Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<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

In a small village in Zambia, a teenager carries the key to her <keyword id="21911075" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bicycle" source="keywords">bicycle</keyword> lock around her neck like an ornament. Her father, the leader of the hamlet frowns upon it. But it has little to no effect on her, because the bicycle was her key to freedom, and symbolic of the agency she now had over her life. <div type="image" title="Students of Government Manorama Vidyapith Girls High School in Patna (2009)" agency="BCCL" msid="113057493" hostid="261"></div> Similarly, a girl in her neighbouring village would deflate her cycle’s tyres every day, and bury the key somewhere far from the reach of her brother, to stop him from using it. Why were these young women so territorial and proud over a seemingly modest mode of commute to their school? How is it related to Bihar, and how has something as small and insignificant as a bicycle paved the way for a broader movement of woman empowerment? Read on to find out! <h2>Bihar’s Mukhyamantri Balika Cycle Yojana</h2>Being one of the most impoverished states in India, Bihar is plagued with a large gender gap in school attendance. This gap in attendance in schools only grows with age. The enrollment of girls in primary school is satisfactory, largely due to the availability of primary schools and the introduction of schemes like the midday meal. However, distance remains a huge barrier in the hinterlands, pushing them further away from attending secondary school. In 2006, the Nitish Kumar-led state government, launched the Mukhyamantri Balika Cycle Yojana, a pioneering cash-for-kind program to empower girls through education. The program initially provided ₹2000 to 14-year-old girls enrolled in 9th grade, enabling them to purchase bicycles. This initiative was designed to address one of the most significant barriers to education for girls in Bihar—long distances to secondary schools. But, how profound were the implications of this policy intervention? In 2008, <a href="https://www.nishithprakash.com">Professor Nishith Prakash</a> from Northeastern University and <a href="https://econweb.ucsd.edu/~kamurali/index.html">Professor Kartik Muralidharan</a> of the University of California, San Diego embarked on a study to gauge the policy’s impact with support from the International Growth Centre (IGC). Their research found that this bicycle program increased age-appropriate secondary school enrolment for girls aged 14-15 by 32%. It also reduced the gender gap in enrolment by 40%. Moreover, the number of girls appearing for and passing the 10th-grade exam rose by 18% and 12%, respectively. The success of this initiative highlighted the transformative power of providing a bicycle. Inspired by the Bihar program's success, Professor Prakash later collaborated with <a href="https://worldbicyclerelief.org">World Bicycle Relief (WBR)</a> and Zambia's Ministry of General Education to implement a similar initiative in the Southern province of Zambia. <h2>After Bihar, why Zambia?</h2>Zambia is a landlocked country in Southern Africa that has made significant strides in improving access to primary education with near-universal primary school enrolment. However, the story, when it comes to girls in secondary education, is markedly different. The drop-off for girls, as they transition to secondary education is stark. According to the World Bank’s 2015 report ‘Policy Brief: Zambia,’ their enrolment fell to just 61% at the lower secondary level. The same report states that girls drop out of school at double the rate of boys in Grade 7 and triple the rate of boys by Grade 11. <h2>A tough road to secondary school</h2>Transitioning to, and completing secondary education is particularly challenging for girls, primarily due to barriers like school fees, long distances to school, and societal factors such as teenage pregnancy and child marriage. These challenges are even more pronounced in rural areas. Additionally, this transition to secondary school often coincides with the onset of menstruation, which brings its own set of challenges. The lack of menstrual hygiene facilities in schools, coupled with the stigma and lack of awareness surrounding menstruation, further exacerbates the already significant gap in girls' education. Nearly 98% of girls in their sample reported walking to school, spending an average of 110 minutes commuting just one way, as reported in a <a href="https://www.cesifo.org/en/publications/2022/working-paper/wheels-change-transforming-girls-lives-bicycles">new study</a> authored by Professor Nishith Prakash and his collaborators. Alarmingly, 35% of these girls reported experiencing sexual harassment during their commute, highlighting just how perilous a journey many face in their pursuit of education. This <a href="https://www.cesifo.org/en/publications/2022/working-paper/wheels-change-transforming-girls-lives-bicycles">intervention</a> was introduced in Zambia, providing bicycles to girls in 100 schools across three districts, and the results were promising. Overall absenteeism dropped by 29%, translating to an additional five school days per year for girls in the Southern Province, where the average primary school student missed 18 days annually. Girls in the schools who received the bicycles were 38% less likely to drop out of school compared to those in the schools who did not receive the bicycles. <h2>Pedalling towards a safer commute</h2>The impact of these bicycles extended beyond just improved attendance. The program also led to enhanced perceptions of safety among the girls. One year after the intervention, girls in the treatment group reported a 22% reduction in instances of being teased or harassed on their way to school. Additionally, the probability of girls missing school or leaving early due to safety concerns dropped by 39%. Post the success of this program, the United States Agency For International Development (USAID) awarded $3.5 million to fund bicycles for growth initiatives to increase access in rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, mainly Ghana, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia. Additionally, the Ministry of General Education (Zambia) scaled up the cycle program in several districts in Zambia. Simply put, the bicycles in Bihar and Zambia gave young girls the agency of making choices for themselves. While the immediate benefit of these programs was providing the means for women to travel to school, the long-term impact reveals significant shifts in attitudes among both the women involved and the communities around them! But did you know that the use of bicycles to provide women with this much-needed agency isn’t new and was actively instituted by women during the suffrage movement of the 19th century — a decades-long fight to win the right to vote for women in the United States? <h2>Corsets to cycles: The Suffrage movement &amp; bicycles</h2> <div type="image" title="A woman with a bicycle in early 1900s" msid="113057788" hostid="261"></div> In the late 19th century, during the American industrial revolution, a seemingly simple invention sparked a movement that would forever change women's lives — the bicycle. As the country experienced a ‘bicycle craze,’ the first wave of the women’s rights movement was gaining momentum. The bicycle quickly became more than just a mode of transportation; it became a powerful symbol of change and progress in the fight for women’s emancipation. In fact, the introduction of the bicycle revolutionised women’s fashion, breaking away from restrictive corsets and long skirts that had previously hindered their mobility. Instead, women began to adopt more practical, comfortable clothing that allowed them to cycle freely. The image of the ‘new woman’ emerged — educated, sporty, and career-oriented — with a bicycle as her constant companion. In 1895, at the age of 80, suffragist leader <keyword id="23037502" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="elizabeth-cady-stanton" source="keywords">Elizabeth Cady Stanton</keyword> predicted the power of the bicycle in transforming the lives of women. Having the ability to be self-reliant, often for the first time in their lives, would encourage them to be more courageous in other areas as well. While back then, their fight was for their right to vote in political elections, times have changed. Women have to fight different battles — some new and some old — to realise and utilise their potential. What has remained constant in this journey is the bicycle! Susan B. Anthony, another suffragist leader further opined, “Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel…the picture of free, untrammelled womanhood.” Had she known that several decades later, this simpleton mode of transport would continue to improve the lives of young women in remote parts of the Global South, she would’ve been happy to her heart's content! If something as mundane as access to mobility has historically brought such great results, what can be done to bring greater mobility for women in policy-making today? Professor Nishith Prakash suggests that mobility needs to be thought of in a broader context. Mobility in the case of women isn’t just freedom to be able to go from one place to another. There are multiple actors at play, including their actual safety and the perception of feeling safe in an environment. Cultural norms in most societies across the globe, and in India, automatically grant the power of key-decision making to men. For these archaic norms to be challenged, he suggests changes in curriculum from early childhood. Reiterating the importance of agency in making choices for themselves, there need to be jobs for them to want to step out of the confines of their homes. And once they do, nothing can stop them from cycling away to their freedoms!

SIMPLY PUT: Two Wheels, One Mission — Bicycles empowering girls in Bihar and Zambia, a call-back to 19th century Suffrage movement

In the 2019 parliamentary polls, voters in Bihar's <keyword id="20327545" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gopalganj" source="keywords">Gopalganj</keyword> had created a record with 51,660 of them, or five per cent, opting for the <keyword id="20335981" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="NOTA" source="keywords">NOTA</keyword> option, which is placed as the last option on the electronic voting machine. As per the latest trends available on 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>'s website at 3.15 PM, over 4.62 lakh (0.99 per cent of the total voters opted for NOTA. Out of 61,31,33,300 votes polled in the 2019 polls, 65,14,558 (1.06 per cent) were polled for NOTA. Similarly in 2014 parliamentary elections, out of 55,38,02,946 votes polled, 60,02,942 (1.08 per cent) were polled for NOTA. The <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Congress" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Congress">Congress</keyword> had received a jolt in the <keyword id="19930878" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indore" source="keywords">Indore</keyword> Lok Sabha seat after its candidate <keyword id="21466595" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="akshay-kanti-bam" source="keywords">Akshay Kanti Bam</keyword> withdrew his nomination on April 29, the last date for the withdrawal of nominations. Bam later joined the <keyword id="19894848" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="BJP" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="BJP">BJP</keyword>, prompting the Congress to appeal to the people to press the NOTA option on EVMs during polling in Indore on May 13. Former Chief Election Commissioner O P <keyword id="19965032" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rawat" source="keywords">Rawat</keyword> had recently described NOTA as having a "symbolic" impact and had said if it gets more than 50 per cent votes in a seat, only then making it legally effective on poll results could be considered. Rawat had also told PTI that if 99 out of 100 votes go in favour of NOTA option and someone gets one vote, even then the canidate will emerge victorious. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Indore recorded 69 per cent turnout with 5,045 voters opting for NOTA. Rawat said, "In the present situation, NOTA has only symbolic significance and it cannot have an impact on the election result of any seat." "More than 50 per cent electors will have to once opt for NOTA in a seat to show the political community that they do not consider candidates with criminal background or other undeserving ones worthy of their votes. Only after this, pressure on Parliament and the Election Commission will increase and they will have to think about changing laws to make NOTA effective on the election results," he said.

With 2.18 lakh voters, NOTA creates record in Madhya Pradesh's Indore seat

A lacklustre show by the Congress in Bihar seems to have proved costly for the opposition grand alliance, as it dragged down the RJD too from the government formation in the Hindi heartland state. While the Congress lost ground in Bihar, it also suffered significant electoral losses in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, losing a majority of bypolls in key states that saw the BJP surging ahead. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="79142084" title="Bihar Election Results 2020: With 40 seats still hanging in the balance, NDA widens its lead but RJD continues to be the single largest party" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> The Congress also alleged foul play in elections accusing the ruling NDA of misuse of power. The Congress also went to the EC making the allegations that their candidates were not given certificates of victory despite winning. "Democracy is being murdered and mandate being abducted in Bihar," Surjewala tweeted in Hindi citing examples of seats where their party candidate had won but not given certificates of victory. Senior party leaders again blamed EVMs for the losses, with former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh and Dalit leader Udit Raj claiming that the electronic voting machines (EVMs) can be hacked and tampered with, though their party colleague Karti Chidambaram said the EVM system is accurate and dependable, and "it's time to stop blaming the EVM". "What is the reason that no developed country is using EVMs... if a chip is there, then it is not tamper-proof," Singh said, alleging "selective" rigging. In Bihar, the Congress's tally dropped from 27 in 2015 to 19 as per the latest trends available, that saw the RJD-led grand alliance narrowly lag behind the BJP-led NDA. Though the Congress improved its vote share from 6.66 per cent in 2015 to nearly 9.5 per cent in this election, its strike rate this time was less than 30 per cent as against 66 percent last time. The grand old party had contested in 70 seats this time with its ally RJD contesting in the majority seats. In 2015, the Congress had contested in 41 seats. On their part, Congress sources said it would be "unfair" to say that the party fared poorly as it contested those seats in Bihar which were traditionally NDA strongholds and the JDU-BJP combine had a strike rate of over 95 in the past. Party insiders said the seats it contested also did not have the advantage of Muslim-Yadav combination and were never contested by it earlier. The presence of AIMIM also cost the Congress dearly as the Asaduddin Owaisi-led outfit won five seats and cost the Mhagathbandhan some 15-odd seats, insiders said. The RJD had also not won those seats since 1990, a leader claimed, adding that even in 2015 when RJD-JDU-Cong fought as part of 'Mahagathbandhan', the Congress had won 23 out of 32 seats from this area. Leaders said the party failed to put up a strong base in Bihar in the last two years after its former Bihar chief Ashok Choudhary defected to the JDU, and could not consolidate its position riding on the RJD support-base. Shiv Sena, an ally of Congress in Maharashtra, also accused the Congress of being the "weak-link" and dragging down the RJD. Sena's Sanjay Raut said had the Congress performed better, Tejaswi Yadav would have been declared CM by now. Of the 28 seats in Madhya Pradesh, the party lost 19 seats to the BJP and was leading in 8 seats it was holding, with Congress rebel Jyotiraditya Scindia posting big gains for the saffron party. In UP and Gujarat, the Congress drew a blank in 15 bypoll seats in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. However, one consolation for the Congress was its victory in bypolls in Haryana's Baroda seat, where the BJP is in power. The Congress held on to its Baroda assembly seat in the bypoll necessitated after the death of its MLA Shri Krishan Hooda. The Congress also won one seat each in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand in bypolls held today.

Grand Alliance loses ground in Bihar election due to Congress' underperformance

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

A total of 163 ( 68 per cent) out of the 241 winners in the Bihar Assembly polls have declared criminal cases against themselves in the poll affidavits, with <keyword id="42678" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="RJD">RJD</keyword> topping the list with around 73 per cent, Bihar Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) said. Of the 163 MLA-elects, 123 (51 per cent of total affidavits analysed) have serious criminal cases pending against them, including those related to murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping and crimes against women. In the 2015 Assembly elections, 142 (58 per cent) MLAs had self-declared such cases against them in their affidavits. This time, the ADR had analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 241 of the 243 victorious candidates. The ADR did not say anything on such details of remaining winners. The results of the three-phase elections were declared on Wednesday early morning after counting that went on for over 20 hours. Out of the 123 winners, 19 have murder cases, 31 attempt to murder and eight crimes against women against their names. Among the major parties, 54 (73 per cent) of the 74 winners from Tejashwi Yadav-led <keyword id="123786" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rashtriya-Janata-Dal">Rashtriya Janata Dal</keyword> (RJD) have pending criminal cases, followed by 47 (64 per cent) out of 73 from BJP, 20 (47 per cent) out of 43 from Janata Dal-United, 16 (84 per cent) out of 19 from Congress, 10 (83 per cent) out of 12 from Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist Liberation, and five (100 per cent) out of 5 from Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen. A total of 44 (60 per cent) out of 74 RJD winners, 35 (48 per cent) out of 73 from BJP, 11 (26 per cent) out of 43 from JD-U, 11 (58 per cent) out of 19 from Congress, eight (67 per cent) out of 12 from CPI-MLL and 5 (100 per cent) out of 5 from AIMIM have serious criminal cases pending against them. 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: Final tally puts NDA in the majority with 125 seats as RJD remains the single largest party</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/psu-bank-employees-wage-revision-finalised-after-three-years-of-waiting-only-a-1500-increase-in-salary-for-officers/articleshow/79166497.cms">PSU bank employees wage revision finalised after three years of waiting — only a ₹1,500 increase in salary for officers</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 nearly 24 hours— users continue to complain about frozen timelines and likes</a>

Nearly 70% of Bihar election winners have declared criminal cases against them, mostly from RJD

Attributing the party's victory in Bihar and in various assembly bypolls to the people's faith in <keyword id="6354814" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="prime-minister-narendra-modi">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</keyword>, the BJP leaders on Tuesday said the voters of Bihar have rejected dynasty, casteism and politics of appeasement. The party leaders and ministers also credited the victory in Bihar to the Modi government's success in navigating the country during the COVID-19 crisis. Describing the BJP's victory as the reimposition of faith in the Modi government's pro-poor policies, the party president J P Nadda said the entire nation has reposed its trust in the welfare work done by the Centre, as shown by results of the Bihar assembly elections and of by-elections in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Manipur and Telangana. "In the difficult times of the COVID-19 epidemic, when the country was struggling with crisis and challenges, Modi government took all possible steps to help the poor and the needy and provided them free ration and financial assistance as well. It was a unique example of serving the humanity," Nadda said in series of tweets. Union Home Minister <keyword id="6355521" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="amit-shah">Amit Shah</keyword> on Tuesday complimented the people of Bihar for electing the NDA in the just concluded assembly elections, saying the people of the state have chosen development over "hollow politics, casteism and appeasement". In a series of tweets in Hindi, Shah also said that the victory of the NDA was the win of the "double engine" development of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. "Every section of Bihar has once again chosen the development of NDA by denying hollow politics, casteism and appeasement politics. I thank all the brothers and sisters of the state from the core of my heart for re-choosing development, progress and good governance. I especially thank the youth and women who formed the NDA government with absolute majority by choosing security and a bright future in Bihar," he said. Another senior party leader and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the victory in Bihar is a win of the NDA's commitment to good governance and development and expressed his gratitude to the people of the state. BJP's general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh said the way Prime Minister Modi navigated the country during Covid-19 crisis was the most important factor for BJP's emphatic win in Bihar and pan-India assembly bypolls, along with the party engaging in a massive programme of feeding the needy during this crisis. 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>

BJP declares victory in Bihar Election 2020 before final count with Prime Minister Modi, Amit Shah and other senior leaders thanking voters

Nearly seven lakh voters in Bihar used the 'none of the above' or NOTA option in the assembly elections, according to latest figures. So far, results of 202 seats out of the total 243 have been announced. According to figures released by the EC, 6,89,135 people or 1.69 per cent of the voters so far have opted for the option whereby they preferred not to vote for any candidate while exercising their democratic right. The 'NOTA' option on electronic voting machines, introduced in 2013, has its own symbol -- a ballot paper with a black cross across it. After the Supreme Court order in September, 2013, the EC added the NOTA button on the EVMs as the last option on the voting panel. Prior to the apex court order, those not inclined to vote for any candidate had the option of filling, what is popularly called, 'form 49-O'. But filling the form at the polling station under Rule 49-O of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, compromised the secrecy of the voter. The Supreme Court had, however, refused to direct the Election Commission to hold fresh polls if the majority of the electorate exercises the NOTA option while voting. There were several seats in Bihar where NOTA option got more votes than winning margin of candidates. 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>

Nearly 7 lakh voters in the Bihar Election 2020 used NOTA option

Counting of votes for 243 Assembly constituencies of Bihar is underway on Tuesday amid tight security and Covid-19 arrangements at all counting centres. Counting began at 8 a.m. at 55 counting centres set up at 38 district headquarters. According to the Bihar State Election Commission, three counting centres each in East Champaran, Siwan, Begusarai and Gaya, and two each in Nalanda, Banka, Purnia, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Gopalganj and Saharsa have been set up. And, there are 414 halls in 55 counting centers. According to the Election Commission, the first results were expected by mid afternoon. Voting took place in Bihar in three phases -- October 28, November 3 and November 7. The magic figure in the 243-seated Assembly is 122. A three-tier security arrangements has been made at all counting centres. Those with valid passes only have been allowed inside the polling stations. The counting of all the 14 Assembly constituencies of Patna will be held at the A.N. College, Patna District Magistrate Kumar Ravi said. The exit poll, after the polling, indicated a tough fight between the RJD-led Grand Alliance and the BJP-led NDA. 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: Counting of votes begin, early trends indicate the Grand Alliance edging ahead of the JDU</a>

Bihar election counting underway amid tight security and COVID-19 precautions

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

With a win in nine seats and leads in three others, the CPI(ML) on Tuesday is all set for an impressive performance in the Bihar Assembly elections. The <keyword id="6360542" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="communist-party-of-india">Communist Party of India</keyword> (Marxist-Leninist), often working in the margins of mainstream politics, fielded 19 candidates, most of them students and youth leaders, in the elections. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="79142084" title="Bihar Election Results 2020: With 40 seats still hanging in the balance, NDA widens its lead but RJD continues to be the single largest party" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> According to the latest trends as of 11:50 pm, CPI(ML) has won nine of the 19 seats and is leading in three. The CPI(M) which competed on four seats has won two seats, and the CPI which contested in six seats has also won two seats. With the win in nine seats and leads in three others, the CPI(ML) hopes to be the biggest gainer in the Grand Alliance. In the 2015 assembly election, the CPI(ML) had bagged three seats. It had won seven seats in the 2005 polls. The party secured six seats in the 2000 election and in 2010, it had failed to get any seat. "The leads so far are on expected lines and we hope to catch up in three more seats. This was a different kind of election. This was more of a people's movement. We banked on young candidates like student leaders, candidates who were part of farmer struggles and working class people. That seemed to have worked. "The 25-point campaign charter of the Mahagathbandhan is the demands emerging in the course of the teachers' movement, skill workers' movement over the last few years. The Left parties have set the agenda, the people of Bihar set the agenda for us. This is a big gain for the Left," CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said. Party leaders also highlighted how cadres worked among the poor, became first responders in crisis among their constituents and led movements against unemployment, corruption in education and farm rights, to gain the trust of voters. "We have been working with the poor in the state since the 1990s, mainly with the Dalits and the EBCs. We have played the lonely vocal opposition voice in the Vidhan Sabha on the rights of the poor. Over the last five years, we have built an image which is based on goodwill and faith. Electoral victories are not just about numbers, it is about chemistry. This time things came together. "This election, wherever the RJD and CPI(ML) have come together, the Grand Alliance has done well," N Balaji, the national president of CPI(ML) students' wing All India Students Association, said. On his party's decision to go with the RJD despite being opposed to it earlier, Balaji, who campaigned extensively in Bihar, said the party (RJD) currently led by Tejashwi Yadav and the one led by his father Lalu Prasad were "two different entities". CPI(ML) leaders also pointed out that this was perhaps the first time that the youth and student leaders had actively participated and some even contested the elections. Out of the 19 candidates that the party fielded this time, six are under 35 years of age and 10 are below 50. Among the party's winning candidates, Sandeep Saurav, 33, won from Paliganj constituency after defeating the JD(U) candidate. Saurav, a former JNUSU general secretary and an AISA activist, gave up his job as an assistant professor to fight the polls. CPI-ML's other candidate Manoj Manzil, 36, won by over 50,000 votes from Agiaon. He was earlier arrested after filing his nomination from the constituency. Manzil is known for leading the 'Sadak Par School' movement in Bhojpur against unemployment. He is also a prominent leader among the Dalit community. Ajit Kumar Singh (34), who won the Dumraon seat, is the state president of Revolutionary Youth Association. He is a former AISA Bihar state secretary and has completed his doctoral studies in history of farmers' agitation in Bihar. 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>

You Searched For "Bihar Election Result" and got 11 results

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

PTI

SIMPLY PUT: Two Wheels, One Mission — Bicycles empowering girls in Bihar and Zambia, a call-back to 19th century Suffrage movement

Prerna Tyagi

With 2.18 lakh voters, NOTA creates record in Madhya Pradesh's Indore seat

PTI

Grand Alliance loses ground in Bihar election due to Congress' underperformance

PTI

Bihar Election 2020: Most exit polls miss the mark

PTI

Nearly 70% of Bihar election winners have declared criminal cases against them, mostly from RJD

IANS

BJP declares victory in Bihar Election 2020 before final count with Prime Minister Modi, Amit Shah and other senior leaders thanking voters

PTI

Nearly 7 lakh voters in the Bihar Election 2020 used NOTA option

PTI

Bihar election counting underway amid tight security and COVID-19 precautions

IANS

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

PTI

Bihar Election Results 2020: Leftist parties see their vote share increase as CPI(ML) wins 9 seats and leads in three others

PTI

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides