NDA trying to woo Bihar OBCs

Brajesh Kumar / HT
Ahead of the Bihar assembly elections, the NDA government is considering raising the creamy layer criterion from the present annual income of Rs 6 lakh to Rs 10.5 lakh. Raising the creamy layer criteria may boost NDA’s electoral chances in the state. more

Women hold key in Nitish poll battle

Santosh Singh / Indian Express
For years now, Nitish’s social engineering project has had both a caste and a caste-neutral dimension. The latter — a focus on women as a constituency — was seen first in his masterstroke of giving 50% reservation to women through the Bihar Panchayati Raj Act of 2006 and, subsequently, in a host of schemes such as bicycles, uniforms, scholarships and cash incentives for girl students.

Some stories from 2010, when the NDA won 206 out of the 243 seats, are now part of India’s election folklore: about girls in Class 8 asking their parents to vote Nitish because they would get bicycles in Class 9, and about an RJD voter beating a rebellious sister-in-law who insisted on supporting the JD(U). Given this background, the Chief Minister is looking again at his caste-neutral constituency of women. more

No special status to Bihar

"There is no proposal as of now to grant special status to any state. There is a proposal to give special package," Minister of State for Planning Rao Inderjit Singh said in Lok Sabha during question. more

Bleeding Bihar

Shaibal Gupta / Indian Express
A decrease in the share of the divisible pool of taxes for Bihar from 10.92 per cent to 9.67 per cent is not merely a decrease, but a substantial reduction of more than one percentage point. The reasons for the decrease in allocation are surprising. Bihar received less allocation because, first, income distance (to capture Bihar’s historical disadvantage) was given less weightage; second, area was given higher weightage (penalising a densely populated state like Bihar); and third, assigning some weight to forest area (which is very low in the Gangetic plains). Finally, Bihar has been penalised for the state government’s financial prudency, which was maintained by severely constraining spending on health, education and the maintenance of infrastructure. more

Bihar’s longest flyover opens in Patna

The 2.9km flyover from Jagdeo Path Mor to Sheikhpura Mor has been constructed at a cost of Rs 300 crore. It would spell instant respite for a population of five to six lakh, which lives in western Patna and faced frequent jams. The flyover has parking lots for four-wheelers and two-wheelers under it, which is open for use by public on payment of Rs 20 and Rs 5 respectively for every three hours. more

Can Nitish do a Kejriwal to BJP in Bihar ?

Kay Benedict
Not just Modi, the election is equally crucial for BJP president and Modi’s Man Friday Amit Shah and chief poll strategist, whose autocratic style of functioning is being resented by many in the party. A defeat in Bihar, after Delhi, could encourage Shah’s in-house detractors to gang up against him. And if Bihar is lost, Uttar Pradesh sending 80 MPs to Lok Sabha, may also eclipse from the saffron map in 2017. A such, the Bihar election outcome will have serious repercussions on the future politics of Modi and Nitish. more

'Five-phase Bihar Elections in Oct-Nov'

Ritika Chopra / ET
Contrary to the initial buzz that Bihar elections could start in September, officials said that the poll panel is not keen on this month as part of the state are prone to flooding during this period. The term of Bihar assembly ends on November 29. The two election commissioners, Nasim Zaidi and Achal Kumar Jyoti, will zero in on the final dates once they are back from their state visit in the first week of August. more

The Stormy Revival of Nalanda University

Amartya Sen / NYRB
When the old Nalanda began functioning in the fifth century, there was no other university in the world. There are now 687 universities in India—and others are being established. Why do we need one more? What makes Nalanda so special? more

Nazar Lag Gayi Hamaari Sarkar Ko: Shatrughan Sinha

Yogesh Naik / Mumbai Mirror
"Perhaps, we are not living up to the expectations of our leadership, our dashing, dynamic Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We are not acting as per his vision. The Yoga Day and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan were turned into photo ops. This is the 13th month of our government and has not proved lucky for us. Lagta hai nazar lag gayi sarkar ko." more

I was ousted from Nalanda: Amartya Sen

Sagarika Ghose / ToI
In a move that could intensify the confrontation between the Modi government and Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, Sen has now gone public with what he calls his "ouster" from the Chancellor-ship of Nalanda University.

"I was certainly ousted from Nalanda," Sen said. "Some members of the Board, especially the foreign members were keen on carrying on the battle for me but I stepped aside as I did not want to be an ineffective leader. The government may have held up finances or statues had I continued."

"Nalanda not a one off incident. Nothing in this scale of interference has happened before. Every institution where the government has a formal role is being converted into where the government has a substantive role." more

दो राजनीतिक प्रतीकों का साथ आना

बद्री नारायण / हिन्दुस्तान
नीतीश कुमार अगर विकास के प्रतीक हैं, तो लालू यादव देशज भाषा और शैली से लोगों को जोड़ने वाली महत्वपूर्ण ताकत। नीतीश कुमार के जद-यू और लालू यादव के राजद ने कांग्रेस के साथ मिलकर जो महागठबंधन बनाया है, वह सिर्फ दलों का गठबंधन न होकर बिहार की राजनीतिक संस्कृति के इन प्रतीकों और इनसे बनी दो राजनीतिक भाषाओं का गठबंधन है। एक राजनीतिक भाषा 'विकास एवं सुशासन' के प्रतीक को सामने रखकर अगड़े-पिछड़े, दोनों को जोड़ने का मुहावरा विकसित करती है, जो नीतीश कुमार बोलते रहे हैं। बेशक उसके पीछे पिछड़ी और अति पिछड़ी जातियों का गणित भी है। इसके साथ ही उन्होंने शिक्षित, प्रवासी, शहरी और जागरूक बिहार के लोगों में बिहारी अस्मिता जगाने की कोशिश भी की है। दूसरी तरफ, लालू प्रसाद यादव की राजनीतिक भाषा, जो मूलत: अशिक्षितों, पिछड़ों और अल्पसंख्यकों को जोड़कर चलने वाले प्रतीकों तथा शब्दावलियों से भरी है। वे अपनी देशज बोली और लहजे का रचनात्मक इस्तेमाल करते हुए अपने वोटरों को जगाते व जोड़ते रहे हैं। more

Nitish Kumar's Election Machine

Vandita Mishra / Indian Express

The group in the office on Patna's Strand Road is part of a larger 300-plus team of the Indian Political Action Committee (IPAC) that is mostly made up of IIT graduates who have left high-paying jobs in MNCs to join the Nitish campaign. Very few, only two in the core team, belong to Bihar. more