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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

<keyword id="21259" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Lalu-Prasad">Lalu Prasad</keyword> has recently garnered media headlines for all the wrong reasons. At first he mocked Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>, and now he has mocked the hapless incident of <keyword id="6374198" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="BJP-President">BJP President</keyword> <keyword id="6355521" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Amit-Shah">Amit Shah</keyword> getting trapped in an elevator for around 40 minutes. 
 
The former Bihar CM Lalu said elevators in Patna are smaller. Here, hear it from Lalu himself! 
 
<blockquote class="twitter-video" lang="en">
	
		Lalu Yadav reacting to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmitShah?src=hash">#AmitShah</a> getting stuck in a lift in Patna <a href="http://t.co/UylBsSBmJw">pic.twitter.com/UylBsSBmJw</a>
	— ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/634653355013337089">August 21, 2015</a></blockquote>
Here are some of the Twitter reactions to this video. 
 
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		haha <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmitShah?src=hash">#AmitShah</a> RT <a href="https://twitter.com/Vikasguptaorg">@Vikasguptaorg</a> This is a Liftist conspiracy against BJP
	— Madhavan Narayanan (@madversity) <a href="https://twitter.com/madversity/status/634716291736039425">August 21, 2015</a></blockquote>
 
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmitShah?src=hash">#AmitShah</a> trapped in lift finally.. Making PM look stupid for Rs 700 crore Yoga Diwas.
	— Jassodababe (@iJasoda) <a href="https://twitter.com/iJasoda/status/634659832864329728">August 21, 2015</a></blockquote>
 
 
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmitShah?src=hash">#AmitShah</a> should be extra careful...there is danger to his life in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bihar?src=hash">#Bihar</a>....
	— Ashok Garekar (@DrGarekar) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrGarekar/status/634704961155149824">August 21, 2015</a></blockquote>
 
...and finally! 
 
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		Amit Shah <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmitShah?src=hash">#AmitShah</a> just before the Lift episode in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Patna?src=hash">#Patna</a>: <a href="https://t.co/pDyrI7vukL">https://t.co/pDyrI7vukL</a>
	— SunjayJK✺DIVERSITY (@SunjayJK) <a href="https://twitter.com/SunjayJK/status/634658987581964289">August 21, 2015</a></blockquote>
Image credit: Indiatimes

Lalu says 'fat people' like Amit Shah shouldn’t enter a lift

A day after PM <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> addressed people on completion of one year in power, President of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Amit Shah addressed a news conference today, claiming how his party-led federal government had brought a wind of change within a year. 
 
Addressing mediapersons in the national capital, Shah, also a close aide of Modi, said the present government was visible and had weeded out the trust deficit among people towards it. 
 
Shah said that post-independence, people of the nation gave a chance to a non-Congress government. The BJP had won 282 seats in general elections last year and the Congress was left with just 44. 
 
“Earlier, people used to look for government and there was no trust. But, things have changed and now the government is pro-active and has worked to improve the federal structure of India,” said Shah. 
 
Shah, was a star campaigner during general elections who turnaround BJP’s fate in Uttar Pradesh also. He was elevated to President rank in BJP post party’s win after Rajnath Singh took charge as Home Minister. 
 
Meanwhile, Shah also boasted that no one from the opposition could level corruption charges against any minister in Modi’s cabinet. 
 
He took a jibe on Congress over coal scam, saying under Modi regime, the country benefitted immensely from coal block auctions this year. 
 
Shah also attacked Congress on black money issue, which was one of the poll planks last year. 
 
Modi has vowed to bring back money stashed away in abroad. “We have enacted law on black money and we are determined to get it back,” said Shah. 
 
Replying to ‘suit boot ki sarkar’ jibe by Congress, Shah said it was a thing of the past now, while replying to a question. 
 
Later, Shah is to visit Haryana to kick-start 200 big rallies to mark first anniversary of the government. 
 
While he claims that the country wants a change which is why it voted BJP in Maharashtra, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir (in coalition), it is yet to see how the party will perform in Bihar elections. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

BJP Prez Amit Shah criticises Congress, hails BJP one year on

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

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

<ul class="generic-article__summary--ul content--ul"><li class="generic-article__summary--li content--li">With at least two major regional elections in 2020, all eyes are on how the BJP will arrest the fallout from the citizenship act and local poll defeats.</li><li class="generic-article__summary--li content--li">Analysts say the BJP will concentrate on centralising power and a hardened focus on Hindu nationalism.</li></ul> December was a difficult month for <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/india" class="link-text">India</a> Prime Minister <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/narendra-modi" class="link-text">Narendra Modi</a> and Amit Shah, his top lieutenant in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).The BJP is facing the biggest challenge of its five-and-a-half-year rule as it scrambles to defuse crises on multiple fronts. How Modi and Shah, the home minister, respond to these problems could determine whether the party maintains its comfortable political edge over rivals, observers say. The current problems – <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3043741/thousands-take-part-rival-protests-over-indias-citizenship-law" class="link-text">mass protests</a> over a controversial <a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3042045/modis-surgical-strike-muslims-puts-india-war-itself" class="link-text">citizenship law</a> and back-to-back state election defeats – are seen in some quarters as an early sign that the public is pushing back against their aggressive advocacy of the Hindu nationalist agenda over broader national interests. Activists wear masks of Home Minister Amit Shah, Indian Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> and West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh during a protest against the citizenship bill. Photo: AFP The two men are lifelong members of RSS, the hardline Hindu nationalist group that serves as the ideological fountainhead of the BJP. Political researcher Neelanjan Sircar said the state election defeats also happened “due to the BJP’s desire to centralise power in Modi and Shah. It does not want strong regional leaders and units”. At the moment, the biggest headache for the BJP going into 2020 is the mass protest action around the country over the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, which was passed on December 12. The law paves the way for immigrants from non-Muslim minorities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and <keyword id="6354759" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bangladesh">Bangladesh</keyword> to obtain Indian citizenship. Demonstrators, many of whom are students, say the legislation brings out into the open what they claim is the BJP’s plan to systematically drive out the country’s 200 million Muslims as it seeks to create a Hindu Rashtra, or a Hindu nation. The belief is that the CAA, along with the government’s plan to initiate a National Register of Citizens, will create a scenario wherein Muslims who do not have documents to prove their citizenship will be declared illegal immigrants. Hindus and other minorities will not face such a predicament. Modi and Shah have found themselves in an embarrassing bind over this issue because while Shah had explicitly outlined this plan in multiple speeches – saying it targeted “infiltrators” and not Muslims – Modi came out after the protest to directly contradict this position. The prime minister declared his government had no plans to implement the National Register of Citizens. ELECTION SETBACKS If this was not enough of a quandary, the BJP is also reeling from two setbacks in state elections. Earlier in December, the BJP’s oldest ally, the regional party Shiv Sena – with which it has partnered for 25 years – cut ties with the Modi administration and formed a coalition government with the opposition Congress to govern the state of Maharashtra following state polls there. On Christmas Eve, the BJP lost power in Jharkhand, a small but crucial state which holds 40 per cent of India’s mineral wealth. Despite ruling the state for five years, the BJP could only manage 25 seats in the 81-member assembly, while the Congress and its ally got 46 seats. This was its fifth major loss in regional polls in the last year. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a rally to launch the BJP campaign for the upcoming Delhi assembly elections. Photo: EPA-EFE With at least two major regional elections in 2020, in the capital New Delhi, and in the eastern state of Bihar, all eyes are on how Modi and Shah arrest the fallout from the citizenship act saga and the poll defeats. Also weighing on their popularity is the slowing economy, which grew at its lowest rate since 2013 in the July-September quarter. Sircar, an assistant professor at the Ashoka University in the state of Haryana, cautioned against using state poll results as a crystal ball into Modi and Shah’s longer term fate as the ruling party had been struggling to win state elections even before it cruised to a general election victory in May. The Congress, which held power for decades and which continues to be led by the country’s influential Nehru-Gandhi clan, swept regional polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan months before the general election. But what the results do reveal is that local elections are no longer swayed by Modi’s popularity alone, said Sircar, whose research interests include studying election data. After 2014, when Modi first came to power, his party won state elections in most major states and governed over 70 per cent of India’s land mass until March 2018. This has now come down to half, partly due to the BJP’s efforts to centralise power in the two leaders, said Sircar. Meanwhile, continuing confusion in the opposition ranks is harming efforts to build an anti-BJP front. The Congress, for instance, still has a temporary party chief in <keyword id="689" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sonia-Gandhi">Sonia Gandhi</keyword> after her son and former party chief Rahul Gandhi quit, taking blame for its election defeat. The fragmentation of opposition unity is likely to rear its head during the upcoming Delhi elections, in which the Congress might not want to ally with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to defeat the BJP. Congress president Sonia Gandhi and ex-party president Rahul Gandhi (L) attend a sit-in protest. Photo: AFP HONEYMOON PERIOD Another crucial reason why the current situation might not affect the BJP’s long-term standing is timing. There is an important reason it introduced the legislation in the first six months of its five-year term. “The BJP has been very effective in setting its own narratives and winning elections. Hence, while it does seem like the BJP is floundering, it is too early in its term for it be considered a threat to their popularity,” said Sudha Pai, a retired professor in political science from New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University. Pai points to the 2019 elections, when Modi managed to divert attention away from issues such as development, infrastructure, a slump in the economy and the highest unemployment rate in 45 years, to rake up nationalism against Pakistan and come back to power with an enhanced margin. The BJP has probably learned this from experience. In 2016, India’s campuses were rocked with student protests against the government but this did not feature in the discourse during the general elections. The face of the protests, youth activist Kanhaiya Kumar, lost by over 400,000 votes to a controversial BJP leader, Giriraj Singh. A man wearing a mask of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves the BJP flag during a rally in New Delhi. Photo: AP COURSE CORRECTION? Since Modi’s re-election in May, his government’s two major moves – the decision to revoke <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/kashmir" class="link-text">Jammu &amp; Kashmir’s special status</a> and bifurcate the state, and the citizenship law amendment – have seen a similar approach being employed. Both were passed in Parliament without much debate, despite acrimonious opposition.Even in the face of the protests, Modi and Shah have remained defiantly supportive of the police action, which has so far resulted in 23 deaths. Most of these occurred in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, where the BJP’s controversial chief minister <keyword id="43254" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Yogi-Adityanath">Yogi Adityanath</keyword> hailed the police crackdown. But both Pai and Sircar believe the protests and Jharkhand defeat will come as a rude shock to the BJP. “No matter what the final outcome is, there is a sense that the mood in the country is changing, that nationalism might not be enough to win elections any more and that the BJP is not invincible,” said Pai. Such widespread protests have not occurred in the last few decades. “Somewhere, this is affecting Modi’s popularity, bit by bit,” Pai said. Indian Prime Minister and BJP leader Narendra Modi. Photo: DPA Opinions are mixed on whether these issues will result in a course correction in the next four years of the BJP’s term. Sircar does not see a shift by the BJP any time soon. “I don’t see the BJP’s model changing. Centralising power in their own hands is a very important project for both Modi and Shah. Taking decisions without consultation is also integral to it; to consult means to slow down the process,” said Sircar. Pai, however, is slightly more optimistic, but also believes the next four years will see a hardened focus on Hindu nationalism. “It depends on what happens with the protests and how long they sustain. But I think the BJP will realise that nationalism and warmongering have diminishing returns. It will have to deliver.”

After a torrid December, how will India’s Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and the BJP fare in 2020?

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

<ul><li><keyword id="6355521" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="amit-shah">Amit Shah</keyword>’s deputies in MHA, G Kishan Reddy and <keyword id="6383456" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="nityanand-rai">Nityanand Rai</keyword>, assigned all 21 divisions.</li></ul><ul><li>In a first time ever, <keyword id="17605" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jammu-and-kashmir">Jammu and Kashmir</keyword> and northeast divisions will be headed by one minister of state.</li></ul><ul><li>Intelligence Bureau to report directly to Amit Shah.</li></ul><ul><li>Shah will also cater to decisioning about Cabinet matters and President’s house.</li></ul>New Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday, 17 June, 2019, assigned all the 21 divisions of his ministry, to two of his deputies - ministers of state G Kishan Reddy and Nityanand Rai. The reporting of Intelligence Bureau is to remain with Shah, <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/amit-shah-empowers-his-ministers-of-state/articleshow/69867231.cms">according to reports</a>. The Jammu and Kashmir division was headed by Hansraj Ahir and northeast division was headed by <keyword id="638723" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kiren-Rijiju">Kiren Rijiju</keyword>, Shah’s predecessor <keyword id="6355121" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajnath-Singh">Rajnath Singh</keyword>. The key divisions of Jammu and Kashmir, the northeast, Union Territory, cyber security and counter-radicalisation, are assigned to G Kishan Reddy, while centre-state division, Police-I (that looks after transfer postings of IPS officers), foreigners divisions among others are assigned to Nityanand Rai. Shah will look after all decisions involving Cabinet matters and President’s house, besides IB. AS officials told <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/amit-shah-empowers-his-ministers-of-state/articleshow/69867231.cms">Economic Times</a>. Reportedly, Shah has also tasked the two deputies with taking presentation from every division at the home ministry for better sync in their functioning. The home minister also reviewed details regarding the functioning of the MHA on the first day of taking charge at the North Block. In a first time ever, both the northeast and Jammu and Kashmir divisions have been allocated to the same minister of state. G Kishan Reddy is a three-time MLA and is a first-term MP from Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency in Telangana. Nityanand Rai, who won from the Ujiarpur constituency in Bihar, has also been assigned incharge of women safety division, that was created last year following the Kathua rape case. Rai will also head the Left-wing extremism (LWE) division, that looks at anti-Maoist operations, besides disaster management and police modernisation division, as reported by officials. There are 24 ministers of state in the present council of ministers and six other ministers of state with independent charge.

India's new home minister entrusts just 2 people with several divisions

<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=amit+shah">BJP President Amit Shah</a> and three other senior party leaders were stuck inside a lift for 40 minutes, raising alarm and sending security officials into a tizzy. 
 
The senior <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=BJP">BJP</a> leaders were trapped inside the lift of a state guest house in Patna. The incident happened when Shah was going from the ground floor to the first floor along with party in-charge for Bihar Bhupendra Yadav, secretary Nagendra and General Secretary Saudan Singh. 
 
"The lift got stuck between the two floors and its metal doors also got jammed at around 11.30 PM last night. There was no lift operator or person capable of handling such emergency around. The mobile phones of those trapped inside were also out of range as they were in a closed box," BJP state President Mangal Pandey told news agency PTI. 
 
Shah and other leaders were rescued by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=CRPF">CRPF</a> personnel who were present there as part of his Z+ security cover. They tore steel doors of the elevator to pull out them. 
 
Pandey informed all attempts to open the doors of the lift had failed. 
 
"It is a gross dereliction of duty and irresponsibility shown by the people responsible for facilities at the state guest house. There was nobody present there to deal with such emergencies despite the fact that a person having Z+ security cover was staying there," said Pandey. 
 
Shah was staying at the state guest house and was conducting meeting with party leaders in view of the forthcoming <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Bihar+elections">Assembly polls in Bihar</a>.

Even if you’re the BJP Chief, bad infrastructure spares no one. Amit Shah sure learnt it the hard way

Ahead of the <keyword id="437961" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bihar-legislative-assembly">Bihar Legislative Assembly</keyword> polls, the state has turned into a political warzone. Political analysts are having a field day, predicting the trends and possible alliances that would come by in the state. One year since the <keyword id="58687" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharatiya-Janata-Party">Bharatiya Janata Party</keyword> (<keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword>) formed its NDA government, Bihar will serve as an important indicator for what is to come by as an imminent reaction to <keyword id="6354814" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="prime-minister-Narendra-Modi">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</keyword>’s government in the country. For starters, the most important indicator that has emerged is the fact that the BJP will have to wage a different sort of war in this state. The <keyword id="460702" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Janata-Parivar">Janata Parivar</keyword> merger will prove to be a tough nut for the masterminds who engineered the 2014 general elections victory. BJP still hasn’t lost the plot. After all, Amit Shah now has 11 strong candidates from the NDA to choose. But, that isn’t going to be easy after the face-smacking debacle that the BJP suffered in Delhi elections. The <keyword id="6354944" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aam-Aadmi-Party">Aam Aadmi Party</keyword> (AAP) has all plans to become a national party sooner than later. But, with Bihar, AAP would not like to test the choppy waters. 

	The regional parties, which saw being badly decimated and reduced to rubble in last year’s general elections, have come together; much to the discomfort of NDA. This would mean a tougher path ahead. Whether the alliance of Janata Parivar will make sense to people or not, is never the question. It is all about who has better reach and communication mechanism with the voters; and who can influence the voters to choose them over the others. The elections come at a time when the BJP’s popularity is seen declining in most crucial quarters. The large gap between promises and performance is seen as the most important reason for this. Though there was political unrest in Bihar in the recent times; there has also been an increasing anger among farmers about the least support they have got from the central government.
 The hurried return of <keyword id="6358190" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nitish-Kumar">Nitish Kumar</keyword> after unseating Jiten Ram Manjhi is bound to have its repercussions on the current results. Nitish suffered a humiliating defeat in the last polls despite having delivered on ‘progress’. This was seen as voters’ reaction to his snapping of ties with his longstanding association with the BJP. 

	With the 2010 elections, political analysts had concluded that the heavily-castetist Bihar is finally moving away from being a society that voted a particular caste to power, and not for better standard of lives. The BJP-JD(U) alliance was some sort of a rainbow of hope for the state that had somewhat tread the path of scams during the time of Lalu Prasad Yadav.
 

	JD(U) – BJP had won 206 seats out of 243 total seats. Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) alliance was reduced to nothing with a loss of face, facing complete rejection at 25 seats only. But this was in 2010, even before the rest of India had begun to even speak the language of development. Did caste get a boot in these elections? Did Bihar show the tendency right then? The victory in this election is crucial for the Centre for various reasons. It will provide some kind of reassurance to the central government to keep the tempo up about Modi magic still being alive. Else, a lot of things can change at the Centre.
 

	The BJP desperately needs this victory to up its numbers in Rajya Sabha where its developmental agenda alone is not cutting the ice. Since the party has no big numbers, its bills are taking the ordinance route and this can be perceived as a serious setback for the BJP’s assurance to keep up the values of democracy.
 

	Bihar polls would also ensure the atmosphere is set for the UP polls that are due to take place in 2017. Would this mean the greatest political indicator of our times has already been perceived political analysts? The vital signs are all over the place to affirm this indicator.
 

	What’s with the Janata Parivar merger? Though secular forces all over the country desire the coming together of secular forces, the NDA victory of 2014 bagging 31 out of 40 seats actually acted like a glue for Lalu and Nitish to come together. An unholy alliance, as it may be termed, the coming together of two contradictory and different forces should be tested against time depending on whether the voter places trust in them or not. Bihar, right now, is a cauldron. Only, we will know what's cooking in a few months. 
	(Image: The Times of India)

Bihar is going to tip India’s political scale

(Eds: Updates with Amit Shah comments) Bhubaneswar, Feb 28 () Immediate revision of coal royalty and a special economic package for speedy development of the region were among the major demands raised at the 24th Eastern Zonal Council meet with Union Home minister Amit Shah. Shah later stated that 40 issues were resolved with mutual coordination during deliberations on Friday. The meeting, Chaired by Shah and attended by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his West Bengal and Bihar counterparts - Mamata Banerjee and Nitish Kumar -respectively, was skipped by Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren. Soren had deputed state's Finance minister Rameshwar Oraon for the meeting. Though no reason for Soren's absence was cited, it was perhaps because of the commencement of the month-long budget session of the Jharkhand Assembly, sources said. Shah said as per the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, eastern region needs more focus to fast track its development and hoped this meeting would be decisive and fruitful in resolving the issues listed on the agenda. Shah said besides the issues listed on the agenda, he would also like to add and discuss issues relating to law and order and administrative reforms so that this Council meeting is helpful in giving further pace to development, an official release said. After the end of the meet, Shah, Banerjee and Kumar had a meal together at the lunch hosted by Patnaik at his residence. Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan joined them. While there was no official word on what was talked about during the meal, the picture of Shah and Mamata sharing a lunch led to talks in the political circles about a possible scale down in their attacks on each other. Expressing satisfaction at usefulness of Zonal Council mechanism, the Home minister said more than 70 per cent issues have been resolved based on the recent meetings of the Zonal Councils and remaining issues are also under resolution. "Out of the 48 items discussed today, 40 were resolved in the meeting with mutual coordination,' Shah said. However, it was not clear as to which eight issues remained unresolved. Among the issues discussed at the EZC meet were related to Phulbari Dam under the agreement of 1978 signed by the states of Bihar and West Bengal on Upper Mahananda Water Scheme, Extension of Nuapada-Gunupur-Therubali Rail Link Project in Odisha. Use of state government land by Coal companies of GOI, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)-land transfer by CPSU, Prevention of cattle smuggling/illegal transportation of cattle to Indo-Bangladesh Border, lack of telecom and bank connectivity in Odisha, revision of royalty on coal and inadequate funding and delayed land related issues of petroleum projects also figured at the meet. Patnaik, who is the vice-chairman of the council and host, batted for the entire east zone and demanded special economic package for the region, saying the states lag in many sectors despite being endowed with natural and mineral resources. He also urged Odisha be declared a "Special Focus State" in view of frequent natural disasters faced by the state and its vulnerability to natural calamity. All the participant states demanded that coal royalty, which has not been revised since 2012, be hiked forthwith. All the four eastern states - Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand are coal bearing areas. Lamenting delay in revision in coal royalty, Patnaik said there is an urgent need to revise royalty on coal and also to share proceeds of clean energy cess with the state government. He said the entire eastern region lags in teledensity, railway density and banking density and, therefore, needs to be given a special economic package for speeding up Infrastructural Development of the zone. Emphasising that this zone contributes maximum to the mineral wealth of the country and in turn manufacturing and energy security, he said the fruits of this wealth should boost economic growth of this region and its people. "Our Regions have some of the largest scheduled areas of the country. I reiterate my demand for inclusion of Ho, Bhumij and Mundari languages in the Eighth Schedule of Constitution, the Chief Minister said. Mamata Banerjee told reporters she highlighted West Bengal issues at the EZC meet where she expressed concern that her state did not get required assistance during natural calamities like cyclone Fani and Bulbul. She also said Bengal has been neglected in many matter and the state should get its due share in the central pool. "We have not got Rs 50,000 crore from the Centre," she added. Banerjee said she also raised issues related to her state like delay in GST compensation payment, anf lower share in the devolution. Nitish Kumar reiterated the demand for grant of special category status to Bihar. Kumar also urged West Bengal and Jharkhand, sharing border with Bihar, to initiate strong measures to stop smuggling of liquor into the state, where prohibition is in force since 2016. During the meeting, Shah also exhorted various central government departments to expedite decisions that are pending with the Union ministries. He also laid stress on expanding banking services to ensure that the benefits are available even in the remotest areas, according to official sources. While concluding, he mentioned the long pending issues need to be resolved by regular discussions and not only during the Zonal Council meetings. He also requested the States to ensure sharing of data on regular basis. AAM SKN SNS MRMR

EZC meet:Shah says 40 issues resolved with mutual coordination

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was seen leading with a landslide margin over the main opposition the Indian National Congress (INC), and several others, according to indicative trends of the results of India’s Parliamentary elections. As of 10:47 am, BJP was leading in 294 seats out of 542 constituencies while Congress took 50 seats, according to the Election Commission of India. BJP appears so confident of winning the elections that it has reportedly invited 20,000 party workers to its headquarters to welcome the Prime Minister. In Gujarat, BJP has a sweep with 26 out of 26 seats. In Gandhinagar, one of the strongholds for the party. BJP president Amit Shah had 42,0351 votes with a total estimated vote share of 72.8%. In Karnataka, Bharatiya Janata Party did surprisingly well leading with 23 out of 28 seats, ahead of its Indian National Congress, which had three seats. In Uttar Pradesh, which has 80 seats, BJP and allies were leading with 57 seats while the Samajwadi Party - Bahujan Samajwadi Party alliance was ahead in 20 constituencies, according to EC. PM Narendra Modi had won 65.19% of the votes in Varanasi, way ahead of his rivals. BJP also did well in Bihar, leading in 16 of the 37 seats. while its allies Janata Dal-United (JD-U) also led in 15 constituencies and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) in 5, puncturing the Grand Alliance led by the RJD. For rival Congress, the best performing state so far has been Kerala where its candidates were leading in 16 of the 20 Lok Sabha seats. The BJP was widely projected to take the majority of the 542 seats in the elections of the Lok Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament, in the latest exit polls. The party and its allies made a sweep in the 2014 elections, winning a majority in the Indian Parliament for the first <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-lok-sabha-elections-2019-counting-and-results-highlights/articleshow/69453349.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">time</a>.

Lok Sabha Elections Results 2019: Bharatiya Janata Party sweeps in indicative leads

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>

You Searched For "bihar election 2020 amit shah" and got 13 results

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

PTI

Lalu says 'fat people' like Amit Shah shouldn’t enter a lift

BI India Bureau

BJP Prez Amit Shah criticises Congress, hails BJP one year on

BI India Bureau

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

PTI

Bihar elections 2020: 19.26% polling recorded before noon

IANS

After a torrid December, how will India’s Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and the BJP fare in 2020?

SCMP

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

PTI

India's new home minister entrusts just 2 people with several divisions

BI India Bureau

Even if you’re the BJP Chief, bad infrastructure spares no one. Amit Shah sure learnt it the hard way

BI India Bureau

Bihar is going to tip India’s political scale

Preetam Kaushik

EZC meet:Shah says 40 issues resolved with mutual coordination

PTI

Lok Sabha Elections Results 2019: Bharatiya Janata Party sweeps in indicative leads

BI India Bureau

Bihar Election 2020: Most exit polls miss the mark

PTI

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