Vijay is chief of bureau, Patna. He has spent 21 years in journalism and covers political beats and public affairs.
Articles by Vijay Swaroop
JD-U names candidate for Arunachal West LS seat
The Janata Dal-United (JD-U) has announced its candidate for the Arunachal West Lok Sabha constituency, indicating ongoing differences within the INDIA bloc. The decision comes after the Congress announced its candidate for the Arunachal Pradesh East Lok Sabha seat. Congress came second in the 2019 LS polls, while the BJP won both seats. JD-U won seven seats in the assembly polls in Arunachal Pradesh and later had five MLAs join the BJP. Discussions are ongoing within the INDIA bloc about the next meeting and defining the role of JD-U president Nitish Kumar.
Updated on Jan 03, 2024 09:23 PM IST
Vijay Swaroop, Patna
Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) names candidate for Arunachal West Lok Sabha seat
Ruhi Tangung, who heads the Arunachal Pradesh unit of the JD(U), will be the party’s candidate from the Arunachal West Lok Sabha seat, said party general secretary Afaque Ahmad
Updated on Jan 03, 2024 08:30 PM IST
Nitish Kumar takes reins of JDU in run-up to 2024 elections
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's appointment comes at a crucial time for JDU as it looks to consolidate its position within the INDIA alliance
Updated on Dec 30, 2023 01:01 AM IST
Vijay Swaroop, Patna
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is new JD-U chief after Lalan Singh steps down
Member of Parliament Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh on Thursday rejected speculation of rift in the JD(U) and maintained he would not step down
Updated on Dec 29, 2023 06:18 PM IST
JD(U) president Lalan Singh rejects resignation rumours ahead of Delhi meeting
Janata Dal (United) president Lalan Singh said Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is the leader of the party and that the party is united
Published on Dec 28, 2023 08:10 PM IST
‘Resignation rumour’ adds to buzz over rift in JD(U) top brass
Speculation about the future of Bihar’s ruling Janata Dal (United) was rife on Tuesday, as the day began with rumors of party president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh resigning from the post and ended with various sections of the outfit rejecting the rumors.
Updated on Dec 27, 2023 08:52 AM IST
Vijay Swaroop, Patna
JD-U cancels mega rally on January 24, fuels buzz about changes in party
UUmesh Kushwaha, who leads the JD-U’s Bihar unit, made the formal announcement about the cancellation of the mega rally planned on January 24
Published on Dec 26, 2023 08:13 PM IST
Nitish says he isn’t unhappy, has no objection to Kharge’s projection as PM face
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is believed to have talked to the Bihar chief minister following reports about Kumar’s unhappiness
Updated on Dec 25, 2023 12:56 PM IST
Nitish’s Dec 24 Varanasi rally deferred; JD-U sees foul play
Nitish Kumar, who spreadheaded the efforts that led to the formation of the pan-India opposition bloc INDIA to take on the BJP in the general election next year, was scheduled to hold a public meeting in Rohaniya assembly segment, which is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi.
Updated on Dec 14, 2023 09:19 PM IST
Vijay Swaroop, Patna
Bihar Business Connect-2023: Natives ‘home in’ to invest, explore
More than 600 investors from 16 countries, of which 200 are from Bihar, would participate in the event, said additional chief secretary (industries) Sandeep Poundrik.
Published on Dec 12, 2023 09:36 PM IST
Vijay Swaroop, Patna
INDIA grouping must act swiftly to finalise poll strategy: Nitish
Amid speculation of unrest in the INDIA bloc, Bihar chief minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar on Friday said he was not able to join a meeting of the bloc on Friday due to ill health, but would definitely attend the next one.
Updated on Dec 07, 2023 07:10 AM IST
Vijay Swaroop, Patna
Nitish Kumar clarifies on skipping INDIA meeting, says will attend next meeting
Nitish Kumar’s statement on attending the INDIA meeting came a day after senior Bihar minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary blamed the Congress for ignoring regional parties
Updated on Dec 06, 2023 07:09 PM IST
2024 LS polls: Die ‘caste’, Bihar parties do their maths afresh
Armed with data from the statewide caste survey, political parties in Bihar have started wooing caste combinations.
Published on Nov 25, 2023 09:37 PM IST
After casting doubts on caste figures, BJP courts Yadavs
As per the recent statewide caste survey report, Yadavs, at 14.26% of Bihar’s population, form the largest caste bloc in the state.
Published on Nov 14, 2023 09:19 PM IST
Vijay Swaroop, Patna
Nitish apologises for his birth control remarks, unfazed BJP wants him out
The CM had on Tuesday used gestures and descriptive language while dwelling on the importance of education of women in birth control in the assembly, leading to a nationwide outrage.
Updated on Nov 08, 2023 09:19 PM IST
Nitish Kumar apologises for his birth control remarks, BJP demands resignation
The remarks – delivered in the state assembly – have since drawn widespread condemnation from women MLAs and the National Commission for Women
Updated on Nov 08, 2023 11:57 AM IST
Eye on 5 LS seats, Shah to hold rally in Muzaffarpur today
This will be Shah’s seventh visit to the state since chief minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) exited the BJP-led NDA and tied up with RJD and Congress to form Mahagathbandhan government in Bihar in August last year.
Published on Nov 04, 2023 09:23 PM IST
Vijay Swaroop, Patna
At CPI rally, Nitish Kumar blames Congress for INDIA bloc losing steam
INDIA constituents in September resolved to contest the 2024 elections together “as far as possible” and said seat-sharing arrangements in states will be initiated immediately
Published on Nov 02, 2023 04:33 PM IST
MP polls: JD(U) fields candidates; 3rd non-Congress party of INDIA bloc to do so
JD(U) general secretary Afaque Ahmed Khan, who released the party’s first list for the Madhya Pradesh polls on Tuesday, said they failed to reach a deal
Published on Oct 25, 2023 08:55 AM IST
‘My statement was twisted’: Kumar plays down ‘friendship’ with BJP remark
On Thursday, speaking at the convocation ceremony of Mahatma Gandhi Central University in Motihari in east Champaram district, Kumar, while referring to BJP leaders, who were also invited, said: “The friendship and relationship will remain for as long as I am alive”
Published on Oct 21, 2023 04:57 PM IST
Anand Mohan set to join Nitish’s JD-U next month
The former MP, serving life sentence for the sensational murder of a district magistrate in Bihar in 1994, walked out of jail in April this year following the remission of his sentence granted by the Nitish Kumar government.
Published on Oct 16, 2023 09:33 PM IST
Vijay Swaroop, Patna
Chirag says will field mother from late father’s Hajipur Lok Sabha seat in 2024
Chirag had earlier said that he considers Hajipur as his “mother”, and that in the absence of his father, he would like to take care of the constituency the same way his father did
Published on Oct 11, 2023 04:59 PM IST
JD-U to hold Bhim Sansad on Nov 5
Scheduled castes together form 19.65% of the Bihar’s population, as per the statewide caste survey findings released on October 2.
Published on Oct 10, 2023 09:19 PM IST
Vijay Swaroop, Patna
Caste survey findings: JD-U advises party leaders, allies against public criticism
A few legislators from the ruling alliance have questioned findings of the statewide caste survey, which were released on October 2, and demanded a fresh survey.
Published on Oct 09, 2023 09:55 PM IST
Vijay Swaroop, Patna
What the caste survey means for Nitish-Lalu, and the BJP
Caste churning isn't new to Bihar, starting with the JP movement to the formation of the EBC category. But will this data lead to another Mandal moment?
Published on Oct 05, 2023 08:33 PM IST
Bihar caste survey may set off political churn in state: Experts
Ninety-two years after they were last enumerated, the Bihar government on Monday announced the results of a caste census carried out by the state government.
Updated on Oct 03, 2023 08:28 AM IST
Vijay Swaroop, Patna
Bihar caste survey report: Experts see a Mandal replay
The finding that castes in the “reserved” category constitute 84.48% of Bihar’s population, for whom the quota in government jobs is capped at 50%.
Published on Oct 02, 2023 09:44 PM IST
Vijay Swaroop, Patna
Nitish attends BJP function in Patna; downplays speculation about NDA return
The INLD had invited most of the leaders of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, including Kumar, his deputy Tejashwi Yadav, West Bengal CM Mamta Banerjee, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar, among others
Published on Sep 25, 2023 04:39 PM IST
“Nothing new”, says Tejashwi Yadav on court summon in land-for-jobs case
The special judge took cognizance of a fresh chargesheet filed by the CBI and issued summons
Updated on Sep 22, 2023 03:06 PM IST
Nitish Kumar’s JD-U to support women’s quota bill, ally RJD says it will oppose
The JD-U and RJD questioned the delay in conducting the decadal headcount, saying the 33% quota will kick in only after the census and delimitation is done
Published on Sep 19, 2023 08:09 PM IST