Patna:

Former Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Yadav, an estranged brother-in-law of Lalu Prasad, alleged on Thursday that the RJD president had links with gangs involved in kidnappings for ransom while the party ruled Bihar.

Yadav, a younger brother of Rabri Devi, the wife of Prasad who succeeded the RJD supremo as the Bihar CM, made the allegation in conversation with a number of media outlets here.

“They accuse me of being behind the kidnappings. It is they who used to get people abducted and order their release,” said Yadav, who has since burnt bridges with his sister and brother-in-law.

“Had there been any evidence against me, I would have been in jail, just like Lalu ji, against whom there was proof of involvement in fodder scam,” he said.

However, Sadhu Yadav, another estranged brother of Rabri Devi, rubbished the allegation and said, “Subhash is speaking nonsense. He seems to have received crumbs from some political party to say such things.” “It is Subhash, who used to be involved in all types of dubious activities. I suspect he must be having links with kidnappers himself. People often used to mix us up. Sadhu-Subhash became a hyphenated expression. He indulged in all mischief and I ended up sharing the blame for no reason,” alleged Sadhu Yadav.

Incidentally, one of the things the brother duo has often been accused of by the BJP-led NDA is loot of vehicles from a car showroom in Patna, which were “returned” after the marriage ceremony of Misa Bharti, the eldest daughter of Prasad who is also the sitting MP from the Pataliputra Lok Sabha seat.

Subhash Yadav admitted that the vehicles were looted in 1999, but claimed involvement of two other RJD leaders, whom he accused of having acted at the instance of Prasad.

“In fact, I was the one who tried to dissuade my brother-in-law from acting in such manner. But in those days, he was drunk on power and listened to nobody,” he alleged.

The estranged former aide also said that the RJD “would have been split many times, but for the anti-defection law, which were made more stringent by the late prime minister Atal (Bihari Vajpayee) ji”.

He also dismissed his nephew Tejashwi Yadav as a “seasonal” politician, and predicted a landslide win for the NDA in the assembly polls due later this year, claiming that it would bag “more than 200 seats” in the 243-strong House.

RJD spokesman Shakti Yadav reacted to the remarks, saying “nobody will believe the diatribe coming from a person who brought disrepute to our party president, and who now seems to be playing into the hands of the ruling dispensation”.

The RJD spokesman also referred to Prasad’s combative statement earlier in the day when the septuagenarian asserted that BJP’s recent victory in Delhi will have no impact in Bihar, and the saffron party “cannot win here as long as we are around”.

“Our supremo’s statement has sent the ruling coalition into a tizzy. So, baseless allegations are being made. But, our leader is an institution in himself. Many of his detractors as well as allies have learnt their ropes from him. His is too great to be diminished by such slander,” asserted Shakti Yadav. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Rahul Gandhi’s comment that the Congress has lost the confidence of Dalits because it did not protect the interests of the Dalits and backwards the way it should have in the 1990s, has been accepted by the young generation of the party. 

“Such an admission is a sign of his large heartedness,” said party MP Tanuj Punia. 

“There must be something in it if Rahul Ji said it. There have been shortcomings which must be addressed now,” said party MP Kumari Selja. 

Yesterday, addressing a programme organised by Dalit influencers, Mr Gandhi said merely getting political representation for the Dalits and backwards would not help solve their problems unless they got “bhagidari” in institutions and wealth.

He also said that once the “original base” of the Congress party is back, the BJP and the RSS would have to run away. It will happen soon, he added.

The admission, though, did not move the Congress’s INDIA allies much. 

“If the Congress had not lost their (Dalits’ and backward castes’) confidence, they would not be in this condition today,” said Samajwadi Party’s Ramgopal Yadav. 

Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Manoj Jha said what Mr Gandhi said was a “fact”.

“We were students then. But the Congress of that time — we do not know what difficulties they were facing. But the honesty with which he admitted to it – i think he is clear what the next step should be, what the plan of action is. Refusing to call it a damage control measure, he said it was much more than that,” he added. 

Asked about the caste census, a key demand of the Opposition including the Congress, he said it should happen. 

If “85 per cent of the population want something, they would make themselves heard. If people do not hear them, they will do something explosive,” he added. 

Patna:

The troubles for Alok Mehta, a senior RJD MLA and close confidant of Lalu Prasad Yadav, appear to be escalating due to the arrests made in connection with an alleged Vaishali Urban Development Cooperative Bank scam. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested five individuals, including two of Mehta’s relatives – Rambabu Shandilya and Vipin Tiwari – which has intensified speculation about the potential legal and political challenges he might face.

Given his proximity to RJD chief Lalu Yadav and Mehta’s prominence within the party, this development could have broader implications for the political landscape of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Discussions are rife that Mehta himself could come under the scanner as the investigation deepens, potentially leading to further action from the authorities.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has intensified its investigation into the Rs 85 crore scam involving the Vaishali Urban Development Co-operative Bank, taking significant action in the case.

The agency conducted raids across multiple cities and made arrests, revealing a web of alleged financial irregularities with connections to prominent figures.

ED arrested Vipin Tiwari, CEO of Vaishali Cooperative Bank, along with his father-in-law Rambabu Shandilya (linked to a Rs 30 crore scam in Purvanchal Cooperative Bank Ghazipur), Nitin Mehra (Delhi), Sandeep Singh (Kolkata), and Pankaj Tiwari (Varanasi).

While three of the accused (Nitin Mehra, Rambabu Shandilya, and Pankaj Tiwari) were sent to judicial custody on Saturday, Vipin Tiwari and Sandeep Singh remain under interrogation.

Raids were conducted in Patna, Varanasi, Delhi, Kolkata, and other locations, including hideouts linked to RJD MLA Alok Mehta and his associates.

The bank’s chairman, Sanjeev Kumar, is also under the scanner and remains untraceable despite ongoing ED raids.

The Vaishali Urban Development Co-operative Bank was founded 35 years ago by Tulsidas Mehta, the father of RJD MLA Alok Mehta.

Alok Mehta served as the bank’s chairman from 1995 to 2012. However, in 2015, the RBI halted the bank’s financial operations due to allegations of large-scale embezzlement. In June 2023, the RBI report unveiled a massive scam, leading to the registration of three FIRs in Hajipur and the ED taking over the investigation.

The ties of Alok Mehta to the bank’s history and the involvement of his associates in the ongoing investigations could spell trouble for the RJD MLA. His tenure as the bank’s chairman is under scrutiny, and the ED may extend its probe to his role in past operations.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Patna:

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday offered a cryptic response to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s “doors open” statement to rejoin the opposition INDIA bloc. When questioned by journalists about Mr Yadav’s remarks, Mr Kumar folded his hands, smiled, and curtly responded, “Kya bol rahe hain (What are you saying?)” without elaborating further.

This exchange comes in the wake of Mr Yadav’s statement during an interview, where he said, “Our doors are open for Nitish Kumar. He should also unbolt his gates. This would facilitate movement of people from both sides.”

#WATCH | Patna: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar reacts on being asked about Lalu Prasad Yadav’s statement. pic.twitter.com/6Gxb9iOZgP

— ANI (@ANI) January 2, 2025

Mr Yadav’s statement has since fueled speculation in Bihar about the possibility of another alliance between the two veteran leaders, often referred to as “bada bhai, chhota bhai” (big brother, little brother) in Bihar’s political circles. 

Mr Yadav’s overture to Mr Kumar follows a history of turbulent alliances. Mr Kumar, leader of the Janata Dal (United), has aligned with the RJD twice in the last decade, most recently as part of the Mahagathbandhan before switching sides to rejoin the BJP-led NDA in 2024. 

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s son and heir apparent in the RJD, downplayed his father’s remarks, suggesting they were made to “satisfy the curiosity of the media.” Speaking to journalists at the swearing-in ceremony of  new Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, Tejashwi Yadav said, “What else would he (Lalu Yadav) say? He was simply addressing your questions.”

Tejashwi Yadav, however, added that the new year would witness the end of the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government. He further accused Mr Kumar of being “captive” to a small group of close advisors and no longer capable of running Bihar independently.

Union Minister and JD(U) leader Lalan Singh dismissed Lalu Yadav’s remarks. “The NDA is strong. JD(U) and BJP are united. People can say whatever they want – it is a free country,” he said. 

Tarari, Bihar:

Maintaining that he “made a mistake twice” in the past by joining hands with RJD, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday said that now he would stay permanently with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Addressing a public meeting in favour of NDA nominee, Vishal Prashant of BJP for the Tarari assembly byelection, Kumar said, “I have said it earlier also…I am once again saying that we (BJP-JDU) were together earlier. I made a mistake twice in the past by joining hands with the RJD…I went ‘idhar udhar’ twice in the past…But now, I have again come to the NDA. I will remain permanently with the NDA”.

He said, “We have been working for the development of Bihar since 2005. Several infrastructural and development works have been done in Bihar after 2005…..and it will continue further under the NDA rule”.

Kumar accused RJD of trying to “polarise” votes on “communal lines” in the upcoming bypolls in the state.

“They (RJD) always try to create a divide on communal lines. When RJD was in power in Bihar, the state witnessed several communal clashes. But, now the situation is totally different when the NDA is in power. I am sure that people will give a befitting reply to the INDIA bloc in the coming bypolls in the state”, he said.

By-polls on four Bihar assembly seats will be held on November 13 for which results will be out on November 23.

All four assembly seats had fallen vacant after MLAs representing them were elected to the Lok Sabha. The four seats where by-polls will be held are Ramgarh, Tarari, Belaganj, and Imamganj.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Ranchi:

INDIA alliance partners in Jharkhand are set for a “friendly battle” in three assembly seats in the upcoming assembly polls, its leaders said on Saturday.

JMM and CPI-ML have already decided to go for a friendly fight in Dhanwar assembly seat, while Congress and RJD are still trying to avoid a friendly contest in the Chhattarpur and Bishrampur seats, they said at a joint press conference here.

The elections to the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly will take place in two phases on November 13 and 20, with counting of votes to take place on November 23.

As many as 1,211 candidates are in the fray for the 81 assembly seats after completion of nomination withdrawal exercises for both phases of the election.

The JMM has fielded candidates in 43 Assembly seats, Congress in 30 seats, RJD from six and CPI-ML in four seats.

“JMM, Congress, RJD and CPI-ML are jointly contesting the Jharkhand polls under the INDIA bloc. Excluding three seats – Chhatarpur, Bishrampur and Dhanwar – seat-sharing arrangements have been settled for all the constituencies in the alliance. The JMM has decided to go for a friendly contest with CPI-ML in Dhanwar seat,” JMM general secretary Vinod Pandey told reporters.

RJD and Congress have fielded their candidates from Chhatarpur and Bishrampur seats.

“Discussions are still going on to sort out the issue on both the seats. We hope to see a result in a day or two,” Mr Pandey said, adding that the RJD was given six seats, while the CPI-ML got three seats under the INDIA bloc.

Jharkhand Congress president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh said that they would contest the polls jointly and form an INDIA alliance government again.

The INDIA bloc has not yet officially declared their seat-sharing arrangements.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren had, on October 19, said that the INDIA bloc will contest the upcoming assembly polls together and the Congress and the JMM will field candidates in 70 of 81 seats.

The remaining 11 seats would be left for the RJD and the Left parties, he had said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to the Centre and the Bihar government on a petition challenging the High Court’s order striking down a hike in reservation in Bihar to 65%, but has not imposed a stay for now. The Rashtriya Janata Dal, which is the principal opposition party in Bihar, had moved the top court against the Bihar High Court’s verdict on the increased reservation, legislation for which was passed after a caste survey last year. 

Reacting to the developments in the Supreme Court, the RJD said it will continue to fight for reservation and the “rights of the deprived”.

“Supreme Court issues notice on RJD’s petition against Patna HC order quashing Bihar Reservation Amendment Act. RJD will keep fighting for the reservation and rights of the deprived and the neglected on the streets, in the House and in the courts,” the party wrote in Hindi in a post on X while also hitting out at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the BJP. 

The quota was increased from 50% to 65% for Backward Classes, Extremely Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes (SCs), and Scheduled Tribes (STs) through amendments to the reservation laws. The bills proposing the amendments were passed unanimously in the Bihar Assembly and legislative council and the hike in reservation was meant to apply to educational institutions as well as government jobs in the state. 

After petitioners approached it challenging the constitutional validity of the amendments, the High Court had ruled on June 20 that they were “ultra vires” of the Constitution, “bad in law” and “violative of the equality clause”.

The bench said it saw “no extenuating circumstance enabling the state to breach” the 50% cap on reservations laid down by the Supreme Court in the Indra Sawhney case of 1992.

The Bihar government had also approached the Supreme Court against the High Court order and a bench had, in July, refused to impose a stay. 

On Friday, a bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra issued notices to the Bihar government and the Centre and tagged the RJD’s petition with the pending appeal of the state government. 

The Bihar caste survey had revealed that 36 per cent of Bihar’s population is from extremely backward classes, 27.1 per cent belong to backward classes, 19.7 per cent to the Scheduled Castes and 1.7 per cent to Scheduled Tribes. The general category, including so-called upper castes, accounts for 15.5 per cent.

The Bihar Reservation of Vacancies in Posts and Services (for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes) Amendment Act, 2023 and the Bihar (Admission in Educational Institutions) Reservation (Amendment) Act, 2023 were then brought in to increase the reservation in the state to 65%.

The caste census has also become a national political issue with the Congress promising that it will get it done if voted to power and insisting that the 50% cap on reservation would be “uprooted”. The charge has been led by Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the issue has found broad support within the INDIA alliance.

Patna:

After a purported video showed Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) workers hurling abuses at Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan’s mother Veena Paswan during an election rally, the LJP leader wrote to former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav seeking immediate action in the matter.

In his letter, Mr Paswan said that the particular action has refreshed the memories of Jungle Raj as during that time it was difficult for mothers and daughters to leave their homes.

“I never understood any difference between Rabri Devi ji and my mother. In such a situation, I did not expect this from you. I agree that political parties may have different views, and there may be differences of opinions but it is not appropriate to have animosity. Such foul language about one’s mother is beyond imagination for me,” he said.

“This action by your party’s supporters has refreshed the memories of Jungle Raj of the 90s. In those times, it was difficult for mothers and daughters to leave their homes. Women were humiliated and tortured. Today after this incident, you cannot even imagine how painful it is for me as a son to hear such words about my mother. I want you to give a strong message to your party workers and supporters so that in the future such language cannot be used not only for me but for any mother and sister living in Bihar,” the LJP chief added.

“I hope that you will take immediate action against those who insulted my mother,” Chirag Paswan said in the letter to Tejashwi Yadav.

Condemning the incident, RJD leader Misa Bharti questioned Chirag Paswan for his silence when Bihar Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary made a derogatory remark against Lalu Prasad Yadav.

“It is condemnable, derogatory language should not be used against women belonging to any party but I want to ask Chirag Paswan why was he quiet when Samrat Choudhary made such a derogatory remark against my sister and father?” she said.

Bihar BJP women’s delegation had filed a complaint to the Election Commission in connection with the incident.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Twelve of the 20 new companies which bought electoral bonds were from Hyderabad.
| Photo Credit: Akash Dhage/Unsplash

Despite companies in existence for less than three years not being allowed to make political contributions — even through the electoral bonds route — data shows that at least 20 such newly incorporated firms purchased poll bonds worth about ₹103 crore (Table 1).

At the time when they purchased their first electoral bonds, five of these firms were in existence for less than a year, seven of them were a year old and the eight others had only completed two years. Notably, many of these firms were started in 2019 when the Indian economy went through recession or during the middle of the pandemic and bought electoral bonds worth crores of rupees just months after incorporation.

Also read: Electoral bonds data | Full list of donors and recipient political parties

The ban on companies making political contributions within three years from incorporation has been in existence for nearly four decades. In 1985, the Parliament amended Section 293A, lifting the ban on political contributions by firms subject to a few conditions. One of the conditions was that the firms should not be owned by the government and should not be less than three years old. This clause was retained under Section 182 of the Companies Act, 2013. When Section 154 of the Finance Act, 2017, amended Section 182, just before the introduction of electoral bonds, this clause was again retained. However, the amendment deleted the first proviso by which the amount donated by a company was capped at 7.5% of its average net profit during its previous three financial years. The prohibition on companies making donations to political parties in their first three years continued. According to Section 182 of the Companies Act 2013, if a firm makes a donation in contravention to the provisions, “the company shall be punishable with fine which may extend to five times the amount so contributed and every officer of the company who is in default shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months and with fine which may extend to five times the amount so contributed”.

Table 1 | The table shows the names of the 20 firms which purchased the electoral bonds (EBs), within three years of their incorporation. The date of incorporation of these companies, the date on which they purchased their first poll bond, the difference between the two dates along with the total worth of bonds purchased by these firms is mentioned in the table. 

Table appears incomplete? Click to remove AMP mode

Also read: Electoral bonds data | 55 firms’ purchase exceeded 7.5% cap in 2022-24, lion’s share went to BJP

12 of these 20 companies were headquartered in Hyderabad (Table 2). Together these 12 companies donated ₹37.5 crores, and close to 75% of which was encashed by the BRS, with the rest divided among the TDP, the Congress and the BJP. Two companies in Hyderabad — Tsharks Infra Developers Private Limited and Tsharks Overseas Education Consultancy Private Limited — both incorporated in 2023 — purchased ₹7.5 crore worth of bonds within months of getting incorporated and donated it to the BRS. Among the rest, HH Iron and Steel Private Limited, headquartered in Coimbatore, gave ₹15 crores to the BJP and five crores to the BJD. Their first electoral bond purchase was done just days short of turning three years old. Askus Logistics Private Limited, incorporated in November 2021, bought its first electoral bond within 1.5 years of its incorporation and donated ₹22 crores. This was encashed by the DMK, AITC and the RJD. Besseggen Infotech LLP, incorporated in May 2018, bought bonds worth ₹11.5 crores, with their first purchase done two years and ten months into their existence.

Table 2 | The table shows the city-wise split of the 20 companies.

Table 3 | The table shows the party-wise split of the encashments of the EBs purchased by the 20 companies.

Electoral bonds data | New firms bought crores of electoral bonds within months of formation

The three-year rule was retained to prevent shell companies from making political contributions. When the first proviso, which prescribed the 7.5% cap, was removed in 2017, the Election Commission of India had warned that this may lead to the use of “black money through shell companies”. The RBI had also flagged the possibility of firms misusing bearer bonds for money laundering.

The list of 20 firms is not exhaustive as it does not include the firms which were newly incorporated after mergers and amalgamations. The list also does not include firms that are not in the MCA

With inputs from Rebecca Rose Varghese

Watch our Data video:Electoral bonds banned: Which party benefitted the most while it existed?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a frontal attack on the Congress-RJD combine in Bihar, claiming that the opposition alliance had used its championing of the deprived sections as a “shield, to justify” corruption and dynastic politics.

The Prime Minister, who set foot on Bihar’s soil after more than a year and a half, addressed back-to-back rallies in Aurangabad and Begusarai districts, where he also launched development projects worth more than Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

“Such functions were earlier held at select places like the Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi. We have brought Delhi to Begusarai. Projects have been launched for the entire country of which Rs 30,000 crore will be spent on Bihar alone”, said Prime Minister Modi.

He said, “Had it been the governments of the past, such works would have never seen the light of the day. Bihar knows well the price people pay for politics of vote bank politics”.

Without naming RJD president Lalu Prasad, who was the railway minister in the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre, Prime Minister Modi said, “The people of Bihar know-how resources belonging to the railways were looted, how job aspirants were made to part with their land”.

The allusion was to the land for jobs scam, which is being probed by the Enforcement Directorate, and in which Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav and daughter Misa Bharti, among others, have been named.

Prime Minister Modi expressed happiness over the NDA’s return to power in Bihar, with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar returning to the BJP-led coalition, and said the state “is back on the path to progress, with a double engine government. We must never allow the return of the days of the past when people lived in fear”.

He also said, “The Congress-RJD combine has always used Dalits and other deprived sections of the society as a shield, to justify their corruption and dynastic rule. It is a betrayal of social justice”.

Prime Minister Modi said overall progress ensured by his government at the Centre and the one headed by Nitish Kumar in the state “exemplify true social justice, as envisioned by Karpoori Thakur”.

Notably, Thakur, an OBC stalwart and former chief minister of Bihar, was recently given the Bharat Ratna.

Prime Minister Modi added: “The NDA has pushed to the margins those who were responsible for lawlessness in Bihar and deprived the state of development”.

Speaking just a few weeks ahead of the announcement of Lok Sabha polls, the prime minister exuded confidence that the NDA would win the elections hands down.

He said, “The nation is chanting ‘abki baar phir se NDA sarkaar’ (NDA government once again), abki baar 400 paar (400 plus seats for the NDA this time)”.

Mocking the opposition parties, Prime Minister Modi said, “They had leaders who seem to be afraid of contesting the Lok Sabha polls. They want to enter Parliament through Rajya Sabha”.

Although the PM did not mention any opposition leader by name, the remark comes in the backdrop of former Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi getting elected to the Rajya Sabha, giving up the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat she had been holding for several terms.

The Prime Minister, whose recently coined slogan “Modi ki guarantee” is fast gaining currency, said, “The people of the country believe that when Modi gives a guarantee, it is in itself the guarantee that the promise will be fulfilled”.

“Modi ki guarantee stands for development, rule of law and safety and security for our daughters and sisters. We have worked to this end and will continue to do so in our third term,” asserted the PM.

The charismatic leader tried to strike a chord with people in Begusarai and Aurangabad, by breaking into local dialects Angika and Magahi, respectively, from time to time, and paying obeisance to shrines these places were known for.

In Aurangabad, he enthralled the local populace by paying tributes to Anugrah Narayan Singh, a Congress leader with roots in that district, who was the state’s first Deputy Chief Minister and ranked among the tallest political figures of his generation.

Prime Minister Modi also referred to Bihar’s association with Goddess Sita, who was believed to have been discovered in Sitamarhi district by King Janaka. He said, “It was no surprise that people of the state displayed the greatest enthusiasm when we were consecrating the Ram temple at Ayodhya”.

The Prime Minister disarmed his political associates and the common people alike by displaying warmth.

In Aurangabad, when state BJP leaders approached him with a huge garland, Prime Minister Modi called Nitish Kumar and ensured that both were in the frame together.

In Begusarai, the PM, famous for being attentive to his surroundings, spotted a bystander atop his chair and said, “I appreciate your enthusiasm and your affection for me. But I beg you with folded hands, please take your seat”.

Besides the Bihar CM, those present at the functions included Governor Rajendra Arlekar. The Begusarai event was also attended by Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and Giriraj Singh, who is also the local MP.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)