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With every passing minute, JDU and <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> supporters are making claims of being confident of forming a new government in Bihar under the leadership of <keyword id="6358190" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nitish-Kumar">Nitish Kumar</keyword>. Sanjay Singh, spokesperson of the JDU said: "We are a disciplined party that works well under the leadership of Nitish Kumar. He has taken Bihar on the path of progress. We knew that the results will come in our favour and the trend so far has been according to our expectations." <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="79142084" title="Bihar Election Results 2020: NDA continues to widen its lead over the Grand Alliance with 126 seats but faces narrow margins" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> With trends looking positive for the NDA in Bihar for the past couple of hours at 2 pm, both the JDU and the BJP supporters are preparing to celebrate the occasion at their respective offices. A group of JDU supporters carrying traditional musical instruments were seen at party office in Patna. They were heard singing a song in praise of Nitish Kumar around 1.30 pm. While ground level workers of the JDU and BJP assembled in large numbers at the offices of their respective parties, senior leaders are waiting for the picture to become clearer. Sources said the big picture is likely to become clear by 4 pm. Hence, they are hesitating to join full-fledged celebrations. They are also avoiding making any arrogant premature statements. "We have already prepared sweets and arranged crackers to celebrate the occasion but the celebrations will start only after we reach a stage where apprehension of vicissitudes become minimum," said JDU worker Rajesh Kumar. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/instagram-down-users-complain-of-frozen-timelines-and-likes/articleshow/79146012.cms">Instagram down — user complaints of report frozen timelines and likes continue to increase</a> <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: NDA continues to widen its lead over the Grand Alliance with 126 seats but faces narrow margins</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/bihar-election-results-2020-over-one-crore-votes-counted-so-far-and-the-ec-hopes-to-finish-the-polling-process-by-tonight/articleshow/79146843.cms">Bihar Election Results 2020: Over one crore votes counted so far and the EC hopes to finish the polling process by tonight</a>

NDA supporters confident of forming government under Nitish

<ul><li>The <keyword id="8533217" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="bihar-election-2020">Bihar Election 2020</keyword> may be the fourth consecutive win for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) with 122 wins under its belt so far.</li><li>Trends show that the biggest party in the state will be the Rashtriya Janata Dal (<keyword id="42678" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="RJD">RJD</keyword>) of the opposing Grand Alliance, or Mahagathbandhan.</li><li>Within the NDA, the Bharatiya Janata Party (<keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword>) has been able to score more wins in comparison to its ally, the Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal United (JDU).</li></ul>Defying exit polls, the NDA is poised to form the next government in Bihar. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal United (JDU) alliance has now secured the required 122 seats to form the majority. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-led Grand Alliance is lagging behind with 110 wins. Only three constituencies are left to report their final tally. And, in all three, the NDA is leading. The Bharatiya Janata Party, in its part, has already declared victory even though the final results are still pending. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Alliance </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Leading </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Won </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Total </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">National Democratic Alliance (NDA) </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">3 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">122 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">125 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">0 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">110 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">110 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Others </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">0 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">8 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">8 </td></tr></tbody></table> However, the credit for the NDA’s success does not fall with the Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal United (JDU). The JDU only has 41 seats under its belt while its ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won in 72 constituencies. Overall, the NDA has around 121 confirmed wins under its belt and is leading in the four constituencies where the results are pending, versus the Grand Alliance’s 110 seats. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Party </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Won </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Leading </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Total </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">BJP </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">72 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">74 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">JDU </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">41 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">43 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">RJP </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">75 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">0 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">75 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Congress </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">19 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">0 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">19 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Others </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">32 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">0 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">32 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Total </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">239 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">4 </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">243 </td></tr></tbody></table> Should the NDA win the Bihar General Assembly Election this year, it will be their fourth round of being at the helm. The bigger question, however, will be whether <keyword id="6358190" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nitish-Kumar">Nitish Kumar</keyword> will continue as Chief Minister even if BJP has more seats than the JDU. Kumar was reportedly facing a massive anti-incumbency wave after being at the helm for nearly 15 minutes. However, he seems resolute in the fact that he will once again take up the post for the seventh time. "Modi's image sailed us through," Kailash Vijayvargiya, a senior leader of the BJP, told <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bihar-election-results-today-if-nda-wins-will-nitish-kumar-remain-chief-minister-what-bjp-said-2323106">NDTV</a>. "By evening, we will decide on the issues of government formation and leadership." The game of alliances In order to form a government in Bihar, a party needs 122 seats. However, the tally so far indicates that only a triangular contest will determine who ultimately comes to the helm — an alliance will invariably be required is no single party has been able to hit the magic number. While most triangle politics leave little room for smaller parties to outperform, the left-leaning and Grand Alliance-aligned CPI (ML) was able to grab nine seats of its own. 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: NDA widens its lead while RJD remains the single largest party</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 likely to get NDA government for the fourth term as it secures 122 seats— but Nitish Kumar-led JDU underperforms as compared to the BJP

Bihar Election Results 2020: Final tally puts NDA in the majority with 125 seats as RJD remains the single largest party

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

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

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched the second leg of his campaign for Bihar assembly elections, raking up the <keyword id="6354931" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ayodhya">Ayodhya</keyword> issue and urging the people to defeat the opposition which had ushered in a "<keyword id="3362535" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="jungle-raj">jungle raj</keyword>" in the state and embezzled funds meant for development schemes. Invoking the imagery of Goddess Sita and her father Janaka, the king of Mithila of which this north Bihar town became the capital later on, Modi said those who used to taunt the BJP over the delay in construction of Ram temple were now forced to applause. "I am happy to be here, in the birth place of Mother Sita. Construction of temple at Ayodhya has also begun. Those siyasi log (political opponents) who used to taunt us with the question what is the date (for commencement of construction), have now been forced to clap in applause," Modi told a rally here. The prime minister, who shared the stage with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, lavished praise on the latter, calling him the "bhaavi mukhyamantri" (prospective CM) and crediting him with Bihar's economic turnaround. "The people of Bihar have made up their mind to inflict yet another defeat on those responsible for the 'jungle raj' where crime graph had soared to an extent that living a normal life became difficult for the common people, our mothers and sisters," Modi said in an obvious attack on the RJD-Congress combine, without mentioning either by name. "They committed financial irregularities in the name of waiving farm loans. They took bribes to give jobs. The NDA stands for development. Beware of those who are greedily eyeing the funds earmarked for progress," said Modi. He said those who were in power before the NDA government was formed were so obsessed with their "commission" that they never cared about connectivity for regions like Mithila. A project like Kosi Mahasetu could be completed only when the NDA was in power both in the state and the Centre, he added. The prime minister, who spoke at length about the measures taken by the Centre for the development of Mithila as well as those proposed for the future, sought to strike a chord with the local populace by recalling legendary Maithili poet Vidyapati and uttering phrases in the local language. He also made references to "paan" (betel leaves) and "makhaan" (fox nut) cultivated in the area in abundance. In a deft attempt at reaching out to the lower castes, Modi also paid tributes to Dalit icon Baba Chauharmal. Noting that voting was underway in several assembly segments in the first phase of elections, Modi urged the people to stay safe and take precautions in view of the COVID 19 pandemic while exercising their franchise. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/ajay-piramal-believes-that-if-banks-wont-lend-to-long-term-projects-india-will-need-to-revive-the-likes-of-idbi-and-ifci/articleshow/78906135.cms">EXCLUSIVE: Ajay Piramal believes that if banks won't lend to long-term projects, India will need to revive the likes of IDBI and IFCI</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/apophis-the-god-of-chaos-asteroid-is-speeding-up-increasing-the-likelihood-of-it-hitting-earth-in-2068/articleshow/78895818.cms">Apophis, the ‘God of Chaos’ asteroid is speeding up — increasing the likelihood of it hitting Earth in 2068</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/kumar-mangalam-birla-says-cement-industry-is-recovering-and-analysts-find-evidence-of-it-outside-ultratech-too/articleshow/78791281.cms">EXCLUSIVE: Billionaire Kumar Mangalam Birla is surprised by the rebound in infrastructure and construction in India</a>

Modi kicks off second-leg of Bihar campaign — rakes up issues of Ayodhya and 'jungle raj' at rally

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

Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> on Friday raised the issue of deadly <keyword id="9415025" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Galwan-Valley-clash">Galwan Valley clash</keyword> between India and China troops, scrapping of Jammu and Kashmir state's special status, and even the <keyword id="4650805" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="pulwama-Attack">Pulwama attack</keyword> in order to woo Bihar voters ahead of the Assembly elections. Addressing his first-ever rally in Sasaram's Biada Maidan ahead of the elections, Modi said: "The sons of Bihar lost their lives in the Galwan Valley for the sake of the Tricolour and ensured that Mother India's head is held high. Bihar's jawans were also martyred in the Pulwama attack (in February 2019). I bow my head at their feet and pay my respects." Many Bihar Regiment jawans had bravely fought and laid down their lives in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on June 15. He then referred to Congress leaders' recent statement that it will bring back <keyword id="405091" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Article-370">Article 370</keyword> in erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, which his government had scrapped on August 5 last year. "After saying this, they dare to seek votes from Bihar. Is it not an insult of Bihar? The state that sends its sons and daughters to the borders in order to protect the country." Earlier, Modi began his speech by paying respects to two Bihar leaders who recently passed away -- Ram Vilas Paswan and RJD's Raghuvansh Prasad Singh. The latter had resigned from the party before his death. Taking a potshot at the Rashtriya Janata Dal without naming them, he said that those who once ruled Bihar are now again looking at the "developing state with their greedy eyes". But Bihar, he added, would not forget who pushed them back. He brought up the issue of Bihar's worsening law and order and corruption in the past, in a seeming reference to Lalu Prasad's rule and the fodder scam. Asserting that Bihar was well on its way to development, he said that the era of 'lantern', the electoral symbol of the RJD, was over. He also pointed to the opposition to the three central agricultural laws and alleged that the same stemmed from efforts to "protect the middlemen" just like the opposition "was speaking their language" during the Rafale controversy. Attacking the RJD and the Congress, he said that as the Gujarat Chief Minister, he witnessed how the Centre then "wasted" 10 years of Bihar after their defeat. He added that to make India self-reliant, Bihar needs to vote for the National Democratic Alliance. Modi praised the steps taken by the Bihar government to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the state. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, also present on the occasion, was full of praise for Modi's "leadership". Kumar said that if his government returned to power in Bihar, it would focus on the availability of irrigation facilities and benefits of latest technology in every village. Multiple stages are set up during Bihar's electoral rallies by the NDA to ensure physical distancing, with efforts to arrange chairs on the podiums at a distance for the crowd. Those who thronged the rally maintained social distance norms and wore masks. The Prime Minister's first rally in this Bihar poll season witnessed an enthusiastic crowd that cheered continuously. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/isro-finds-that-mars-is-losing-its-atmosphere-faster-than-earth-and-planet-encircling-dust-storms-are-speeding-up-the-process/articleshow/78824049.cms">ISRO finds that Mars is losing its atmosphere faster than Earth, and planet-encircling dust storms are speeding up the process</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/trump-calls-india-china-and-russia-filthy-while-justifying-exit-from-paris-agreement/articleshow/78821267.cms">Trump calls India, China and Russia ‘filthy’ while justifying exit from Paris Agreement</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/paytm-uses-jeff-bezos-secret-for-success-building-two-pizza-teams/articleshow/78810520.cms">EXCLUSIVE: Paytm uses Jeff Bezos' secret for success — building 'two pizza' teams</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/tech-mahindra-may-show-signs-of-recovery-in-the-second-quarter-much-depends-on-5g-and-bpo-business-outlook/articleshow/78807765.cms">Tech Mahindra may show signs of recovery in the second quarter — much depends on 5G and BPO business outlook</a>

Modi raises Galwan Valley clash, Article 370 and Pulwama attack in first Bihar rally

The crushing defeat of NDA is likely to moderate the pace of economic reforms and there is even a possibility that the rollout of the Goods and Services Tax bill (GST) could face a setback, something that the <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> government has been keen in pushing in the Parliament. 
 
"A victory for the Grand Alliance is only going to increase the resistance to legislative business in Parliament," said a senior official in the finance ministry, who did not wish to be identified. 
 Notably, officials in the finance ministry were awaiting the verdict of the Bihar assembly polls to get a sense of how fast the Narendra Modi government can push the <keyword id="387846" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="GST-Bill">GST bill</keyword> in Parliament. 
 The government lacks a majority in the Rajya Sabha, and may find it extremely difficult to push through legislative changes with an emboldened opposition. The government's plan to gain the numbers advantage in the Rajya Sabha through victories in state elections has also suffered a setback and is likely to hurt legislation. While the government has said it will press ahead with reforms, the <keyword id="483288" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bihar-election-results">Bihar election results</keyword> add an element of doubt, experts say. 
 
"Indian financial markets were cautious ahead of the election results, and a result against the BJP should lead to market weakness. We feel that today's results — the BJP's big defeat — could be a material sentiment dampener in Monday's early trade as this might be perceived as an additional stumbling block to the central government's reform agenda," said Sidhartha Sanyal and Rahul Bajoria, economists at Barclays Bank. 
 
Finance minister Arun Jaitley had hoped to roll out GST by April 1, 2016 but that looks difficult to achieve, considering the government still has a lot of ground to cover to push the most ambitious indirect tax reform since Independence. With assembly elections due in Assam, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, the road ahead may be rocky. Similarly, the pace and direction of labour reforms could also face roadblocks. 
 
The winter session of Parliament, which was expected to see progress on GST, may be stormy as the opposition is likely to step up its attack on the government on various issues. The NDA government has taken several steps to boost sentiment and growth but an overwhelming view has been that the speed of economic reforms has not kept pace with the need of the economy. Economists said the government should focus on the farm sector and address rural distress. "The focus should shift away from foreign tours, FDI and bullet trains to what are happening in the farms and rural space," said Ashok Gulati, Infosys chair professor at ICRIER, an economics think tank. 
 
(Image credit: BCCL)

NDA's defeat may delay GST rollout, decelerate pace of reforms

Patna, Feb 1 () Terming the Union Budget "directionless", the opposition RJD-led mahagathbandhan in Bihar alleged on Saturday that it did not have any words on special package for the state or for the common man. 
Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav termed the Centre's budget "directionless" and alleged that it did not mention a word on providing employment opportunities to youths and thus will bring recession.
"The #Budget2020 proves that government is clueless on revenue and employment generation, wealth creation &amp; it's distribution!," Yadav asserted.
"In this budget there are no words on special package, no new initiatives or projects for Bihar. We anticipated a lot for our state since there is a double engine government at helms. This #Budget2020 is a reflection of discriminatory intent of the Modi government towards Bihar," Yadav said in a release.
The Union Budget, presented in Lok Sabha by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, will reduce spending power of the common man and will increase disparity, he said, adding that subsidies are getting reduced. 
Farmers and the common man are equally unhappy with the budget, the RJD's heir apparent alleged.
"The central government is selling other public sector undertakings on the lines of BSNL, Air India to its favourite capitalists at throwaway prices just to make money for election expenditure," Yadav alleged.
Former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi also termed the Union Budget "directionless", anti-poor and anti-youth and alleged that it will not be beneficial for anyone except the capitalists.
Former Bihar chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) president Jitan Ram Manjhi described the Union Budget 2020-21 as a "routine" but "disappointing, visionless and directionless" and said it has not talked about anything concrete to deal with the problems of unemployment, price rise and poverty.
"There is nothing in the budget for poor people...It has not said anything for providing common education for all...It has neither talked anything concrete to deal with the problems of unemployment, price rise nor took any measure to eradicate poverty," Manjhi said.
Former union minister Upendra Kushwaha also criticised the Union Budget 2020-21, saying it is meant for rich people, middlemen and corporate houses.
"#Budget2020 is meant for rich people, middlemen and corporate houses. Problems of unemployment, poverty and hunger will aggravate further with the sale of government undertakings and privatisation. The issues of providing quality education, healthcare facilities at ground level and improving the farmers' lot have not found mention in the budget," he tweeted.
The budget has disappointed the people of Bihar as it does not contain anything for the state which its people were expecting from the NDA's double engine government, Kushwaha alleged. 
The BJP, which is the alliance partner of the JD(U) along with the LJP in Bihar's NDA, defended the budget saying the opposition parties are unnecessarily making hue and cry over it and they should take tuition from Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi to understand it.
"They (opposition parties) need to understand the whole budget on a positive note rather than propagating a cynical approach," Bihar BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand said.
 "I would request opposition leaders in Bihar to find out time and take tuition from Deputy CM Sushil Modi ji, who is holding the charge of finance minister, to understand the economics of the state which has registered 13.2 GDP to remove the Bimaru tag," he added. AR KJ
KJ

Union Budget contains nothing for Bihar, common man: Tejashwi

NDA is likely to get between 212 and 232 seats if the <keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> elections were held today, with BJP alone winning between 193 and 213, according to an opinion poll done for a TV channel. The poll, based on a survey of six states, puts the UPA a distant second with 119 to 139 seats, of which <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> was projected to win between 94 and 110. 
 The CNN-IBN poll, conducted by CSDS and Lokniti, made these projections based on surveys in Uttar Pradesh, <keyword id="30033" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bihar">Bihar</keyword>, Maharashtra, <keyword id="37102" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Andhra-Pradesh">Andhra Pradesh</keyword>, <keyword id="20154" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword> and Delhi. While the seat figures are more or less the same as the projections done by the same pollsters in January, the popularity rating of <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> has dipped significantly. 
 In January, 36% of respondents to the survey had chosen Modi as their preferred PM. That figure is now down to 31%. In contrast, there has been an uptick of one percentage point each in those picking <keyword id="5268" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Rahul-Gandhi">Rahul Gandhi</keyword> (now 13%), <keyword id="689" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Sonia-Gandhi">Sonia Gandhi</keyword>, <keyword id="6357690" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="mayawati">Mayawati</keyword>, Mulayam Singh and <keyword id="6359397" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Manmohan-Singh">Manmohan Singh</keyword>. 
 
The poll also shows BJP’s projected vote share down marginally from the January estimate and the Congress vote share too down marginally. The saffron party continues to enjoy a significant lead with 33% compared to Congress’ 26%. 
 Apart from the NDA and UPA, the <keyword id="43826" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Trinamool-Congress">Trinamool Congress</keyword> is likely to be the biggest party winning between 20 and 28 seats, according to the survey. <keyword id="120271" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="The-Left">The Left</keyword> with 15-23, AIADMK with 14-20, YSR Congress and <keyword id="6355032" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="SP">SP</keyword> with 11-17 seats each, BJD, TDP and DMK with 10-16 each and BSP with 8-14 could be the other significant players in the 16th Lok Sabha, it projected. 
 
If these projections turn out right, it would almost certainly mean that the next government in New Delhi would be headed by Modi and would be cobbled together by the existing NDA joining hands with smaller regional parties. Neither Congress nor the ill-defined Third Front/Federal Front would really be in a position to take a meaningful shot at forming a government in such a scenario.

Modi's Popularity Dips But NDA Still Leading: Survey

<ul><li>Regional parties could prove to be kingmakers if neither of the big two secure a majority</li><li>But an ‘abusive and degenerate’ campaign by the prime minister has alienated those who may hold the keys to power</li></ul> The political heat reached boiling point in India’s eastern state of West Bengal this week as Prime Minister <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/narendra-modi" class="link-text">Narendra Modi</a> locked horns with powerful regional leader Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.On Tuesday the fierce rivalry between their supporters spilled onto the streets, resulting in violence in Kolkata. The unrest forced the country’s election authorities to ban all rallies planned for Friday, the last day of campaigning. But 1,500km northwest of the city, a much more significant development was unfolding in New Delhi. Sonia Gandhi, a former president of the Indian National Congress, the main rival of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was sending out letters to smaller, regional parties in an attempt to stitch together a meeting for May 23 – the day India’s votes will be counted. Around the same time, another senior Congress leader said for the first time during the campaign that the party would not insist on occupying the post of prime minister if regional parties agreed to enter a governing coalition. Sonia Gandhi, a former president of the Indian National Congress, has been in touch with regional parties to set up a meeting. Photo: Handout These shifts attracted far less media attention but are a sign of things to come. Despite Modi’s popularity, May 23 may throw up a scenario in which regional parties hold the keys to power for the Congress and BJP. There are already enough indications that the idea isn’t just wishful thinking on the part of the country’s political opposition. Last week, with uncharacteristic candidness, a senior strategist from the BJP, Ram Madhav, conceded that the party might fall short of a majority in the Lok Sabha parliament and could require the support of smaller organisations. <h3 style="margin-bottom: 2.35714rem; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.42857rem; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; display: inherit;"><a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3010546/communism-india-dead-or-just-waiting-young-saviours" class="link-text">Communism in India: dead or just waiting for young saviours? </a></h3>BJP leaders had previously insisted the party was set to win legislative control handsomely. But soon after Madhav’s statement, allies beganadmitting, one after the other, that the party may not be able to govern alone. KINGMAKERS In India’s 543-seat parliament, a simple majority constitutes 272. The last legislative session saw the BJP clinch 282 – the first time in three decades that a single party had won control on its own. During those 30 years, regional parties saw their vote share rise to more than 40 per cent, a figure that has since remained constant. These groups bagged a combined 46.6 per cent of the vote in 2014 and 212 seats, despite Modi’s appeal. Supporters of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party take part in a silent protest in New Delhi following clashes between BJP supporters and the opposition in Kolkata. Photo: AFP According to data from the Election Commission, India has more than 2,300 political parties, of which seven are nationwide. Some 50 are classified as major regional parties, while the rest are smaller. Many believe the 2019 polls will see these parties surge both in terms of vote share and seats. “The 2014 elections were an aberration. Data clearly shows the regional parties’ stock has been rising in the last few decades – they have played the role of kingmakers for a few years now,” says Neelanjan Sircar, an assistant professor at Ashoka University whose research interests include the study of Indian election data. <h3 style="margin-bottom: 2.35714rem; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.42857rem; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; display: inherit;"><a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3010741/indian-election-explained-how-narendra-modis-good-days-turned" class="link-text">How Modi’s ‘good days’ turned bad </a></h3>Sensing their moment has arrived, a number of smaller organisations have been trying to form alliances among themselves to bolster their electoral chances. In southern India, K. Chandrashekar Rao, chief minister of the state of Telangana and leader of regional party Telangana Rashtra Samiti, has been meeting senior figures from various non-BJP and non-Congress parties to try and cobble together a smaller post-poll alliance, which some dub a “southern front”. MODI: AWKWARD PARTNER With these potential link-ups looming, the ability of Modi and his BJP to garner more allies is under a cloud. In the last five years, the prime minister’s handling of his alliance partners has been shoddy – at least 16 parties have left the coalition and others have expressed unease. Modi’s campaign this year has also included personal attacks on a slew of regional party leaders, from frequent scraps with Bengal’s Banerjee, whose party bagged 34 seats in 2014, to duels with Mayawati, a senior Dalit caste leader from Uttar Pradesh whose party, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), has put together an anti-BJP alliance that occupies 80 seats in parliament for the eastern state – the most important in the electoral landscape. Critics charge that Modi’s campaign has been aggressive and exploitative of communal divisions. Photo: Bloomberg Critics also charge that Modi’s campaign has been aggressive and exploitative of communal divisions, driving many regional allies away. BJP leaders have previously warned Muslims of dire consequences if they don’t vote for the party, and have routinely invoked Hindu religious rhetoric to garner votes. Raising more eyebrows has been the BJP’s decision to nominate Pragya Singh Thakur as a poll candidate. Thakur has been accused of involvement in a 2008 terrorist attack which killed six people in Malegaon, a town in western India dominated by its Muslim community. Modi defended the nomination, calling it a symbolic rebuff to claims by the Congress that Hindus are a terrorist civilisation. Thakur has also courted controversy on other counts. She recently said the assassin who ended the life of spiritual and political leader Mahatma Gandhi was a patriot. <h3 style="margin-bottom: 2.35714rem; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.42857rem; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; display: inherit;"><a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3010350/how-indians-living-overseas-are-working-get-narendra-modi-re" class="link-text">How overseas Indians could get Modi re-elected, without vot</a>ing</h3>“The entire campaign by the BJP, especially by Modi, has been rather abusive and degenerate. The talk of development has clearly taken a back seat in Modi’s speeches,” says Professor Sudha Pai, an author and retired academic in political science from Jawaharlal Nehru University. Many regional parties have electoral strategies that depend on social, inter-caste and interfaith alliances, so do not want to be associated with such a BJP campaign. SEEKING A POUND OF FLESH As India heads into the final stage of its seven-phase elections, the BJP continues to look strong enough to emerge as the single largest party. However, not many are willing to bet on whether the tally will be good enough to form a government. Crucial to the BJP’s fate are 59 seats to be put to a vote on Saturday in the central and eastern states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar. The BJP did well in these areas in 2014, as well as in West Bengal and Punjab. But if their fortunes go south in these polls, the possibility of political manoeuvring opens up. A senior strategist from the BJP, Ram Madhav (right), conceded that the party might fall short of a majority in parliament. Photo: EPA “If the regional parties and the Congress do well, then we will see a lot more parties gravitating towards the Congress, and they can all, together, form a government. The fact that the Congress has declared it is not insisting on the prime minister’s chair makes it easier for these parties,” Pai says. Another scenario could be one in which the BJP and its allies do better than the Congress and its partners, but both groups fall well short of a majority. This is where things could get tricky, many argue. Sircar at Ashoka University said: “If such a situation emerges, regional parties are going to extract their pound of flesh from either the BJP or the Congress. This could be in terms of ministries or funds for their state governments, among other things. Depending on where they get a better offer, the parties might veer towards that alliance.” <h3 style="margin-bottom: 2.35714rem; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.42857rem; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; display: inherit;"><a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3009682/exploiting-islamophobia-election-winning-tool-india" class="link-text">Exploiting Islamophobia is an election-winning tool in India </a></h3>Pai believes even if Congress were to win a slight edge in terms of numbers, most regional parties would prefer backing it to the BJP. “Modi has rubbed almost all these parties the wrong way, from unleashing raids on them to attacking them in the campaign. Modi, most of them believe, is not easy to do business with,” Pai said. CHALLENGES AHEAD The BJP has repeatedly stressed in its campaign that a multi-party administration of the kind mooted by the opposition parties would result in a “weak, corrupt government”. A new, non-Modi administration would definitely also mean a change in foreign policy, analysts say. “Foreign policy in successive Indian governments has largely been consistent. What changed with Modi was that he introduced a degree of personal vitality,” says Commodore C. Uday Bhaskar, director of the Society for Policy Studies, a Delhi-based think tank focused on public policy and international relations. But copying Modi’s tone might be difficult for future governments, Bhaskar says. February saw an unprecedented decision to conduct air strikes on suspected terrorist bases in Pakistan in response to a suicide attack that killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel. “The air strikes mark a new metric – it signifies that India has now breached a certain level of caution and reticence in relation to the use of transborder military power,” Bhaskar says. The aggressive posturing, he adds, might be hard to sustain for the new government unless there is a terror attack of a similar magnitude. More than foreign policy, the bigger challenge may be the economy. The fiscal deficit is growing, having touched 4.5 per cent of gross domestic product. Key industries such as automobile production are seeing a dip in business of as much as 16 per cent, signalling a widespread slowdown. Unemployment is at a 45-year high. Coupled with an ongoing drought in large parts of the country and severe agrarian distress, the new administration will face daunting problems.

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: BJP may need the allies Narendra Modi drove away

In a major shift in the gear, following increasing pressure by people across the country and opposition parties, <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> government has returned to the draft of the Land Acquisition Bill that was prepared by the UPA government with key components involving cosent clause and social assessment of the loss of land by the farmers. 
 This brings us back to the Land Acquisition Bill 2013 which factored in crucial clauses relating to consent of affected families, and social impact assessment (SIA) undoing the nine main amendments <keyword id="41281" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="NDA">NDA</keyword> had brought to the bill, by way of ordinance, and subsequently into the bill. Six of them were already approved by the Joint Committee of the Parliament in the past. A consensus had been evolved as well. 
 In the backdrop of 25 Congress MPs being suspended for ‘unruly’ behavior, something that was a sense of déjà vu for <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> when it sat in similar position few years ago, the <keyword id="395063" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="U-Turn">U turn</keyword> on land acquisition bill may well put a spoke in the plans of NDA speedy development and progress. Blazing economy in a year’s time, did we say? Well, that seems like bit of a tough luck now! 
 
The NDA managers have been keeping their fingers crossed over a few things in the current parliament session. The bill is now a sorted issue. But how does this project the government in the eyes of the people? There has to be some kind of an image shift after NDA succumbed to the pressure exerted by people and opposition parties. 
 
It would rather be naïve to think NDA bowed its head before UPA or Congress in particular. The U turn on land acquisition bill has more things under its wing, than what meets the eye. 
 
In the recent times, after the initial loss of face in the elections last year, Congress has been doing everything well within its purview to lift its image from almost zero. But, looks like every time BJP cracks its whip, Congress is getting a new lease of life. 
 
The amateur approach and lack of political experience and wisdom has begun to show. Narendra Modi’s #AccheDin may well be around in a political manifesto, but that was before the elections were won and the skies were much clear. Now with drought in half the states, and the other half experiencing failed monsoons, India is on the brink of the rate of farmers’ suicides climbing up the ladder again. 
 
BJP’s complete wash out in Delhi elections is now a distant memory. But that’s a lesson learnt again. Among some of the main reasons for this reverse mode on land acquisition bill is the reason that BJP is bringing in ordinances with polls in the near gaze. BJP is hoping to hold the reins in Bihar and if this does not happen, it may well be the end of dream run for Amit Shah and Modi duo who almost managed the entire elections getting BJP a landslide victory just about 13 months ago in general assembly elections. 
 
Not only have the opposition parties come together in a solid way, they have also managed to dent the image of BJP being ‘people’s voice’ as against what the party had built prior to elections. 
 
The complete turnaround of BJP several issues, the Lalit Modi episode that generated much embarrassment, has given some serious blows to the party in the recent times. 
 
With Bihar elections ahead, BJP wants to resurrect its image of being portrayed as a ‘corporate’ party that doles out land to companies ruling out the farmer consent in the ordeal. 
 
This has cost BJP a good seven months of losing parliament time and having known the loss way too well, the managers of the party know this will cause a serious lag on part of the developmental guidelines as far as the time line is concerned. Into second year of its administration, BJP is realizing the aura receding way too fast. Some corrective actions in the run up to the development agenda were much needed. 
 
Hence, even though grudgingly so, BJP dropped all the contentious amendments just in time. Modi had his personal image riding on this bill, having promised the ‘acche din’ to people the day he assumed power. 
 
Because, the opposition parties aside, people had begun to take to streets on this and Congress was just beginning to leverage on this. The opposition, surprisingly, came well from within the party lines too. 
 The RSS affiliates, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh and Akhil Bharatiya Vanavasi Kalyan, all of them had equivocally raised their objections against the amendments to the <keyword id="87979" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Land-Bill">land bill</keyword> stating this would cause serious repercussions if implemented. 
 
It was both the perception, and the public opinion that BJP heard. And, looks like it would do good to the party at least for the time being.

Land Bill:
Victory for the time being?

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)

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IANS

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