M I KHAN

All stories by M I KHAN

Alliance with LJP in Bihar irks BJP's upper-caste leaders

Alliance with LJP in Bihar irks BJP's upper-caste leaders

Rediff.com5 Mar 2014

The Bharatiya Janata Party is facing revolt from within in Bihar on a day when the Election Commission announced the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls to be held in April, May.

Paswan to share dais with Modi at Muzaffarpur rally

Paswan to share dais with Modi at Muzaffarpur rally

Rediff.com3 Mar 2014

M I Khan in Patna Nearly twelve years after he left the National Democratic Alliance and resigned from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government after the Gujarat riots in 2002, Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan will share the dais with Gujarat Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi at his 'hunkar' rally in Bihar's Muzaffarpur town on Monday. Paswan, who joined the NDA last week to contest the Lok Sabha polls and took a U-turn on Modi, will appear in public with the BJP's top brass including Modi at the rally. Paswan's son Chirag will also be present at the function. Upendra Kushwaha is another new face that will be at the event. Kushwaha is the chief of the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) that joined hands with the BJP last week. Both Paswan and Kushwaha are known as their own caste. Paswan is said to enjoy overwhelming support of his caste -- locally known as Dusadh, the only Dalit caste in Bihar after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar categorised 21 other Dalit castes as 'Mahadalit' -- poorest of the poor. Kushwaha has been trying hard for last few years to emerge as a leader of his caste -- Koeri, an agrarian backward caste spread across the state. A senior BJP leader said that presence of Paswan and Kushwaha will send a strong political massage among respective castes in Bihar. "It will strengthen the BJP's social support base in Bihar," he said. In Bihar, the BJP is widely seen as an upper caste party. The much-hyped rally is seen as a bid to mobilise support and strengthen the support base in the state. The state in the Hindi heartland that sends 40 Lok Sabha members to Parliament is politically very important. In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the party had won 12 seats, while the Janata Dal-United won 20 seats, when they had contested as a combined force. It is expected that Modi will target Kumar, who has openly opposed him by repeatedly saying that the prime ministerial candidate should be of nsecular credentials.

BJP lacks courage to apologise to Muslims: Nitish

BJP lacks courage to apologise to Muslims: Nitish

Rediff.com27 Feb 2014

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party lacks courage to apologise to Muslims for their 'mistakes'.

Inside story: Why Ramvilas Paswan is warming up to former foe BJP

Inside story: Why Ramvilas Paswan is warming up to former foe BJP

Rediff.com24 Feb 2014

A day after reports surfaced about an alliance between the Lok Janshakti Party led by Ramvilas Paswan and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Bihar, a senior leader of the saffron party has strongly spoke out against any such tie-up.

The shopping list of a corrupt babu: Silver pressure cooker, land in Pokhran!

The shopping list of a corrupt babu: Silver pressure cooker, land in Pokhran!

Rediff.com21 Feb 2014

Why would an official of the Bihar government buy land in Pokharan, Rajasthan -- the site where India carried out controversial nuclear tests in 1998?

'Nalanda an international varsity, not another central university'

'Nalanda an international varsity, not another central university'

Rediff.com20 Feb 2014

Noble laureate economist Amartya Sen, the chancellor of Nalanda University in Bihar's Nalanda district, has questioned the interpretation of the upcoming university as another central university rather than an international institution.

No question of returning to NDA after betrayal: Nitish Kumar

No question of returning to NDA after betrayal: Nitish Kumar

Rediff.com18 Feb 2014

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday said in the state assembly that its friend-turned-foe Bharatiya Janata Party had betrayed him and The JD-U by projecting Narendra Modi as the prime ministerial candidate of NDA.

Terrorists may attack Modi's rally in Muzaffarpur: IB tells Bihar police

Terrorists may attack Modi's rally in Muzaffarpur: IB tells Bihar police

Rediff.com15 Feb 2014

The Intelligence Bureau has issued an alert on Saturday to the Bihar government that terrorists could attack the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's rally on March 3 in Muzaffarpur district in the state, police officials have said.

Bihar's 1st Muslim woman minister resigns from JD-U, cabinet

Bihar's 1st Muslim woman minister resigns from JD-U, cabinet

Rediff.com4 Feb 2014

Bihar's first Muslim woman minister Perween Amanullah on Tuesday resigned from the chief minister Nitish Kumar cabinet and the party Janata Dal-United, citing dissatisfaction from the present system. She was working as the state's social welfare minister

5 elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Bihar

5 elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Bihar

Rediff.com31 Jan 2014

All 5 candidates, three from Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United and two from the opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party, were on Friday elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from the state.

Bihar govt cracks down on corruption, 91 officers to be dismissed

Bihar govt cracks down on corruption, 91 officers to be dismissed

Rediff.com31 Jan 2014

Call it the Aam Aadmi Party effect, as Bihar has decided to dismiss 91 corrupt public servants (officers) from service within one month with more on their way out in the coming months.

Sonia attacks Modi at Bihar rally: 'Some people only want to grab power'

Sonia attacks Modi at Bihar rally: 'Some people only want to grab power'

Rediff.com30 Jan 2014

Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday attacked Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi at a rally in Bihar's Kishanganj district.

JD-U nominates 3 new faces for Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar

JD-U nominates 3 new faces for Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar

Rediff.com24 Jan 2014

Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United on Friday dropped its three sitting members of Parliament and nominated new faces for the Rajya Sabha polls to be held on February 7.

Will take action against those uploading fake videos of riots: Shinde

Will take action against those uploading fake videos of riots: Shinde

Rediff.com18 Jan 2014

Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Saturday warned that government is set to take action against those uploading fake videos of riots on social media intending to instigate riots or any other law and order troubles.

AAP to contest all 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar

AAP to contest all 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar

Rediff.com16 Jan 2014

Like Uttar Pradesh, the Aam Aadmi Party has decided to contest all the 40 Lok Sabha seats from Bihar in next general elections.

Bihar blasts 'mastermind' Tehseen Akhtar's assets attached

Bihar blasts 'mastermind' Tehseen Akhtar's assets attached

Rediff.com11 Jan 2014

A joint team of the NIA and Bihar Police reached Tehseen's house in Maniyarpur village, about 12 km from the district headquarters, and attached the property in the presence of his father Wasim Akhtar and other family members, Officer in-Charge of Maniyarpur Police Station Asgar Imam said.

Bihar protesters demand CBI probe into WB gang rape case

Bihar protesters demand CBI probe into WB gang rape case

Rediff.com5 Jan 2014

Protest continued on Sunday for the fourth consecutive day in Bihar against the attackers of a 16-year-old girl who was gang-raped and set ablaze in Kolkata in West Bengal demanding death sentence to the accused and a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into it.

Patna HC acquits 16 accused in 2009 Khagaria massacre case

Patna HC acquits 16 accused in 2009 Khagaria massacre case

Rediff.com3 Jan 2014

Citing lack of evidence, the Patna high court on Friday acquitted 14 people for the massacre of 16 people over land dispute in a village in Bihar's Khagaria district in 2009, a police official said.

Bihar: 40 students ill after eating mid-day meal

Bihar: 40 students ill after eating mid-day meal

Rediff.com17 Dec 2013

Altogether 40 school students fell ill after eating a midday meal with some of them claiming that there was a dead lizard in the food cooked for them in Bihar's Sheohar district in Bihar, an official said

Lalu's released from Ranchi jail; BJP, JD-U worried

Lalu's released from Ranchi jail; BJP, JD-U worried

Rediff.com16 Dec 2013

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav was on Monday released from Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi, two-and-a-half months after he was convicted in a fodder scam case.

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