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Patna, The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has formally announced its candidates for all but one of the 23 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, where the party is contesting as a constituent of the opposition '<keyword id="19941767" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mahagathbandhan" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Mahagathbandhan" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Mahagathbandhan">Mahagathbandhan</keyword>'. Party president <keyword id="19900762" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lalu-Prasad" source="keywords">Lalu Prasad</keyword>'s daughters - Rohini Acharya and Misa Bharti - are among the <keyword id="21255353" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RJD-nominees" source="keywords">RJD nominees</keyword>. According to a release issued by RJD state president Jagdanand Singh late on Tuesday, Acharya will contest from Saran, a seat her father had won many times. Prasad represented the seat until his disqualification in 2013 when he was convicted in a fodder scam. Bharti, his eldest daughter who is enjoying her second term in the Rajya Sabha, will try her luck in the Patliputra Lok Sabha constituency. A party functionary said a candidate is yet to be announced for Siwan, where the RJD had for years been fielding the late Mohd Shahubuddin. As per the seat-sharing arrangement among partners of the 'Mahagathbandhan', the RJD has kept 26 of Bihar's 40 Lok Sabha seats, leaving nine for Congress and five for the Left parties. The RJD, last week, struck a deal with former Bihar minister Mukesh Sahni, whose Vikashsheel Insaan Party has been given three seats from its quota. Sudhakar Singh got the RJD ticket from the Buxar Lok Sabha seat, while Ali Asharaf Fatmi will contest from Madhubani and Surendra Prasad from Jehanabad. Other <keyword id="20596421" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RJD-candidates" source="keywords">RJD candidates</keyword> include Kumar Sarvjeet (Gaya), Shrawan Kumar Kushwaha (Nawada), Bima Bharti (Purnea) and Archana Ravidass (Jamui). All the four have already filed their nominations. The party also nominated Jai Prakash Yadava from Banka, Lalit Yadav from Darbhanga and Chandrahas Chaupal from Supaul. Alok Kumar Mehta will contest on an RJD ticket from Ujiyarpur, Arjun Ai from Sitamarhi, Deepak Yadav from Valmikinagar, Ritu Jaiswal from Seohar and Kumar Chandradeep from Madhepura. The Lok Sabha elections to 40 seats in Bihar will be held in seven phases between April 19 and June 1.

Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughters Rohini Acharya and Misa Bharti to contest in polls

Most <keyword id="21473307" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP-allies" source="keywords">BJP allies</keyword> have kept their cards close to chest on the issue of <keyword id="19934070" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Uniform-Civil-Code" source="keywords">Uniform Civil Code</keyword>, which Prime Minister <keyword id="19895781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi" source="keywords">Narendra Modi</keyword> strongly backed in his Independence Day speech, with the party's largest partner <keyword id="19910625" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telugu-Desam-Party" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Telugu Desam Party" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Telugu Desam Party">Telugu Desam Party</keyword> (TDP) saying that it will wait for details to emerge before finalising its stand. The JD(U), the BJP's second biggest ally, said the party supports any such reform but its spokesperson K C Tyagi added that it must be pushed only after evolving a consensus by speaking to all stake-holders, including religious groups and states. Lavu Srikrishna Devarayalu, the head of TDP Parliamentary Party, told PTI that his party will wait for the details of any proposal related to the UCC before finalising its stand. Another party ally <keyword id="20280818" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Janshakti-Party" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Lok Janshakti Party" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Lok Janshakti Party">Lok Janshakti Party</keyword> (<keyword id="20354493" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ram-Vilas" source="keywords">Ram Vilas</keyword>) has also been non-committal, with its president and Union Minister Chirag Paswan recently highlighting cultural, linguistic and regional diversities across the country to wonder how everyone can be brought under one umbrella. Last month, he said that his party will wait for a draft on the UCC before taking a stand. Tyagi cited JD(U) president and Bihar Chief Minister <keyword id="19907431" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nitish-Kumar" source="keywords">Nitish Kumar</keyword>'s submission in 2017 to the Law Commission to make his point. Kumar had said, "Any attempt to impose a UCC without obtaining through substantive consultations the concurrence of various religious groups, especially the minorities, could lead to social friction and an erosion of faith in the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion." However, the proposal for simultaneous elections, which was also staunchly advocated by Modi on Thursday, generally enjoys support among the BJP's allies. Tyagi said his party is in complete agreement with the BJP on the issue. Both JD(U) and the LJP(Ram Vilas) had extended their support to the concept 'one nation one election' in their submission to the high-level committee headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind. Another important BJP ally <keyword id="19905334" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shiv-Sena" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Shiv Sena" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Shiv Sena">Shiv Sena</keyword>, which is headed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has been supportive of both UCC and simultaneous elections. Modi had on Thursday made an unequivocal pitch for a uniform civil code in the country, asserting that a "secular civil code" in place of the existing "communal" one is the need of the hour. He also pushed forcefully for 'one nation one election'. Frequent elections are an "obstacle" in the country's growth, and every scheme is seen as a consequence of one poll or another happening every few months, he said in his speech on India's 78th Independence Day. The UCC has been a key ideological plank of the BJP, while the party has also taken a strong stand in favour of <keyword id="20033454" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="simultaneous-polls" source="keywords">simultaneous polls</keyword>, promising both measures on its successive manifestos.

Most BJP allies keep away from supporting Uniform Civil Code, positive to idea of simultaneous polls

New Delhi, The <keyword id="19895782" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Election-Commission" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Election Commission" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Election Commission">Election Commission</keyword> on Friday said it has identified 266 <keyword id="20809469" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="parliamentary-constituencies" source="keywords">parliamentary constituencies</keyword>, including 215 in rural areas, with <keyword id="21207154" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="low-voter-turnout" source="keywords">low voter turnout</keyword> and is planning <keyword id="21207534" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="targeted-intervention" source="keywords">targeted intervention</keyword> to enhance <keyword id="19973117" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="voting-percentage" source="keywords">voting percentage</keyword> in the upcoming <keyword id="19912155" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-polls" source="keywords">Lok Sabha polls</keyword>. Municipal commissioners from major cities and select district election officers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh discussed enhancing voter engagement and participation in identified urban and rural Lok Sabha seats. At its conference on low <keyword id="20108198" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="voter-turnout" source="keywords">voter turnout</keyword> here, the EC said 266 parliamentary constituencies -- 215 rural and 51 urban -- with low voter turnout have been identified. Eleven states and Union territories - Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand - had a voter turnout lower than the national average of 67.40 per cent in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Addressing the participants, <keyword id="19998985" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chief-Election-Commissioner" source="keywords">Chief Election Commissioner</keyword> Rajiv Kumar stressed that 'one size fits all' approach will not work and different strategies have to be worked out for different areas and segments. Polling for the seven-phased Lok Sabha polls begins on April 19. Kumar emphasised on a three-pronged strategy of providing facilitation at polling stations, such as queue management, sheltered parking in congested areas; targeted outreach and communication; and involvement of critical stakeholders including RWAs, local icons and youth influencers to persuade people to come to polling stations on voting day. He told officials to prepare a booth-wise action plan for enhanced participation and behaviour change. He asked the participants to prepare different strategies for urban and rural areas and plan interventions accordingly for different target audiences. Discussions were centred on critical issues such as optimising queue management at polling stations and facilitating voting in high-rise buildings. Urban specific hurdles to increased voter turnout were identified and targeted city-specific interventions were planned. The officers were encouraged to develop tailored, region-specific outreach programs that resonate with the unique needs and demographics of their constituencies. The Commission recalled that nearly 29.7 crore eligible voters did not vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections "underscoring the scale of the problem which calls for proactive measures". In the last Lok Sabha elections, of the 50 seats with the lowest voter turnout, 17 were in metropolitans or major cities. It said recent elections across various states have highlighted trends of urban apathy towards the electoral process, warranting targeted interventions and collaborative endeavours.

EC identifies 266 Lok Sabha seats with low voter turnout, mostly in rural areas

<keyword id="21033069" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="women-candidates" source="keywords">Women candidates</keyword> like Selja, <keyword id="19941210" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kangana-Ranaut" source="keywords">Kangana Ranaut</keyword>, <keyword id="19968072" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hema-Malini" source="keywords">Hema Malini</keyword>, <keyword id="19960481" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dimple-Yadav" source="keywords">Dimple Yadav</keyword> and <keyword id="20377641" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Misha-Bharti" source="keywords">Misha Bharti</keyword> are leading by a significant margin in their respective constituencies in the general elections. Amethi's incumbent MP <keyword id="19899683" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="smriti-irani" source="keywords">Smriti Irani</keyword> and Sultanpur MP Maneka Gandhi are among MPs trailing by huge margin in their constituencies. Selja, <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Congress" meta.hostid="83" meta.entityid="Congress">Congress</keyword> candidate from Sirsa, is also leading from her constituency by over 2.5 lakh votes, as of 3.35 pm. <keyword id="20453436" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bansuri-Swaraj" source="keywords">Bansuri Swaraj</keyword>, who has been fielded by the BJP from New Delhi constituency is leading by over 50,000 votes. A total of 797 women contested the Lok Sabha elections. Some of the prominent women candidates who are leading in the contest include Kangana Ranaut, Hema Malini, Dimple Yadav and Misha Bharti. At 3 pm, Ranaut, first time contender from BJP in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi, is leading by over 70,000 against Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh. Incumbent MP from Mathura Hema Malini is leading from the constituency with a margin of over 2 lakh votes against Congress candidate Mukesh Dhangar. Dimple Yadav, the incumbent MP from Mainpuri, has also maintained a comfortable lead of over 2 lakh against BJP's Jayveer Singh. Misha Bharti, daughter of RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, is also leading against union minister and incumbent MP from Bihar's Pataliputra by a margin over nearly 50,000 votes. <keyword id="19981448" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mahua-Moitra" source="keywords">Mahua Moitra</keyword>, incumbent MP from West Bengal's Krishnanagar, is also leading in her seat by a margin of over 50,000 votes while Baramati's incumbent MP Supriya Sule also leading by over 20,000 votes. DMK's Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, incumbent MP from Thoothukkudi, is also leading from her constituency by over 2.5 lakh votes.

LS polls: Kangana, Hema Malini, Dimple Yadav among women candidates leading with comfortable margin

New Delhi, From appealing people not to vote for them to flaunting the unsuccessful tag, changing name in each election to losing huge sums of money in security deposits -- some tenacious <keyword id="20022603" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="independent" source="keywords">Independent</keyword> candidates have tried these all but losing elections became a habit for them. Tamil Nadu's K Padmarajan, who proudly calls himself the "Election King", might be the only candidate in the election fray who urges people not to vote for him, so he can retain his tag of being "most unsuccessful candidate", a feat also registered in the Limca Book of records. The 65-year-old tyre repair shop owner also finds pride in his entry in the <keyword id="19981515" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="guinness-book-of-world-records" source="keywords">Guinness Book of World Records</keyword> for candidate with most contested elections. He claims to have lost Rs 80 lakh so far in security deposits which gets forfeited every time he loses an election besides expenses for filing nomination amid fanfare. Gearing up for his 239th attempt, Padmarajan has filed his nomination for the 18th <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> elections from Thrissur in Kerala and Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu. "I began fighting elections in 1988 from my home town of Mettur, located in Tamil Nadu. I have contested 238 elections so far including against former prime ministers <keyword id="20374221" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="atal-bihar-vajpayee" source="keywords">Atal Bihar Vajpayee</keyword>, P V Narsimha Rao and Manmohan Singh. This will be my 239th attempt. I pick a unique battle every time," he told PTI. Asked about his campaign plans, Padmarajan said, "I ask people not vote for me, I don't want the votes but I want to continue to hold the tag of most unsuccessful candidate. I don't campaign but when I go for filing nomination, I do that in a grand way." From former chief ministers like Jayalalitha, M Karunanidhi, YSR Reddy and AK Antony to filmstars Hema Malini and Vijayakanth -- the list of bigwigs against whom Padmarajan has contested is long. Indore's Parmanand <keyword id="21190647" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tolani" source="keywords">Tolani</keyword> is taking forward his father's legacy who fought elections as independent candidate for three decades. "My father passed away in 1988 and I am taking forward his legacy. I have contested 18 elections so far including eight Lok Sabha and eight Vidhan Sabha. I will be contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha polls too," 65-year-old Tolani told PTI. "My father's wish was that we do not have to stop the trend till someone from the family gets elected. If I am not able to do it in my lifetime, my two daughters will carry forward the baton," said Tolani, who is a property broker. <keyword id="21190648" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vijay-prakash-kodekar" source="keywords">Vijay Prakash Kodekar</keyword> from <keyword id="19897309" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pune" source="keywords">Pune</keyword>, a retired staffer from state electricity board, has a different agenda behind contesting elections as independent candidate -- advocating zero budget poll campaigns. He can be seen pushing a steel cart on wheels in streets of Latur, where he is planning to contest the Lok Sabha polls. A flex board on the cart says "Main bhi Pradhanmantri". "The message why cannot any poor individual be the Prime Minister of the country. Why this exorbitant expenditure by parties on election campaigns? Polls can be fought on zero budget and the money can be utilised for public welfare," said 78-year-old Kodekar, who campaigns wearing a white dhoti. Having contested 24 elections so far, Kodekar uses a different name for different elections. "Some elections I have contested using the name Vijay, some with 'Rashtrapati' and some with the name 'Znyosho' -- as I am a disciple of Osho. I complete the name change formalities and then I contest the polls using the new name," he said. Hyderabad techie Ravinder Uppula, uses different campaign strategies for each Lok Sabha election he fights. In 2014 -- it was anti-corruption march and in 2019 it was a liquid only fast. "I promise during my campaign that if I get elected, I will get a lie detector test done every 100 days so public who votes for me doesn't feel cheated. That is how our politicians should do as well to weed out corruption," he said. Uppula, however, is disappointed with the poll campaign expenses. "It should not be an expensive deal to canvass in this country, an agenda and the right promise should be enough rather than the poll fray leaving the voters with no choice except voting for a smaller thief or a bigger thief," he added. The strange obsession of the independent candidates has also been featured in the book "The Power of The Ballot: Travail and Triumph in the Elections". Sharing the saga of some of the independent candidates' stint at the elections, the book decodes "why do some people contest every time knowing they will lose?" Kaka Joginder Singh, also known as "Dhartipakad", was a textile-shop owner who contested and lost over 300 elections. He died in 1998. In elections, he always contested independently, and always lost his security deposits. He earned the nickname Dhartipakad after several unsuccessful runs for the post of the President of India. The year with the greatest yield for him was during the tenth presidential elections in 1992 in which he earned fourth place in the polling with 1,135 votes, losing to Shankar Dayal Sharma; it was his best performance. He also contested elections from 14 states of India in the 1990s, mostly for state assemblies. Singh died in 1998. Long before <keyword id="19895781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="keywords">Narendra Modi</keyword> chose Varanasi as an election destination, the city had Narendra Nath Dubey "Adig". Often referred to as Kashi's Dhartipakad, he has been fighting every election as an independent candidate since 1984, losing his security deposit each time. He passed away in 2022.

PM campaign on a cart, most unsuccessful record: Independents who never call it quits

Patna, Former Bihar CM <keyword id="20102182" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rabri-devi" source="keywords">Rabri Devi</keyword> on Monday filed nomination papers for election to the state legislative council, besides three other candidates of her RJD and one of alliance partner CPI(ML) Liberation. Three candidates of the BJP, including former minister and state unit chief Mangal Pandey, also filed their nomination papers. Rabri Devi reached the Vidhan Sabha secretariat along with her husband Lalu Prasad, the RJD president, and sons <keyword id="19916246" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tejashwi-yadav" source="keywords">Tejashwi Yadav</keyword> and <keyword id="20196796" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tej-pratap-yadav" source="keywords">Tej Pratap Yadav</keyword>. The other RJD candidates who filed nomination papers were Abdul Bari Siddiqui, Syed Faisal Ali and Urmila Thakur. CPI(ML) Liberation's Shashi Yadav also filed nomination papers. Tejashwi Yadav, a former Deputy CM and the leader of multi-party <keyword id="19941767" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mahagathbandhan" source="keywords">Mahagathbandhan</keyword>, told reporters, "It is a matter of delight that our coalition has fielded three women." While Yadav's mother is seeking re-election to the upper house for a third consecutive term, Siddiqui, a veteran leader, has had a three-year-long stint in the council in the 1990s, besides having been elected to the assembly several times. The other Mahagathbandhan candidates will be making their debut in the Vidhan Parishad. Yadav, however, declined to take questions on former Lok Janshakti Party president Chirag Paswan, who is in the NDA but has dropped hints that he could switch sides if he got a better deal. CPI(ML) Liberation legislative party leader Mehboob Alam told reporters, "Let Chirag make clear his stand. His late father Ram Vilas Paswan had been our ally. If he, too, decides to junk the BJP, we shall welcome him." Congress legislative party leader Shakil Ahmed Khan, who was also present on the occasion, was asked about some leaders of his party expressing dissatisfaction that "despite having 17 MLAs", it was not fielding a candidate for legislative council polls. Notably, elections are being held for 11 seats, the terms of which are to end in May. Of these, one seat was held by senior Congress leader Prem Chandra Mishra. However, Khan said, "Our party is democratic and all people are allowed to express their opinions. But this is not an issue. We got our candidate elected to the Rajya Sabha recently. We are now helping our alliance partner (CPI-ML)." After the Mahagathbandhan candidates, it was the turn of Mangal Pandey, besides BJP debutantes Anamika Singh Patel and Lal Mohan Gupta to file their nomination papers. They filed their nomination papers in the presence of Samrat Choudhary, Deputy Chief Minister and state BJP president, besides Jitan Ram Manjhi, ex-CM, whose HAM is an NDA partner and whose son Santosh Suman is also seeking re-election to the legislative council. Suman, who is a minister in the <keyword id="19907431" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nitish-kumar" source="keywords">Nitish Kumar</keyword> cabinet, filed his nomination papers last week, along with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and JD(U) MLC Khalid Anwar. The last date for withdrawal of nomination papers is March 14 and voting, if required, will take place on March 21.

Rabri Devi among 8 candidates to file nomination for legislative council polls on last day

The Election Commission is set to announce the schedule for Bihar assembly elections on Friday. The EC has convened a press conference in this regard at 12.30 pm on Friday. The term of the 243-member <keyword id="437961" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bihar-legislative-assembly">Bihar legislative assembly</keyword> comes to an end on November 29. The Commission is likely to announce the schedule for the by-election to one Lok Sabha and 64 assembly seats spread across 15 states. The bypoll to the Valmiki Nagar Lok Sabha seat in Bihar has been pending. Among the 64 vacant assembly seats, 27 are in Madhya Pradesh. Most of these 27 seats fell vacant when rebel Congress members resigned from the party and the assembly to join the BJP. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/the-best-wildlife-photos-taken-this-year-reveal-a-pair-of-puffins-fighting-foxes-and-a-perfectly-camouflaged-hippo/slidelist/78297252.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">The best wildlife photos taken this year reveal a pair of puffins, fighting foxes, and a perfectly camouflaged hippo</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/the-senate-plans-to-subpoena-the-ceos-of-facebook-google-and-twitter-to-testify-before-congress-next-month/articleshow/78302874.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">The Senate plans to subpoena the CEOs of Facebook, Google, and Twitter to testify before Congress next month</a>

Bihar Election 2020: EC to announce Bihar assembly poll dates today

The Bihar assembly election results appeared to belie predictions made by most exit polls which had given a clear edge to the Rashtriya Janata Dal-led Mahagathbandhan. The ABP-CVoter exit poll prediction was the closest among all. It had projected 104-128 seats for the NDA and 108-131 seats for the opposition grand alliance. According to the Election Commission's website, as of 10.30 pm, the NDA was ahead with a slender margin. It had either won or was leading in 122 seats while the Mahagathbandhan's tally stood at 113. The majority mark in the 243-member Bihar assembly is 122. Counting in a few seats is still underway. The RJD, however, was ahead of all parties it had either won or was ahead in 77 seats. The BJP was close behind at 72. The JD(U) was a distant third and had either won or was ahead in 42 seats, the Congress in 19 seats. The Left parties tally stood at 17. Chanakya-CNN News18 on Tuesday projected 180 seats for the RJD-led grand alliance, 55 for the NDA and eight for others. India Today-Axis My India poll showed the RJD-led opposition was likely to win 139-161 seats, as against 69-91 for the NDA. It predicted three to five seats for the LJP and others. The ABP-CVoter exit poll predicted 104-128 seats for the NDA and 108-131 seats for the opposition grand alliance. It projected Chirag Paswan-led LJP to get one to three seats. A similar trend was predicted by Times Now-CVoter, which projected 116 seats for the NDA, 120 for the opposition alliance and a single seat for the LJP. It predicted six seats for others. Republic TV-Jan Ki Baat exit poll also gave a clear majority to the RJD-led alliance with 128 seats, while it projected 104 seats for the ruling NDA, seven seats for the LJP and four for others. TV9 Bharatvarsh projected NDA to win 115 seats, the grand alliance 120 and four each for LJP and others. The NDA comprises the JD(U), BJP, Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) and Hindustan Awam Morcha (Secular). The BJP contested 110 seats, leaving 11 to the VIP, while the JD(U) fielded candidates on 115 seats. It had given seven seats to the HAM. On the other hand, the RJD contested 144 seats, the Congress 70 and the three Left parties fielded candidates on 29 seats. The three-phase Bihar Assembly election ended on Saturday. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/india/news/checkout-here-bihar-assembly-election-2020-results-and-updates-online/articleshow/79142084.cms">Bihar Election Results 2020: Outcome of 28 constituencies announced, NDA leads with five more seats than the Grand Alliance</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/prime-minister-modi-hits-out-pakistan-and-china-during-sco-summit-attempts-are-being-made-to-rake-bilateral-issues/articleshow/79148767.cms">Prime Minister Modi takes a dig at Pakistan and China during SCO summit — ‘attempts are being made to rake up bilateral issues’</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/instagram-down-users-complain-of-frozen-timelines-and-likes/articleshow/79146012.cms">Instagram down for over four hours— users complain of frozen timelines and likes</a>

Bihar Election 2020: Most exit polls miss the mark

Polling began amid tight security arrangements for 94 assembly constituencies in 17 districts of Bihar from 7 am on Tuesday for the second phase of assembly elections. Foolproof security arrangements have been made for voting as well as to ensure that social distancing norms are in place in the times of a pandemic. According to <keyword id="2953599" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-State-Election-Commission">the state election commission</keyword>, more than 2.85 crore voters will exercise their franchise in the second phase. As many as 41,362 polling booths have been set up in this phase. According to <keyword id="1247430" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-Election-Commission">the Election Commission</keyword>, the fate of 1,463 candidates will be decided in this phase. The Maharajganj assembly constituency has the highest number of 27 candidates in the fray while just four candidates are in the fray at the Darauli assembly constituency. In most assembly constituencies, voters will be able to exercise their franchise from 7 am to 6 pm, while the window is curtailed from 7 am to 4 pm in some sensitive constituencies. Security forces have been deployed at all polling booths. In Bihar, elections are being held in three phases for 243 assembly seats. The election for the first phase was held for 71 seats on October 28. Polling for the third phase will be held for 78 seats on November 7. Counting of votes will be held on November 10. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/multiple-casualties-reported-in-vienna-terrorist-attack-officials-say/articleshow/79009954.cms">At least 2 people dead and more than a dozen injured in Vienna terror attack</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/world/news/how-the-electoral-college-works-and-how-the-president-will-be-selected-this-year/articleshow/77745886.cms">How the electoral college works and how the president will be selected this year</a>

Bihar Election 2020: Polling begins for 94 seats in Bihar amid tight security

Bihar might be on the cusp of a major generational shift in politics as it braced for Tuesday's counting of votes for the assembly election, with most pollsters predicting a landslide for the five-party Grand Alliance led by the young RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. Counting will be taken up at 55 centres across 38 districts where the outcome will decide the fate of the Nitish Kumar government that has helmed the state for a decade and half. Most exit polls have predicted a rout for the ruling JD(U)-BJP combine and a resounding victory for the Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) led by RJD's 31-year-old chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav, who has thrown down the gauntlet at redoubtable Nitish Kumar, the battle-scarred veteran more than twice his age. The Election Commission is making sure that the winds of potential change cause no disruption in the counting process. According to Chief Electoral Officer H R Srinavasa, central armed police forces have been deployed at the strong rooms, where the EVMs have been stored since the completion of voting, and the halls where these will be unsealed Tuesday morning after counting of postal ballots gets over. The state has 243 assembly constituencies and the most keenly watched will obviously be Raghopur in Vaishali district from where Tejashwi Yadav is seeking re-election. Kumar is a member of the legislative council and has not contested the assembly election. Raghopur has been in the past represented by his parents Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi both former chief ministers. Tejashwi's elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav is contesting from Hasanpur in Samastipur district. In addition, Tuesday's counting will also decide the political fate of nearly a score of ministers. Prominent among them are Nand Kishore Yadav (Patna Sahib), Pramod Kumar (Motihari), Rana Randhir (Madhuban), Suresh Sharma (Muzaffarpur), Shrawan Kumar (Nalanda), Jai Kumar Singh (Dinara) and Krishnanandan Prasad Verma (Jehanabad). With much of the NDA's election narrative focusing on RJD's association with "jungle raj", an allusion to the alleged collapsed law and order during the 15 years when Lalu-Rabri ruled the state in succession, the fate of "bahubalis", leaders known for strong arm tactics, will also be keenly watched. Two of the most notorious criminal-turned-politicians- Anant Singh (Mokama) and Reetlal Yadav (Danapur)- are contesting on RJD tickets. A win for the RJD-led coalition will bring a redemption of sorts for Tejashwi Yadav whose leadership abilities were called into question after his party failed to win a single seat in the Lok Sabha elections last year. The NDA had won 39 of the 40 seats and one had gone to the Congress, an RJD ally. It may also revive the fortunes of the three Left parties--The CPI, CPI-M and CPI-ML--which were consigned to near oblivion over the past two decades. The five-party 'Mahagathbandhan' also comprises these three Left parties, which were a force to reckon with in the past. Election officials and district administrations face the daunting task of restraining supporters of political parties from crowding the counting centres amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Prohibitory orders will be be place outside the counting centres to prevent people from gathering in large numbers, officials said. According to Srinivasa, while 19 companies of the central armed police forces will be deployed at strong rooms and the halls where counting will take place, another 59 have been entrusted with maintaining law and order. Each company comprises roughly 100 personnel. Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) Jitendra Kumar said Bihar Military Police and local police will also chip in while senior officials will keep a watch through display screens connected to CCTV cameras installed at the counting centres. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/hyperloop-pod-carries-two-humans-through-a-tube-at-over-160-kmph-for-the-first-time-ever/articleshow/79121765.cms">Hyperloop pod carries two humans through a tube at over 160 kmph for the first time ever</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/top-cyber-espionage-groups-that-have-india-in-their-crosshairs/slidelist/79120867.cms">Top cyber espionage groups that have India in their crosshairs</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/bigbasket-the-e-grocery-startup-which-tata-group-is-eyeing-admits-a-data-breach-of-over-20-million-users/articleshow/79122791.cms">BigBasket, the e-grocery startup which Tata Group is eyeing, admits a data breach of over 20 million users</a>

Bihar readies for D-day as polls forecast JDU-BJP win

Voting in 94 of the total 243 Assembly seats in Bihar will be held on November 3 during the second phase of state elections in which over 2.85 crore voters will decide the fate of 1,463 candidates in fray. As many as 41,362 polling stations have been set up across 17 districts, all of which except Patna, Bhagalpur, and Nalanda are situated north of the Ganges. Maharajganj seat has a maximum of 27 candidates in the electoral battle and Daraula with only four in the second round of Assembly polls. Prominent contestants in the fray include Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and Grand Alliance's chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav who is recontesting the Raghopur seat and his brother Tej Pratap in the fray in Hassanpur seat in Samastipur district. Other prominent faces in the fray in the second phase are RJD leaders Alok Kumar Mehta from Ujiyarpur and Shailesh Kumar from Bihpur, former parliamentarian Anand Mohan's son Chetan Anand from Sheohar, former parliamentarian Rama Singh's wife Beena Singh from Mahnar, and Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha's son Luv from Bankipur. Plurals Party leader Pushpam Priya Choudhary is also in the fray in Bankipur, apart from BJP's Nitin Naveen. Ministers Nandkishore Yadav, Randhir Singh, and Shravan Kumar are also in the fray from Patna Sahib, Madhuban and Nalanda segments. The prestige of 27 MLAs of the Grand Alliance is at stake. The RJD has fielded 56 candidates in the second phase of elections, wherein it is in direct contest with the BJP on 27 seats and with the ally turned foe JD-U on 25 seats. The BJP is contesting 46 seats and the JD-U 43 seats. The Congress is contesting 24 seats, CPI and CPM four each, Lok Janshakti Party 52 and RLSP 36 seats. In the 2015 elections, the Rashtriya Janata Dal of Lalu Prasad had bagged 33 of these seats, the JD-U 30 and the Congress seven whereas the NDA had won only 22 seats. However, a lot of water has since flown down the rivers ever since. New political permutations and combinations have come into play in 2020 as compared with the 2015 polls. Five years ago, Nitish Kumar's JD-U fought the elections in alliance with the RJD and the Congress, whereas the NDA had Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party and Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) in its camp. In this poll fray, the JD-U has moved to the NDA camp, the LJP is fighting its own battle and the RLSP is a part of the Grand Democratic Secular Front. Elections for the 243-seat Bihar Assembly are set to be held in three phases, out of which polling in the first phase was conducted on October 28. After the November 3 voting for 94 seats, remaining 78 constituencies will go to polls on November 7. The counting of votes is slated for November 10.

Bihar elections 2020: 2.85 crore voters to exercise franchise in 94 seats on November 3

Around 19.26 per cent polling was recorded before noon on Tuesday in 94 <keyword id="30033" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bihar">Bihar</keyword> Assembly segments in 17 districts, though it was expected to pick up speed as the day progressed, an official said. Muzaffarpur district with 26.09 per cent polling led the table, followed by Gopalganj at 24.12 per cent. West Champaran district registered 21.99 per cent polling by 11 am. Polling percentage in Sheohar was 19.25, Sitamarhi 20.22, Madhubani 18.13, Vaishali 20.33, Samastipur 21.76, Begusarai 19.01, East Champaran 15.76, Darbhanga 15.65, Siwan 15.96, Saran 16.69, Khagaria 19.57, Bhagalpur 20.08, Nalanda 20.20, and Patna 18.16. Officials received a few complaints about non-functioning EVMs and VVPATs in six districts. A group of women in Gopalgang refused to vote at a polling booth after alleging that the EVM had been tampered with. An official at the election control room in Patna said booth number 89 in Darbhanga, 121 in Gopalgang, and 136 in Muzaffarpur reported technical glitches and errors in EVMs during mock polling in polling booth in Ugiyarpur constituency. During the second phase of polling, first-time voter Priyanka, 19, came on a bicycle to cast her vote along with her grandmother in the Raj Bhavan polling booth on Tuesday morning. "I am very happy to cast my vote for the first time. I pressed the EVM button while keeping the jobs issue in mind," she said. Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi cast his vote at Kumhrar's St Joseph High School in Patna district. "I appeal to the people of Bihar to come out and cast their votes by following Covid norms," he said. During the polling, some voters raised objections over the VIP treatment to Sushil Modi. Many voters claimed that they had been standing in queues for half an hour but he just arrived and cast his vote without standing in a queue. Chandrika Rai, Janata Dal-United candidate, also cast his vote in Vaishali. He lashed out at Lok Janshakti Party President Chirag Paswan and said that he did not know the ground realities in Bihar. "He lives in Delhi, wears branded clothes and follows 5-star culture. He doesn't know the ground situation in Bihar," he said. As per the Election Commission, Pirpainti in Bhagalpur district is the largest Assembly segment going to polls in the second phase, with 3.34 lakh voters, including 1.78 lakh males, 1.56 lakh females, and 12 transgenders. Cheria Bariyarpur is the smallest segment with 2.48 lakh voters, including 1.30 lakh males, 1.17 females, and 12 transgenders. Polling in 94 Assembly segments in 17 districts will be held from 7 am till 6 pm. The polling in some sensitive constituencies will end at 4 pm as per the Election Commission (EC) directions.

Bihar elections 2020: 19.26% polling recorded before noon

Counting of votes got under way Tuesday morning for the three-phase Bihar assembly elections that may herald a new era in state politics, with <keyword id="43771" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Exit-polls">exit polls</keyword> predicting a victory for the RJD-led Grand Alliance. The exercise will decide the electoral fate of over 3,700 candidates who are in the race to win the 243 seats of <keyword id="9334401" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-state-assembly">the state assembly</keyword>. Counting started at 8 am at 55 centres spread across 38 districts amid tight security and precautions to avoid the spread of COVID-19 pandemic during the process. Over 57 per cent of about 7.30 crore electors have exercised their franchise in what is the first major election in the country since the onset of the pandemic. Votes are also being simultaneously counted for the Valmiki Nagar Lok Sabha by-poll, which was necessitated by the death of JD(U) MP Baidyanath Mahto. Officials said the trends and results might be delayed a bit this time as the number of polling stations were raised from 72,723 earlier to 1,06,515, an increase of 46.5 per cent, to ensure adherence to social distancing measures in view of the pandemic. A total of 3,733 candidates are in the fray, including 371 women and a transgender. Most exit polls have predicted a rout for the ruling JD(U)-BJP combine and a resounding victory for the Grand Alliance (<keyword id="2838249" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mahagathbandhan">Mahagathbandhan</keyword>) led by RJD's 31-year-old chief ministerial candidate <keyword id="6354578" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="tejashwi-yadav">Tejashwi Yadav</keyword>. According to Chief Electoral Officer H R Srinavasa, central armed police forces have been deployed at the strong rooms, where the EVMs have been stored since the completion of voting, and the halls where these are being unsealed now. Of the state's 243 assembly constituencies, among the most keenly watched will obviously be Raghopur in Vaishali district from where Tejashwi Yadav is seeking re-election. Raghopur has been in the past represented by his parents Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi, both former chief ministers. Nitish Kumar is a member of the state's legislative council and has not contested the assembly election. Tejashwi's elder brother <keyword id="6355331" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="tej-pratap-yadav">Tej Pratap Yadav</keyword> is contesting from Hasanpur in <keyword id="825547" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Samastipur-district">Samastipur district</keyword>. Tuesday's counting will also decide the political fate of nearly a dozen of ministers. Prominent among them are Nand Kishore Yadav (Patna Sahib), Pramod Kumar (Motihari), Rana Randhir (Madhuban), Suresh Sharma (Muzaffarpur), Shrawan Kumar (Nalanda), Jai Kumar Singh (Dinara) and Krishnanandan Prasad Verma (Jehanabad). Prohibitory orders are in place outside the counting centres to prevent people from gathering in large numbers, officials said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/pfizers-covid-19-vaccine-is-90-effective-in-preventing-coronavirus-in-those-who-havent-been-infected-ever-before/articleshow/79130097.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is 90% effective in preventing coronavirus in those who haven’t been infected ever before, shows data from latest trials</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/mm-q2-earnings-tomorrow-profit-likely-to-fall-19-percent-but-tractor-sales-may-help-revenue/articleshow/79129620.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Strong tractor sales may cushion M&amp;M’s revenue but profit is likely to remain under pressure, say analysts</a>

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Bihar Election 2020: Polling begins for 94 seats in Bihar amid tight security

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Bihar readies for D-day as polls forecast JDU-BJP win

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Bihar elections 2020: 2.85 crore voters to exercise franchise in 94 seats on November 3

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Bihar elections 2020: 19.26% polling recorded before noon

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Bihar Election Results 2020: Counting of votes begins for 243-member assembly; results may be delayed due to additional poll stations

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