Upon breaking away from the Janata Dal, Lalu Prasad Yadav formed the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), a prominent political party in Bihar, in 1997. The fundamental tenets of the party are secularism, social justice, and the empowerment of the marginalized. Lalu Prasad Yadav's family has been instrumental in the RJD leadership that has dominated Bihar politics for decades.
Rabri Devi and, more recently, Tejashwi Yadav have both acted as chief ministers or deputy chief ministers of the RJD's various Bihar governments. Nationally, the party has also been part of various coalition governments.
In spite of its leaders' charge of corruption, the RJD, hailing from a large rural base, has been able to retain its grip on power. It has allied with Left parties under the aegis of Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) as well as parties like the Congress in recent elections.
Its political discourse remains conditioned by its stance on job creation, reservation policy, and farmer's welfare. Especially in the run-up to the Lok Sabha and Bihar Assembly polls, RJD rallies and statements often attract international notice.
A reported internal rift within the Election Commission of India has triggered a political clash between the opposition and the government. Led by Rahul Gandhi, the Congress party and the INDIA bloc have launched nationwide protests demanding the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The opposition is preparing to move an impeachment motion against the CEC in both houses of Parliament, citing reported internal dissent by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over orders concerning the SIR exercise. Protest plans include marches to state election offices, gherao of the CEC's office in Delhi, and effigy burning by the RJD in Bihar. In response, the BJP dismissed the allegations, claiming the opposition is unsettled by anti-incumbency and the electoral revision process. NDA ally Chirag Paswan noted that the poll panel should address public concerns to preserve trust, while the Election Commission confirmed that its operational digital network remains secure with restricted access for authorised field officials.
A major political row has erupted following allegations of vote theft against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Home Minister Amit Shah. Opposition parties, led by the Congress, are staging nationwide demonstrations outside state election offices, while the RJD announced plans to burn effigies of the Chief Election Commissioner across Bihar. Sources indicate the opposition bloc plans to pursue impeachment proceedings against the Chief Election Commissioner in Parliament. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party rejected the accusations, asserting that the opposition is unnerved by anti-incumbency and administrative electoral revision exercises. The Election Commission clarified that its internal digital platform is decentralized with restricted access for designated election officials and protected by cybersecurity measures. In Goa, Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Koyal faced scrutiny over the reported omission of ninety-seven verified voters from the electoral rolls. The broadcast outlined the constitutional procedure required for the removal of a Chief Election Commissioner.
A major political row has erupted over a reported rift within the Election Commission of India. The Bharatiya Janata Party attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks, sharing an older video of Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala acknowledging the benefits of the Special Summary Revision exercise in Kerala. The BJP accused the Congress of raising selective allegations only in states where it loses elections. Meanwhile, opposition parties intensified protests, with the Congress planning nationwide demonstrations and marches to election offices, while the INDIA bloc reportedly considers an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Rahul Gandhi accused the government of vote theft, targeting top leadership. Amid the escalating controversy and concerns over voter data integrity, the Election Commission issued a clarification regarding its ECI Net platform, maintaining that it is a decentralised system accessible only to authorised officials like booth-level officers and district election officers through unique login credentials, backed by cybersecurity safeguards.
The Janata Dal (United) has voiced reservations regarding the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code across NDA-ruled states before 2029. In response to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's announcement, JD(U) leaders reiterated that the party seeks extensive dialogue so that no community is hurt. As opposition party RJD demanded clarity from the ruling ally in Bihar, JD(U) Working President Sanjay Jha is scheduled to meet Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss party concerns and resolve alliance differences regarding the proposed uniform law.
At 25, Maithili Thakur became Bihar's youngest MLA after defeating RJD's Binod Mishra in Alinagar.
West Bengal with 91.78 per cent and Tamil Nadu with 84.69 per cent recorded their highest-ever voter turnout in Assembly polls since Independence on Thursday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and urged him to support the upcoming Amendment Bill aimed at operationalising the Women's Reservation Act, describing it as a collective responsibility for women's empowerment.
The Delhi High Court has rejected former Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav's plea to quash the CBI FIR in the land-for-jobs scam case.
The NDA has strengthened its position in the Rajya Sabha following elections for 37 seats across 10 states. In Bihar, the NDA coalition secured all five seats, with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and BJP's Nitin Nabin among those elected to the upper house.
Amid speculation over the next Bihar Chief Minister after Nitish Kumar filed nominatiio papers for Rajya Sabha, JDU sources said that no decision has been made for top post in Bihar, with an announcement unlikely before next month.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday filed his nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha polls, setting off intense speculation over who could succeed him.
In this exclusive interview, T.V. Mohandas Pai, Chairman of Aarin Capital, voices strong opposition to the new University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations aimed at addressing caste discrimination. Pai describes the norms as 'draconian, anti-constitution, anti-India and must be repealed,' arguing that they unfairly label one section of society as oppressors without sufficient data. He challenges activists to provide empirical evidence of widespread systemic subjugation in higher education, citing the All India Survey of Higher Education to suggest that student representation across communities is largely proportional to their population. Pai further highlights concerns regarding the potential misuse of these regulations for filing false cases, referencing social media reports and political statements. He advocates for a neutral legal framework where 'all students will have equal protection against caste discrimination' regardless of their background, rather than singling out specific categories. The discussion also touches upon the Rohit Vemula case and the constitutional balance between Article 14 equality and reservation policies.
In a significant political development in Bihar, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav has officially named his son, Tejashwi Yadav, as the party's working president. While Lalu Prasad Yadav remains the national president, this appointment grants Tejashwi Yadav greater authority to make organizational decisions. The transition comes in the wake of a major poll debacle where the RJD was reduced to 25 seats, triggering internal friction. The move has drawn sharp criticism from within the family, with Rohini Acharya hitting out at the decision. She remarked, 'Puppet Shreya Dada got the crown,' and suggested that this appointment marks the end of Lalu Prasad Yadav's 'glorious innings' as a towering political figure. The report also highlights previous allegations of physical abuse and public rifts within the family following the election losses. This leadership shift signals a new era for the RJD as it attempts to navigate internal challenges and future electoral battles in Bihar.
The Bharatiya Janata Party is set to announce its new national president tomorrow, with Nitin Nabin expected to be elected unopposed as J.P. Nadda's successor. The 45-year-old five-term MLA from Bihar's Bankipur constituency is poised to become the youngest leader to hold the position in the party's history. The transcript notes that 'Nitin Naveen, who was appointed BJP national working president last month, is expected to be elected unopposed' as he is reportedly the choice of Prime Minister Modi and backed by senior leaders like Amit Shah. The new president will lead the party through upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry. Nabin, the son of veteran leader Navin Kishore Prasad Sinha, recently defeated RJD's Rekha Kumari in the 2025 elections by a margin of 52,000 votes. If no other nominations are filed at the party headquarters today, his appointment will be formalised tomorrow to lead the party's next generation.
In this report, India Today's Law Correspondent Srishti Ojha details a major setback for the Yadav family as a Delhi court orders the framing of charges in the Land for Jobs scam. The court, observing that the Ministry of Railways was used as a 'criminal enterprise' under Lalu Prasad Yadav, directed corruption and conspiracy charges against him, Rabri Devi, and Tejashwi Yadav. Ojha explains that the court found prima facie evidence of a conspiracy where government jobs were exchanged for land parcels. The report notes that 41 accused face charges, with the next procedural step being their plea on guilt.
On this India Today debate, anchor Preeti Choudhry discusses the controversy surrounding Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pulling the hijab of an AYUSH doctor, Nusrat Parveen, at a public event. Women Rights Activist Zakia Soman condemns the act as 'highly patriarchal' and 'inappropriate', arguing it violates the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 74 and 75-76 regarding outraging a woman's modesty. She demands a public apology and action from the National Commission for Women. Political Analyst Karan Varma agrees that the Chief Minister's action was wrong and invaded personal space but argues against giving the incident a 'religious color' or politicizing it as an attack on a specific community. The discussion explores the boundaries of personal space, the dignity of women in public life, and the political ramifications of the incident.
In this episode of Newstrack, the focus is on the outrage following Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s controversial gesture of pulling a woman doctor’s hijab at an official event in Patna.
On this Special Report, the focus is on the outrage following Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s controversial gesture of pulling a woman doctor’s hijab at an official event in Patna. BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi defends the act, stating, ‘This is absolutely innocuous action... He just wanted the woman... to show her face to the world.’ In contrast, Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi condemns it, asserting that ‘publicly humiliated like this is absolutely unforgivable.’ Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury calls the incident ‘criminal’ and questions the Chief Minister’s conduct. The programme explores the political backlash, with the opposition demanding accountability while the ruling JDO and BJP dismiss the criticism as politically motivated.
On this Special Report, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi condemns Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for physically pulling down a woman doctor’s hijab at a public event. Speaking to India Today’s Maria Shakil, Chaturvedi calls the act 'public harassment' and 'unforgivable,' rejecting claims of 'fatherly' intent. She draws parallels to the 'Bulli Bai' and 'Sulli Deals' controversies regarding the humiliation of women and expresses fear that the victim, Dr. Nusrat Parveen, may be 'pressurized' by the state administration to say she consented. The programme discusses the violation of constitutional rights and the silence around such misogyny in power.
The big talking point of this episode of To The Point is the controversy surrounding Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was seen pulling the hijab of a doctor during a public event.
