Releasing the poll manifesto titled “Pran Hamara” (Our resolution), leaders of the Mahagathbandhan allies maintained a united face and promised to uproot the failed government of NDA.

In what appeared to be a well calculated move, the RJD-led Grand Alliance (Mahagatvandhan) promised to waive off the agricultural loans of Bihar’s farmers on top priority, and providing jobs to 10 lakh unemployed youths of the state  as soon as the government is formed.

Releasing the poll manifesto titled “Pran Hamara” (Our resolution), leaders of the Mahagatvandhan allies including face for CM Tejaswi Yadav of RJD, Randeep Singh Surjewala of the Indian National Congress and others, on Saturday maintained a united face and promised to uproot the failed government of NDA, led by a “tired CM” like Nitish Kumar.

Questioning Nitish Kumar’s ambitious scheme, Tejaswi Yadav said, “Where does the earmarked fund of Rs 24,000 crore go under the Jal-Jeevan-Harayali mission of Nitish Kumar? It is nothing but a well-engineered plundering of people’s money.”

LJP chief Chirag Paswan, too, had multiple times questioned the viability of this scheme promising to set up an inquiry into it soon after the formation of the LJP supported-government in the state.

Making a big announcement, aiming at garnering mass electoral support from the fraternity of farmers, Tejaswi Yadav announced that the GA government will waive off the farmers’ agricultural loans soon after initiative for providing jobs to 10 lakh unemployed people.

He also attempted to please the students by promising to waive off fees which is demanded while applying for jobs in the state government.

In addition to this, Yadav added that the government will also pay fare to the students who go to the examination centres.

As for the problem of over 4.5 lakh contractual teachers who were at loggerheads with the Nitish Kumar-led government, the manifesto promises to give them equal pay.

Accusing the Nitish Kumar government of providing scams, Tejaswi said, “Around 60 scams have been committed in Bihar during the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government including the Bhagalpur’s Srijan scam.”

He added that the NDA has engrossed itself only in the accusation of RJD and Lalu Prasad instead of speaking on agendas of unemployment and poverty.

Responding to Nitish Kumar’s recent statement of terming him as ‘inexperinced’, Tejaswi Yadav said, “I am 31 years old which is half of Nitish Kumar’s political career but have earned a lot of experience on how to work for the people.

If I was inexperienced, why would he appoint me as the deputy CM in the GA government?”

Since the age of 26, I have been targetted and accused in many cases and have faced agencies. But what I have done during my tenure as deputy CM is far better than others.”

The General secretary of the AICC, Sundeep Singh Surjewala accused the BJP in particular of being in three alliances in the Bihar polls.

“The BJP is in three alliances-one with the JDU (openly), second with the Assauddin Owais led alliance and the third with the LJP (behind the curtain). BJP is playing a double game as a party of Janus face,” he alleged.

The PIL, filed by lawyers G S Mani and Pradeep Kumar Yadav, pointed out Jagan is facing over 20 criminal cases. The plea said Jagan levelled allegations without any basis.

NEW DELHI:  Two advocates have filed a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking the removal of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy for his ‘scandalising’ remarks against the second seniormost judge of the top court.

The PIL, filed by lawyers G S Mani and Pradeep Kumar Yadav, pointed out Jagan is facing over 20 criminal cases. The plea said Jagan levelled allegations without any basis.

It also sought a judicial enquiry, by constituting an internal committee headed by sitting or retired judges of the Supreme Court or any authority including the Central Bureau of Investigation, over the vague allegation made by Jagan against Justice N V Ramana.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court Bar Association and the Supreme Court Advocates-On- Record Association passed resolutions condemning the Andhra CM’s letter.

The notice was served on October 13 and a written clarification has been sought from Goswami by October 15, the secretariat said in a statement on Wednesday.

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Legislature secretariat has issued a notice to Republic TV’s Editor in Chief Arnab Goswami for breach of privilege for submitting a copy of the proceedings of the Assembly in the Supreme Court without the Speaker’s permission.

The notice was served on October 13 and a written clarification has been sought from Goswami by October 15, the secretariat said in a statement on Wednesday.

The legislature secretariat had earlier sought a clarification from Goswami on September 16 over a breach of privilege motion against him during a two-day monsoon session of the state legislature.

The motion had been tabled by Shiv Sena MLA Prapap Sarnaik, taking exception to the way Goswami referred to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and other ministers during his coverage of Sushant Singh Rajput death case.

As no response came by deadline of October 5, a reminder was sent to him seeking response to that notice by October 20.

Copy of the proceedings of the house was also sent to him and he was told that the details cannot be used without the permission of the assembly speaker.

But Goswami, when he moved the Supreme Court against this notice, also submitted the copy of house proceedings in the apex court, which was a deliberate violation of the legislature’s privileges and powers of the assembly speaker, the statement said.

The party sources claimed that Mulayam was having difficulty in breathing so he had to be taken to Medanta Gurugram.

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party patriarch and former Uttar Pradesh CM Mulayam Singh Yadav, 80, and his wife Sadhna Gupta have tested positive for coronavirus. Both have been admitted at Medanta hospital in Gurugram on late Wednesday night.

“Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav has tested positive for COVID-19 and is being monitored by doctors. As of now, there are no COVID symptoms in him,” the Samajwadi Party tweeted.

As per the sources, the veteran leader along with wife was taken to  Medanta in Gurugram by his son and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. Three attendants of Mulayam were also admitted to the same hospital.
The party sources claimed that Mulayam was having difficulty in breathing so he had to be taken to Medanta Gurugram.

Earlier in August, Mulayam Singh was admitted to Medanta Hospital following an infection in the urinary tract. At that time, he tested negative for COVID-19. 

Mulayam Singh had attended the Monsoon Session of Parliament which concluded on September 23. The senior leader was helped inside the Parliament on a wheelchair on the first day of the session on September 14. He is currently a Lok Sabha MP from  Mainpuri seat. 

Mulayam Singh served as the CM of Uttar Pradesh thrice (1989 to 1991, 1993 to 1995, and 2003 to 2007). He also served as the Minister of Defence in the HD Deve Gowda government. 

Total case tally stands at 73,07,098 including 8,12,390 active cases, 63,83,442 cured/discharged/migrated cases & 1,11,266 deaths, according to the Health Ministry.

India’s COVID-19 caseload crossed the 73-lakh mark with a spike of 67,708 new cases & 680 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Total case tally stands at 73,07,098 including 8,12,390 active cases, 63,83,442 cured/discharged/migrated cases & 1,11,266 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s Thursday morning update.

The Ministry also said that India’s doubling time has sharply increased to 70.4 days from 25.5 days in mid-August indicating a substantial fall in the daily new cases and the consequent increase in time taken to double the total cases.

The Centre had ended the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated it into union territories on August 5 last year.

SRINAGAR: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, who was released from detention after 14 months, has vowed to continue her struggle for the restoration of Article 370 and the resolution of the Kashmir issue.

She said the Centre’s decision of August 5 was a “daylight robbery”.

“We all have to pledge that we will take back what was snatched illegally, undemocratically and unconstitutionally on August 5 last year. We will also have to work for the resolution of Kashmir issue for which thousands of people have laid down their lives,” Mehbooba said in an 83-second audio message on Twitter late on Tuesday night.

The PDP leader said it will not be an easy task as there will be difficulties in “this path but our steadfastness and determination will be our aides in this struggle”.

The Centre had ended the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated it into union territories on August 5 last year.

Mehbooba also demanded the release of Kashmiri people languishing in various jails.

“As I have been released, all other persons (from Kashmir) who are detained in various jails across the country should also be released,” she said.

Mehbooba was released on Tuesday night after the Union Territory administration revoked the Public Safety Act charges against her, more than a year after she was detained following the abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

The development came barely two days before the Supreme Court was to hear the matter related to her detention.

Mehbooba, 60, who was initially put under preventive custody on August 5 last year and later booked under the stringent PSA on February 6, was shifted to her official residence on April 7 after it was declared a subsidiary jail by the authorities.

In the NDA alliance, the Lok Janshakti Party(LJP) will not contest seats where BJP will be contesting.

NEW DELHI: Ahead of Bihar Assembly polls, Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) chief Sharad Yadav’s daughter Subhashini Raj Rao will join Congress in the national capital on Wednesday.

She will also contest in the forthcoming Bihar polls.

Congress, CPI, CPM are part of the “Mahagathbandhan” (grand alliance) under the leadership of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP has quit Mahagathbandhan and forged an alliance with BSP. Hindustan Avam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi has joined NDA. The huge setback has been given by Mukesh Sahni from Vikasheel Insan Party (VIP) who announced his disassociation from Mahagathbandhan in a live Press Conference in Patna.

In the NDA alliance, the Lok Janshakti Party(LJP) will not contest seats where BJP will be contesting. However, it will fight against Janata Dal (United). Both JDU and LJP are in a pre-poll alliance with the BJP.

Bihar with 243 Assembly seats will go to polls in three phases: October 28, November 3 and November 7. The results will be declared on November 10.