Valmikinagar/Chanpatia, Agency

 Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra today accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of establishing an authoritarian regime in the country, comparing the current situation in India to the British colonial era.

Addressing rallies in West Champaran district in support of Grand Alliance candidates, she alleged that democracy in India is being systematically weakened and people’s voices are being suppressed.

Priyanka said, “The land of Champaran symbolises India’s fight for freedom. But today, the nation is once again under a rule similar to British times, only the rulers have changed. It is no longer British rule; it is Modi’s empire.”
She accused the BJP-led government of creating a system that favours the rich and powerful while burdening the poor. Inflation has broken the backbone of the poor, farmers are crushed under debt, their loans never waived, while industrialists like Ambani and Adani get thousands of crores written off, she alleged.

Priyanka Gandhi alleged that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is conspiring to “steal votes” in Bihar to cling to power. Nearly 65 lakh names have been deleted from the voters’ list, which is a grave injustice to democracy, she said, calling on voters to stay vigilant.

She claimed that Bihar’s farmers are struggling with rising taxes and production costs, while the youth face mass unemployment. Every tender, every factory is being sent to Gujarat, she said, alleging that those who gift away the country’s land and resources to corporate houses will never work for the poor.

The Congress leader said that if the GA forms the government in Bihar, efforts will be made to provide one government job to every poor family. 

Priyanka criticised Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, saying he no longer holds real power. “Nothing is in Nitish Kumar’s hands. The Bihar government functions on remote control from Delhi,” she alleged, adding that money is being distributed before elections to mislead voters. She urged the people not to fall for such temptations and to vote for development, employment, and education.

Aiming at Prime Minister Modi, Priyanka said, instead of addressing corruption and crime, the Prime Minister is more concerned about why Tejaswi Yadav’s photo is missing from Congress posters.

She also slammed the BJP for labelling Biharis as outsiders. “When my brother Rahul Gandhi raised his voice against vote theft in Bihar, BJP leaders called his campaign a ‘yatra for infiltrators.’ 

Priyanka called for change, saying that every election, the BJP tries to steal votes and asked the people to recognise their strength and vote for a government that works for everyone, not just the rich and powerful. 

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Patna, Agency

Amid three tier security arrangements and orders for strict surveillance, the stage is set for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections to be held on Thursday, when 3.75 crore voters will exercise their franchise across 121 constituencies to decide the political destiny of 1,314 candidates. 

The Election Commission and state authorities have made extensive preparations to ensure peaceful, fair, and transparent polling under a multi-layered security arrangement including web casting from all polling stations.
Polling will be conducted from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., except at certain sensitive locations in Munger, Tarapur, Jamalpur, Simri Bakhtiyarpur, Mahishi, and Surajgarha, where voting will end an hour earlier at 5 p.m. due to security considerations.

Director General of Police Vinay Kumar said here today that comprehensive arrangements have been made to ensure free and peaceful polling across all districts. 

He said that during the polling the interstate borders would remain sealed and the security personnel would keep a hawk's eye on every movement across the state. In addition to this the Indo Nepal International border and the state's fringes shared by Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh would remain under strict surveillance.

Kumar said that over 1,650 companies of security forces have been deployed, supported by advanced surveillance systems and rapid response units.

A central control room has been established to monitor the situation statewide, while CCTV cameras have been installed at polling stations and critical locations. 

The DGP said 35,000 women police personnel have been deployed to ensure the safety of women voters and to manage polling duties in female-dominated booths.

Mounted police units have been stationed for crowd control, and additional companies have been assigned to sensitive constituencies. 

The DGP emphasised that criminal elements and candidates with criminal backgrounds are under close surveillance through special video monitoring teams.

In Patna district, District Magistrate S.M. Thyagarajan announced a three-tier security system to ensure smooth and fair voting across all 14 constituencies. 

He said that extra attention is being given to Mokama and Baadh, both marked as highly sensitive areas. Senior administrative and police officers have been specially deployed in these regions, while Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have intensified riverine patrols in the Taal and Diara areas.

The move follows heightened tensions in Mokama after the murder of a Jan Suraj campaign worker. JDU candidate and former MLA Anant Singh was arrested along with several associates in connection with the incident, prompting the administration to tighten security and surveillance in the constituency.

Election Commission officials said that the entire polling process will be live-streamed to guarantee transparency. The Commission has appointed 348 observers, including 121 general observers, 18 police observers, and 33 expenditure observers, to oversee the first phase of voting.

This phase will witness several heavyweight contests. From the ruling NDA, Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, along with 15 cabinet ministers are in the fray. 

Prominent names include Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Shravan Kumar, Mangal Pandey, Madan Sahni, Nitin Naveen, Maheshwar Hazari, Ratnesh Sada, Kedar Prasad Gupta, Surendra Mehta, Sanjay Saraogi, Dr. Sunil Kumar, Jivesh Kumar, Raju Singh, and Krishna Kumar Mantoo.

From the Grand Alliance, key figures include Tejaswi Yadav, Awdh Bihari Choudhary, Dr. Ramanand Yadav, Veena Devi, Lalit Kumar Yadav, Vijendra Choudhary, Renu Kushwaha, Khesari Lal Yadav, Alok Mehta, Bhai Virendra, and Anirudh Yadav.

Other prominent independent or smaller party candidates include Tej Pratap Yadav, Shivdeep Lande, Anand Mishra, V.K. Ravi, Jayprakash Singh, Pushpam Priya Choudhary, and R.K. Mishra.

In this phase, JDU is contesting 57 seats, BJP 48, LJP (Ram Vilas) 13, and RLM two. The RJD is contesting 71 seats, Congress 24, CPI(ML) 14, VIP six, CPI five, and CPI(M) three. The Jan Suraj Party, led by Prashant Kishor, has fielded 118 candidates in this phase.

A total of 3,75,13,302 voters including 1.98 crore men, 1.76 crore women, and 758 third-gender voters are eligible to cast their votes at 45,341 polling stations. There are 5.24 lakh voters aged above 80 years and 6,736 centenarian voters.

In the 2020 Assembly elections, out of these 121 seats, RJD won 42, BJP 32, JDU 23, Congress eight, CPI(ML) seven, VIP four, CPI and CPI(M) two each, and LJP one seat.

The Bihar Assembly elections for 243 seats will be held in two phases November 6 and 11. Counting of votes will take place on November 14, and the entire election process will conclude by November 16. 
The current Assembly’s tenure ends on November 22 this year.

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Gayaji, Agency

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday highlighted the BJP’s development record and launched a sharp attack on the RJD-Congress alliance while campaigning for the second phase of Bihar Assembly elections.
“Before 2005, Bihar was gripped by crime, caste conflicts, Maoism and Naxalism. Both Bihar and Uttar Pradesh suffered from a loss of respect at the national and global levels,” the Chief Minister said at the rally in Wazirganj.
“During Lalu Prasad Yadav’s regime, the state witnessed over 60 caste massacres and more than 30,000 kidnappings, leaving businessmen, doctors, engineers, and the elite living in fear.”

Recalling that period as a “dark era of jungle raj,” CM Yogi said that nearly 30–40 per cent of Bihar’s population had migrated to Gorakhpur and Varanasi in search of safety and livelihood.

He added that under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Bihar has laid a strong foundation for good governance over the past two decades. Along with improved road, rail, and air connectivity, new waterway links are further strengthening Bihar’s connection with Uttar Pradesh.

Farmers’ produce and regional specialities such as makhana are now reaching global markets through these waterways.

Addressing the gathering in Gayaji, described by him as “the land of knowledge, liberation, and spirituality,” CM Yogi underlined its sacred significance in the Sanatan tradition, saying, “It is believed that even the ancestors of heaven attain satisfaction upon visiting this holy land.”

Yogi said, "Every true Indian regards Lord Ram as their ancestor. Even when Congress, SP, and RJD opposed the construction of the Ram Temple, Ram devotees courageously declared, “Ram Lalla Hum Ayenge, Lathi Goli Khayenge, Mandir Yahi Banyenge.”

In the Supreme Court, Congress went so far as to claim that Lord Ram never existed, as if the Congress Party was the sole entity that had ever lived, and no one else had ever existed. These parties deny the existence of Ram, Krishna, and Vishnu; they reject the faith of Hindus; therefore, Hindus should reject them in return," said Yogi.
He reminded the audience that it was the RJD that stopped the Ram Temple’s chariot and the SP that ordered firing on Ram devotees, turning Ayodhya red with blood.

After the BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh, the long-awaited dream was fulfilled.
The grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya and the Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi now stand as symbols of faith and pride. Work is also underway in Mathura and Vrindavan to revive their ancient glory, said the UP CM.
Taking a swipe at the SP, Yogi said while its government diverted public funds to construct boundary walls around graveyards, the incumbent BJP regime is using those resources to beautify temples and pilgrimage sites, improve facilities for devotees, and uplift the poor.

Highlighting Bihar’s progress, CM Yogi said, "The state is now home to NITs, IIMs, AIIMS, engineering colleges, and medical institutions. Bihar’s youth are once again earning global recognition through their talent and contributing to the state’s growth."

He stated that over the past 11 years, Prime Minister Modi has balanced both development and heritage. Listing the central government’s welfare initiatives, CM Yogi warned that Congress and RJD are again trying to mislead people with false promises. “First, they looted animal fodder; now, if given a chance, they will loot the rations meant for the poor,” he said.

“Those who are not devoted to Lord Ram are of no use to us. A betrayer of Ram cannot bring Ramrajya; they can only bring back jungle raj.”

Yogi questioned why Bihar, the land that gave the nation stalwarts like Dr Rajendra Prasad, Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan, and Jananayak Karpuri Thakur, still struggles to find its identity.

He said first the Congress, and later the RJD, "looted Bihar, robbed youth of jobs, and drove farmers to despair". Welfare schemes never reached the poor, and instead of public development, they focused on family development — leading to the spread of Naxalism, Maoism, and mafia rule.

Drawing parallels with Uttar Pradesh, CM Yogi stated, "The SP in UP is a close ally of the RJD and Congress. During the SP government, a notorious mafia built massive, fort-like houses on government land in Lucknow.”
“When our government came to power, I asked who had built them. Once identified, we acted. Bulldozers rolled in, the illegal structures were demolished, and homes for the poor were built on that land. Just this morning, on Kartik Purnima, I handed over those houses in Lucknow,” he said.

He said what the SP did in UP, the RJD and Congress did in Bihar, and the only solution to this is the NDA. “These parties thrived by dividing society and forming caste-based armies,” he warned. “Remember, whenever there is division, society suffers.”

Responding to criticism from the opposition over renaming cities, CM Yogi said, “The SP, RJD, and Congress ask why we change names. We do it to restore our civilisational identity. We changed the name of Faizabad to Ayodhya because Ayodhya is the birthplace of Lord Ram, and Faizabad was a symbol of foreign dominance.

"Similarly, the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna was always known as Prayagraj; the Mughals changed it to Allahabad, but we have restored its original name. They are disturbed by this, but we take pride in it.
"Even Congress might soon worry that Wazirganj’s name will be changed. Progress begins with pride in our roots. To move forward, we must honor our heritage and take pride in our ancestors," he said.

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Patna, 30 October 2025

Urging the people of Bihar to re-elect NDA, union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National President J P Nadda today said that the upcoming Assembly elections is all about saving the state from ‘jungle raj’.

Warning them, they said that Lalu-Rabri’s 'jungle raj' has returned to Bihar’s doorstep in a new name and new clothes and that one mistake could push the state back by 20 years.

Addressing election rallies in Nalanda and Munger districts, Shah said, “Voting will take place on 6 November. All of you must press the button on the ‘Lotus’ and ‘Arrow’ (election symbols of BJP and JD-U, respectively). But do not vote thinking that your vote will make someone a legislator or a minister. Vote with the thought that each of your votes will help make Bihar developed under the leadership of Nitish Kumar and Narendra Modi. Every single vote of yours is to stop jungle raj.”

He said that before 2005, entire Bihar was trapped in 'jungle raj', adding all industries, businesses, and trade had shut down. The only business that thrived was kidnapping and ransom. Heinous murders and crimes were common. This was the reality under the Lalu-Rabri’s rule.

Lalu-Rabri and the Congress, he asserted, cannot work for Bihar’s welfare. It has been 20 years for Nitish Kumar and 11 years for PM Modi, and not a single allegation of corruption has been made against them. Every rupee is being spent for the poor.

“Lalu-Rabri committed scams in Bihar, and their top leader, Rahul Gandhi, belongs to a party that, during its 10 years in power, was involved in corruption and scams worth Rs12 lakh crore,” Shah alleged.

He said that the land of Munger is associated with Lord Ram and Goddess Sita. The government has decided to include this land of Munger district in the Ramayana Circuit.

Accusing the Congress of obstructing the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya for 70 years, he said: “We built the magnificent Ram Lalla temple in Ayodhya. Now we will build the Maa Janaki Temple in Sitamarhi at a cost of over Rs 882 crore. It will be ready in two years.”

Addressing a public meeting in Harnaut–Bakhtiyarpur Assembly constituency, BJP National President JP Nadda also invoked jungle raj and said, “The value of light is known only when you have experienced the tragedy of darkness.
“Twenty years ago, during Lalu Yadav’s rule from the 1990s to 2005, Bihar was a dark, lawless state under jungle raj. And today, with the blessings of PM Modi and the hard work of Nitish Kumar, this is a changed Bihar, a Bihar making great strides in development.”

He said that for women empowerment, Nitish Kumar has deposited Rs10,000 each into more than one crore women’s accounts under the Women Employment Scheme. After the elections, Rs 2 lakh will be transferred into the bank accounts of sisters for self-employment.

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Patna

RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav today alleged that the Narendra Modi led union government has deployed 1500 companies of Central Paramilitary Forces in Bihar to influence the polling in favour of ruling parties during ongoing state assembly elections. 

Speaking to media persons he alleged that heavy deployment of 1500 companies of Central Paramilitary Forces for two phase polling in Bihar had some ulterior motive. It came to his notice that such a heavy deployment of Central Paramilitary Forces had been made to influence the polling in ongoing Bihar assembly elections, he added.

"Three days back, through video conferencing, Centre Paramilitary Forces had been directed to do something which could influence the polling in favour of ruling parties in Bihar ", Yadav said adding that it was a conspiracy to slow down voting in all constituencies of Bihar where Grand Alliance had strong mass base and presence. Such modus operandi was to be adopted as per information available to him , which could inference polling, he added.

" I appeal to all officials of security forces not to follow the directive issued to them to influence the polling as it would be against constitutional provision and also against their commitment to rule of law while on duty ", RJD leader said adding that such kind of approach and an attempt to tamper polling would not be tolerated by people of Bihar. People would teach a lesson to NDA during the ongoing assembly elections, he maintained.

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Patna

BJP leader and former union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today dismissed the INDIA Alliance’s joint manifesto for the Bihar elections as a bundle of hollow promises, stating that even those who drafted it know their government will not be formed.

Addressing a press conference in Patna, Prasad launched a sharp attack, claiming: “This manifesto is not a joint document; it is Tejashwi Yadav’s personal pledge.” He further asserted: “This manifesto presents a populist picture before the people of Bihar, but it lacks both substance and any real commitment to change. The people of Bihar understand this well.”

Prasad criticised the manifesto's claim of zero tolerance on crime, noting it was conspicuously silent on corruption. He alleged that this silence was deliberate, as talking about corruption “would have led to further questions.”
The BJP leader accused the RJD of being a corrupt force: “The fact is, those who talk of a new vision are themselves accused under Section 420 (fraud). RJD is a school of corruption — that is its past, its present, and it will remain its future.”

Regarding the claim of zero tolerance on crime, Prasad stated, “They should have also said that from now on, no criminals will be entertained at the Chief Minister’s residence. RJD’s goons who grab land should be stopped.” He also criticised Tejashwi Yadav for dragging Chhath Puja into politics.

When asked about the NDA’s vision, the Patna Sahib MP responded, “Our vision is our work.” He cited infrastructure achievements, stating: “We built roads, introduced eight Vande Bharat trains, launched the Patna Metro, and ensured electricity even in villages. NDA’s work speaks for itself.”

He provided figures to support the NDA's development record: “In 2005, Bihar had only two government engineering colleges; today, there are 38. The number of polytechnic colleges has increased from 13 to 46, and ITIs from 23 to 152. The literacy rate among women was 47 percent in 2001; today it has reached 79 percent.”

Prasad concluded that the “Modi–Nitish partnership is committed to the development of Bihar,” and reiterated his claim that “Tejashwi Yadav is afraid to speak openly against corruption.” He also objected to the INDIA Alliance’s alleged remarks about colonising Bihar, calling such statements "against the Constitution."

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Lucknow

 In a major administrative reshuffle ahead of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Uttar Pradesh, the state government on Tuesday transferred 46 IAS officers, including District Magistrates (DMs) of 10 districts. The districts that saw a change in leadership include Hathras, Basti, Siddharthnagar, Chitrakoot, Lalitpur, Shravasti, Rampur, Balrampur, and Kaushambi.

According to the official order, Dhanalakshmi K, Secretary of the State Human Rights Commission, has been appointed as the Director General of the Fisheries Department. Sanjay Kumar, Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, has been given the additional charge of Secretary, State Human Rights Commission. Dr. Rupesh Kumar, Managing Director of Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam (UPRVUNL), has been made the Divisional Commissioner of Saharanpur. The current Saharanpur Commissioner Atul Kumar Rai has been shifted to the Home Department as Secretary.

Mayur Maheshwari, CEO of the Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA), has been transferred to UPRVUNL as Managing Director. Relief Commissioner Bhanu Chandra Goswami has been made Divisional Commissioner of Meerut, while Hrishikesh Bhaskar Yashod, the outgoing Commissioner of Meerut, will now serve as Secretary, Revenue Department, as well as Relief Commissioner and Consolidation Commissioner.
Vijay Kiran Anand, CEO of Invest UP, has been given additional charge as CEO of UPSIDA, indicating a rise in his administrative stature, while Mayur Maheshwari is seen to have been sidelined in the reshuffle.Bal Krishna Tripathi, Divisional Commissioner, Vindhyachal, has been shifted as Secretary of General Administration Department while Rajesh Prakash, Director General, Fisheries, will be new divisional commissioner of Vindhyachal. 

In district-level changes, Atul Vats, Vice Chairman of Ghaziabad Development Authority, has been appointed as District Magistrate of Hathras while Amandeep Huli, DM of Lalitpur, has been transferred as Additional Commissioner, MGNREGA. Rahul Pandey, DM of Hathras, has been made Special Secretary, State Tax Department. Raja Ganapathy R, DM of Siddharthnagar, will now serve as DM of Sitapur, replacing Abhishek Anand, who has been posted as Special Secretary, Excise Department. 

Shivsharanappa GN, DM of Chitrakoot, will take charge as DM of Siddharthnagar, while Pulkit Garg, Vice Chairman of Varanasi Development Authority, has been appointed DM of Chitrakoot. 

Krittika Jyotsna, Special Secretary in the State Tax Department, has been made DM of Basti. Amit Pal, VC of Prayagraj Development Authority will be new DM of Kaushambi. DM Balrampur, Pawan Agarwal will be special secretary in the Home Department. He will be replaced by Vipin Kumar Jain, Special Secretary to Chief Minister and additional commissioner of Uttar Pradesh Housing and Development Board. Akansha Rana, Special Officer, Kumbh Mela Authority will be Municipal Commissioner in Jhansi in place of Satya Prakash, who will now join as District Magistrate of Lalitpur. Ashwini Kumar Pandey, Vice Chairman, Ayodhya Development Authority will be new DM of Shravasti replacing Ajay Kumar Dwivedi, who will now join as DM of Rampur in place of B Joginder Singh, now shifted as Special Secretary Namami Gange and Rural Water Supply Department.

Himanshu Nagpal, Chief Development Officer, Varanasi will be now Municipal Commissioner of Varanasi in place of Akshat Verma, who will be now Special Secretary Planning while Prakhar Kumar Singh, Chief Development Officer, and Divisional Food Controller, Aligarh will be CDO Varanasi. Singh will be replaced by Yogendra Kumar, Deputy Director, Mandi Parishad, Lucknow. Kumar Vineet, MD of Uttar Pradesh Cooperative Sugar Mills Association Limited will be Special Secretary, Youth Welfare and Sports Department. He will be replaced by Isha Duhan, MD of Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited. 

Ranvijay Singh, Additional District Magistrate (Administration) will be Chief Development Officer, Bijnor in place of Purav Vohra, who will be VC of Varanasi Development Authority. CDO Kushinagar, Gunjan Dwivedi will be Municipal Commissioner, Firozabad and Vice Chairman, Firozabad Shikohabad Development Authority in place of B Rishi Raj, who will be VC of Prayagraj Development Authority. 

Bandita Srivastava, Additional District Magistrate (V/R), Varanasi will be CDO Kushinagar, while Madhusudan Hulgi, District Magistrate, Kaushambi will be Special Secretary to Chief Minister. Nand Kishor Kalal, Chief Development Officer, Rampur will be Vice Chairman, Ghaziabad Development Authority while Mahendra Kumar Singh, Additional District Magistrate, Ayodhya will be Chief Development Officer, Rampur. Devendra Kumar Singh Kushwaha, Special Secretary, Excise Department, will be Special Secretary in Silk Department. Anuraj Jain, Chief Development Officer, Maharajganj will be Vice Chairman, Ayodhya Development Authority, while Gulab Chandra, Additional District Magistrate (Administration), will now join as Chief Development Officer, Maharajganj. Sachin Kumar Singh, joint director in Mandi Parishad will be CDO of Amethi in place of Suraj Patel, who will be now CEO of Brij Development Authority.

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Patna

RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav today alleged that BJP was only using Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as a "mask" and the party would not make him CM again. 

Yadav told media persons here that BJP had no intention to make Nitish Kumar, the next CM. 

"Neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor union Home Minister Amit Shah had uttered even a single word on any occasion that Kumar would be next CM, if NDA was voted to power," he pointed out. 

"Shah had recently declared that newly elected MLAs of NDA would decide the next CM of Bihar, giving a loud and clear message on the issue," the RJD leader said, adding that Kumar was being used by BJP only as a mask. Kumar was not in a position to govern Bihar, he further added. 

"Corruption is rampant in all government departments as no one can get any work done without paying graft," Yadav said adding that he felt sympathy for Chief Minister Kumar on seeing his "pathetic condition". 

"Bureaucracy is so dominant in the Nitish Kumar government that even a Minister has no power and relevance in his own department," the RJD leader claimed, adding that the Secretary was running the department and he had no time to listen or pay attention to what was being told by his Minister.

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