a separate course. Chirag's recent tweets show that Nitish Kumar is having the same treatment from him as Lalu Prasad had from his father in 2005.

{\"time\":1601914204677,\"strCount\":3565,\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"A day after Lok Janshakti Party president Ram Vilas Paswan underwent a heart surgery at a Delhi hospital, his son and political successor Chirag Paswan announced the party's decision to break off from the NDA in Bihar and go solo in the upcoming three-phased Assembly elections. A decision that many say is the 'coming of political age' moment of Paswan junior.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The 37-year old 'Yuva Bihari', as his Twitter bio reads, decided not to contest the election under the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance. But, decided to stay on in the coalition at the Centre as the LJP's 'problem' is with the JD(U) and not the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The LJP, formed in 2000 when Paswan senior broke off from the Janata Dal, plans to contest 140 plus seats this time. In 2015, the party that has a support base mainly among the Paswan caste (5-6 % of the electorate), had contested 42 seats in coalition with BJP as part of the NDA and managed to win two.&nbsp; In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, they were allotted six seats and won all six.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Chirag, whose Bollywood aspirations saw him featuring in the movie 'Miley Naa Miley Hum, opposite actor Kangana Ranaut in 2011, has come a long way since. In sharp contrast to his film career, his political career has shown some promise with two electoral wins in Lok Sabha elections since 2014. His takeover of the party, facilitated by father Ram Vilas Paswan, has also been more or less smooth. Sunday's decision to break off from Nitish Kumar can be seen as his first big solo decision, the consequences of which will be known on November 10, when the votes will be counted.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Before breaking off from Nitish Kumar, Chirag often took potshots at him, posing tougher questions to Nitish Kumar-led NDA government than the Opposition. In early August this year, Chirag created ripples within the NDA alleging that the Bihar CM was ignoring him and hence, he wanted a Common Minimum Programme (CMP).\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Though he has been a little subdued past month due to the illness of his father, Chirag did not relent on his demand for 40 plus seats and the deputy chief minister's post in the state. His aggressive branding of himself as Bihari Yuva and the party's vision as ‘Bihar 1st, Bihari 1st’ has been in the news. There was a jacket ad in all major newspapers of Bihar where his picture was much bigger than his father’s.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"So, having taken full control of the party, what next for him? Will Chirag play Nitish Kumar, like his father played Lalu Yadav?\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Back in 2005, Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP fought the election on its own and fielded 178 candidates damaging RJD considerably despite being in the UPA at the Centre. LJP won 29 seats and RJD could not form the government despite being the single largest party with 81 seats.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"And Ram Vilas Paswan famously said, \\\"Chabi Tou Hamare Pas Hai\\\" (\\\"Key to form the government lies with LJP\\\"). Subsequently, President rule was declared in Bihar and in the next election in November, NDA bagged 141 seats and formed its first government.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Is Chirag planning to do the same to the JD(U)?\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Senior journalist Abdul Qadir says that it is time for Chirag to show his DNA as a true heir of the 'Mausam Vaigyanik', a euphemism for Paswan's penchant for changing sides at the right time. It was given by none other than the iconic Lalu Prasad Yadav.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Qadir says that the Hathras brutality has gifted Chirag some much-needed alibi to chart a separate course. Chirag's recent tweets show that Nitish Kumar is having the same treatment from him as Lalu Prasad had from his father in 2005.\\n\\n\"}}]}

<ul>
 <li>Chirag Paswan has announced that the LJP will fight elections by itself in Bihar&nbsp;</li>
 <li>The LJP, however, will continue its coalition with BJP at the Centre</li>
 <li>The Lok Janshakti Party was formed in 2000, after breaking off from the Janata Dal</li>
</ul>

In divorcing JD(U), 'Yuva Bihari' Chirag Pawan is retracing father Ram Vilas Paswan's journey

Tejaswhi Yadav can be the next chief minister of Bihar. This is what his grand alliance called Mahagahtbandhan thinks. Recently when his party put up a poster without the pictures of Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi, many thought it as a deliberate attempt by Tejaswhi. Interestingly he was targeted by his opponents accusing him of dumping his father. The former deputy chief minister of Bihar Tejaswhi Yadav had all the privileges of being the son of the star politicians, Lalu and Rabri Devi but it seems that he has decided to make his independent presence felt as the former chief minister of Bihar and former Rail Minister Lalu’s jail term looks unending. Also read: Bihar Polls: Tejashwi Yadav to be Opposition's CM candidate. Senior Journalist Soroor Ahmed says that it may be an attempt to come out of Lalu’s shadow to avoid the ‘15 years of jungle raj’ jibe. Like the other young leader of Bihar Chirag Paswan’s film career, Tejashwi too had not a very successful career as a middle-order batsman who played Ranji Trophy for Jharkhand and was in the Delhi Daredevils team for IPL. Born in 1989, Tejashwai has a huge following on twitter handle. His verified Twitter handle YadavTejashwi beats any young leader from Bihar with 2.5 million followers. The other Yuva Bihari, the 37 years old Chirag Paswan has not even 1/10th followers on Twitter while the media-savvy Pappu Yadav of the Jan Adhikar Party stands around 1/20th followers compared to Tejashwi. Tejaswhi lags behind the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who has six million followers on Twitter but then Lalu too has around 5.4 million fans even at this age and stage. Tejashwi Yadav has a pinned tweet that dates back to 26 December 2017. Four months back Nitish Kumar had resigned as Mahagathbandhan Chief Minister of Bihar alleging suffocation and joined hands with the former ally BJP in the NDA. Tejaswhi’s pinned tweet says that If Lalu had joined hands with BJP he would have been the Raja Harishchandra. The so-called Chara (fodder) scam could have been Bhaichara (brotherhood) scam. Tejaswhi Yadav has a very astute politician in Rajya Sabha member Manoj Jha to assist him. After announcing the seat-sharing arrangement in Grand Alliance this Theth Bihari (straight forward Bihari), as he called himself, took a dig at Nitish Kumar saying that his (Tejashwi’s) DNA was pure. He used this DNA jibe to claim that he would fulfill all his promises. "People of Bihar need a change and they have made their mind. I will not say much and if people of Bihar give me chance, I will work for for the betterment of all castes, class and religions," says the leader of the opposition. This talk of DNA was to remind Nitish Kumar and his NDA ally BJP how once Prime Minister Modi had make a reference of a problem in Nitish Kumar’s DNA. Tejaswhi is always taunted for his poor formal education but his political education has been quite remarkable. He could study till 9th but his stay at a top Delhi school makes him an English-speaking politician, unlike his father. At the same time, this second son of Lalu is not considered to inherit his father’s more people connecting ways of communication. His elder brother seems to be a better Lalu-like speaker. Tejashwi has been facing cases for financial irregularities being run by CBI and ED. That was one of the reasons cited by Nitish Kumar to part ways but Tejashwi did not budge. And he is fighting the graft cases more intelligently than his father Lalu did. One of the most eligible bachelors of Bihar, Tejaswhi has seen some unpleasant family feud as his elder brother Tej Pratap had a very upsetting marriage. But he handled the hostile media on this issue quite well. He always maintained that the issue of Tej Pratap’s marriage was a family affair and he would not comment on that in public. In a short political career, which started in November 2015 as a member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly from Raghopur, he got the best start by winning this seat and becoming the deputy chief minister. Also read: Seat pact stitched up, but RJD-Congress have a tough challenge to repeat 2015 performance. Though it lasted only 18 months but many in Bihar view his tenure as promising. Congress Party’s screening committee chief Avinash Pandey is very appreciative of Tejashwi but the question remains will this former deputy chief minister would get a chance to jump the last leg of the top post in Bihar.

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ke%20his%20father.%20At%20the%20same%20time%2C%20this%20second%20son%20of%20Lalu%20is%20not%20considered%20to%20inherit%20his%20father%u2019s%20more%20people%20connecting%20ways%20of%20communication.%20His%20elder%20brother%20seems%20to%20be%20a%20better%20Lalu-like%20speaker.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Tejashwi%20has%20been%20facing%20cases%20for%20financial%20irregularities%20being%20run%20by%20CBI%20and%20ED.%20That%20was%20one%20of%20the%20reasons%20cited%20by%20Nitish%20Kumar%20to%20part%20ways%20but%20Tejashwi%20did%20not%20budge.%20And%20he%20is%20fighting%20the%20graft%20cases%20more%20intelligently%20than%20his%20father%20Lalu%20did.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"One%20of%20the%20most%20eligible%20bachelors%20of%20Bihar%2C%20Tejaswhi%20has%20seen%20some%20unpleasant%20family%20feud%20as%20his%20elder%20brother%20Tej%20Pratap%20had%20a%20very%20upsetting%20marriage.%20But%20he%20handled%20the%20hostile%20media%20on%20this%20issue%20quite%20well.%20He%20always%20maintained%20that%20the%20issue%20of%20Tej%20Pratap%u2019s%20marriage%20was%20a%20family%20affair%20and%20he%20would%20not%20comment%20on%20that%20in%20public.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"In%20a%20short%20political%20career%2C%20which%20started%20in%20November%202015%20as%20a%20member%20of%20the%20Bihar%20Legislative%20Assembly%20from%20Raghopur%2C%20he%20got%20the%20best%20start%20by%20winning%20this%20seat%20and%20becoming%20the%20deputy%20chief%20minister.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20read%3A%3C/strong%3E%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/seat-pact-stitched-up-but-rjd-congress-have-a-tough-challenge-to-repeat-2015-performance%22%3ESeat%20pact%20stitched%20up%2C%20but%20RJD-Congress%20have%20a%20tough%20challenge%20to%20repeat%202015%20performance%3C/a%3E\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Though%20it%20lasted%20only%2018%20months%20but%20many%20in%20Bihar%20view%20his%20tenure%20as%20promising.%20Congress%20Party%u2019s%20screening%20committee%20chief%20Avinash%20Pandey%20is%20very%20appreciative%20of%20Tejashwi%20but%20the%20question%20remains%20will%20this%20former%20deputy%20chief%20minister%20would%20get%20a%20chance%20to%20jump%20the%20last%20leg%20of%20the%20top%20post%20in%20Bihar.\"}}],\"rawState\":\"Tejaswhi Yadav can be the next chief minister of Bihar. This is what his grand alliance called Mahagahtbandhan thinks.Recently when his party put up a poster without the pictures of Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi, many thought it as a deliberate attempt by Tejaswhi. Interestingly he was targeted by his opponents accusing him of dumping his father.The former deputy chief minister of Bihar Tejaswhi Yadav had all the privileges of being the son of the star politicians, Lalu and Rabri Devi but it seems that he has decided to make his independent presence felt as the former chief minister of Bihar and former Rail Minister Lalu’s jail term looks unending.Also read: <a target=\\\"_blank\\\" rel=\\\"noopener noreferrer\\\" href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/bihar-polls-tejashwi-yadav-to-be-oppositions-cm-candidate-399322/\\\">Bihar Polls: Tejashwi Yadav to be Opposition's CM candidate</a>Senior Journalist Soroor Ahmed says that it may be an attempt to come out of Lalu’s shadow to avoid the ‘15 years of jungle raj’ jibe.Like the other young leader of Bihar Chirag Paswan’s film career, Tejashwi too had not a very successful career as a middle-order batsman who played Ranji Trophy for Jharkhand and was in the Delhi Daredevils team for IPL.Born in 1989, Tejashwai has a huge following on twitter handle. His verified Twitter handle @YadavTejashwi beats any young leader from Bihar with 2.5 million followers. The other Yuva Bihari, the 37 years old Chirag Paswan has not even 1/10th followers on Twitter while the media-savvy Pappu Yadav of the Jan Adhikar Party stands around 1/20th followers compared to Tejashwi.Tejaswhi lags behind the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who has six million followers on Twitter but then Lalu too has around 5.4 million fans even at this age and stage.Tejashwi Yadav has a pinned tweet that dates back to 26 December 2017. Four months back Nitish Kumar had resigned as Mahagathbandhan Chief Minister of Bihar alleging suffocation and joined hands with the former ally BJP in the NDA.Tejaswhi’s pinned tweet says that If Lalu had joined hands with BJP he would have been the Raja Harishchandra. The so-called Chara (fodder) scam could have been Bhaichara (brotherhood) scam.Tejaswhi Yadav has a very astute politician in Rajya Sabha member Manoj Jha to assist him. After announcing the seat-sharing arrangement in Grand Alliance this Theth Bihari (straight forward Bihari), as he called himself, took a dig at Nitish Kumar saying that his (Tejashwi’s) DNA was pure. He used this DNA jibe to claim that he would fulfill all his promises.\\\"People of Bihar need a change and they have made their mind. I will not say much and if people of Bihar give me chance, I will work for for the betterment of all castes, class and religions,\\\" says the leader of the opposition.This talk of DNA was to remind Nitish Kumar and his NDA ally BJP how once Prime Minister Modi had make a reference of a problem in Nitish Kumar’s DNA.Tejaswhi is always taunted for his poor formal education but his political education has been quite remarkable. He could study till 9th but his stay at a top Delhi school makes him an English-speaking politician, unlike his father. At the same time, this second son of Lalu is not considered to inherit his father’s more people connecting ways of communication. His elder brother seems to be a better Lalu-like speaker.Tejashwi has been facing cases for financial irregularities being run by CBI and ED. That was one of the reasons cited by Nitish Kumar to part ways but Tejashwi did not budge. And he is fighting the graft cases more intelligently than his father Lalu did.One of the most eligible bachelors of Bihar, Tejaswhi has seen some unpleasant family feud as his elder brother Tej Pratap had a very upsetting marriage. But he handled the hostile media on this issue quite well. He always maintained that the issue of Tej Pratap’s marriage was a family affair and he would not comment on that in public.In a short political career, which started in November 2015 as a member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly from Raghopur, he got the best start by winning this seat and becoming the deputy chief minister.Also read: <a target=\\\"_blank\\\" rel=\\\"noopener noreferrer\\\" href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/india/seat-pact-stitched-up-but-rjd-congress-have-a-tough-challenge-to-repeat-2015-performance-153255/\\\">Seat pact stitched up, but RJD-Congress have a tough challenge to repeat 2015 performance</a>Though it lasted only 18 months but many in Bihar view his tenure as promising. Congress Party’s screening committee chief Avinash Pandey is very appreciative of Tejashwi but the question remains will this former deputy chief minister would get a chance to jump the last leg of the top post in Bihar.\",\"time\":1601851581364,\"strCount\":4400}

<ul><li>Tejashwi Yadav is the younger of the two sons of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav</li><li>He was the deputy chief minister in CM Nitish Kumar-led Mahagathbandhan government</li><li>He served as Nitish Kumar's deputy from 2015 to 2017</li></ul>

SamiAhmad

Sami Ahmad

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