Reflects rise of India, says BJP’s Amit Malviya on PM Modi receiving 23 global honours

Patna, Feb 26 (IANS) The caste calculus has dominated the BJP’s ministerial picks in Bihar following Cabinet expansion by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday.

However, the inclusion of seven new ministers from diverse communities strengthens the party’s outreach across different voter bases.

One key highlight is Krishna Kumar Mantu, the MLA from Amanour, who belongs to the Kurmi caste and who has been made a minister from the BJP quota. Mantu has been active in politics since his student days and has a strong grassroots presence.

His family also has a solid political background, with his wife, Savita Devi, serving as block Pramukh (Head) for four consecutive terms. Mantu, considered close to Chhapra MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy, won the Assembly seat for the second time in 2020 by defeating RJD’s Sunil Kumar.

Vijay Kumar Mandal represents the Sikti Assembly constituency in Araria (Seemanchal), and belongs to the Kewat caste (Extremely Backward Class):

He is a five-time MLA and former state minister. His political career started in 1995 with Anand Mohan’s Bihar People’s Party (BPP), where he was the only successful candidate. Later, he joined RJD. He was denied a ticket by RJD in 2000 but he contested as an independent and won the poll. He was later brought back into RJD as a state minister. He lost in 2005 but won the 2009 by-election on an LJP ticket.

His inclusion in the Cabinet is seen as an attempt to woo Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), particularly the Kewat caste, in the politically crucial Seemanchal region.

Raju Kumar Singh, a MLA from Sahebganj in Muzaffarpur district, represents the Rajput caste:

He is a four-time MLA and influential industrialist in Northern Bihar. His political journey began with LJP in 2005 when he won from Sahebganj. He switched to JD-U in the October 2009 by-elections and won again. He retained his seat in 2010 as a JDU candidate. He joined the BJP in 2015 but lost the election. In 2020, he won a VIP ticket but later returned to BJP in 2022.

His induction into the Cabinet strengthens the Rajput vote bank in north Bihar.

Sanjay Saraogi, an MLA from the Darbhanga City Assembly constituency, belongs to the Marwari community:

Saraogi is a five-time MLA from Darbhanga City, known for his strong electoral base. He began his political career with ABVP and later became a ward councillor in 2003. He was elected MLA in 2005, 2005 by-poll, 2010, 2015, and 2020.

His appointment would help the BJP to consolidate support among the Marwari business community, a significant economic force in Bihar.

Jivesh Kumar represents the Jale Assembly constituency and belongs to Bhumihar caste:

The two-time MLA, Kumar was first elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2020. He started his political journey with Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) from 1991 to 1998 and became an active BJP member in 2002. In the 2020 elections, he won by a massive margin of 21,796 votes.

He previously served as Minister of Labour Resources and Minister of Science & Technology in the Bihar government. His inclusion ensures Bhumihar representation in the Cabinet, a community with significant political influence in Bihar.

Sunil Kumar represents Bihar Sharif, and belongs to Kushwaha (Koeri) caste:

He is a four-time MLA and an influential leader in Bihar Sharif, Nalanda district. Kumar initially in JDU, won elections in 2005 and 2010 but switched to BJP in 2013 after JDU broke its alliance with BJP. He won as a BJP candidate in 2015 and 2020.

He is a doctor and a successful filmmaker. He holds an MBBS degree and worked as a doctor before entering politics in 1995. His presence in the Cabinet strengthens BJP’s appeal among the Kushwaha (Koeri) community, a crucial OBC vote bank.

Motilal Prasad represents the Riga assembly constituency in Sitamarhi district as an MLA belonging to Vaishya Community:

He is a two-time MLA from this constituency. He was first elected in 2010, but lost in 2015, and again comeback in 2020. He belongs to the Vaishya (trader) community, which has a significant voter base in Riga. His induction aims to consolidate Vaishya (business) community support for BJP.

With this expansion, the BJP now holds the highest number of ministerial positions (22) in the Bihar Cabinet, further solidifying its influence in the state government.

The cabinet expansion not only boosts BJP’s caste and regional balance but also strengthens its influence in Seemanchal, North Bihar, and urban business communities ahead of the elections.

–IANS

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Jaipur, May 10 (IANS) Former RAW chief A.S. Dulat praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for being a man of action who acts on what he says, and asserted that the country’s premier external intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), played a pivotal role in Operation Sindoor.

In an interview with IANS, Dulat reflected on PM Modi’s firm handling of national security issues and commented on global diplomacy.

Interview excerpts:

IANS: You’ve worked closely with former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. How would you compare his style with Prime Minister Narendra Modi?

Dulat: There’s a stark contrast in their personalities and working styles. Vajpayee had a different style of working, whereas PM Modi is decisive and assertive. After the Pahalgam attack, PM Modi vowed not to remain silent, and he followed just like in the aftermath of Pulwama. He takes a tough stand and backs his words with action.

IANS: What’s your take on the recent ceasefire?

Dulat: I expected a ceasefire, but not this soon. India demonstrated its resolve by targeting terror hubs in Pakistan. In response, Pakistan acted to make its own statement. Enter Donald Trump, who acted like a “big daddy,” pushing both nations toward a ceasefire. Whether they would listen to him was the question. They eventually did, and now that the ceasefire is in place. The upcoming DGMOs meeting on May 12 at noon is a positive step. Dialogue always helps.

IANS: What do you think triggered the Pahalgam incident?

Dulat: It was clearly an intelligence failure and a serious security lapse. Attacks of this scale – be it 9/11 or recent incidents in Israel – are almost always rooted in intelligence breakdowns. The Pahalgam attack was particularly tragic because it targeted innocent tourists. Something like this hadn’t happened in Kashmir before. Years ago, Sikhs were killed during President Bill Clinton’s visit, but those victims were locals. This was the first mass attack on tourists.

IANS: Many believed normalcy had returned to Kashmir. Has the Pahalgam incident changed that perception?

Dulat: From our side, Kashmir is stable and secure. Our Line of Control (LoC) is clearly defined. The real challenge lies in getting Pakistan to accept this reality. Both Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh tried to resolve this through dialogue. The dynamics have changed now, but the fundamental issue of the LoC remains.

IANS: What is the way forward?

Dulat: Dialogue with local leaders is crucial. In tough times like these, building communication channels is the only sustainable solution.

IANS: RAW played a pivotal role in Operation Sindoor. How do you view the agency today?

Dulat: I commend RAW for its execution of Operation Sindoor. The agency now works by engaging with locals, building ground-level intelligence, and acting effectively. It was a job well done.

IANS: Your new book ‘The Chief Minister And The Spy’ has stirred controversy. What’s your response?

Dulat: This is my fifth book on Kashmir, and all four other books were also focused on Kashmir. My inspiration was Farooq Abdullah, with whom I share a 35-year relationship. The controversy is unfounded. I urge everyone to read the book before jumping to conclusions. It’s a tribute to a remarkable man and the region I’ve spent my life studying.

–IANS

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Kolkata, Dec 24 (IANS) Rebellion seems to be brewing in West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress against Minister Manas Ranjan Bhunia, the legislator from Sabang assembly constituency in West Midnapore, as three legislators from the district have written letter to the party supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing him of running a “parallel party administration” in the district, bypassing other MLAs.

The two signatories who have signed the letter are the party legislator from Keshpur-SC seat and Minister of State for Panchayat and Rural Development Seuli Saha and her colleague from the Dantan constituency Bikaram Chandra Pradhan.

The third signatory in the letter is former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and party legislator from Debra, Humayun Kabir. In the letter, the three legislators have accused Bhunia of running a parallel party administration in the district bypassing the other MLAs, especially the old-timers.

Party insiders said Bhunia is being backed by Sujay Hazra, the newly elected party legislator from the Medinipur Assembly constituency in the same district in the recent bypolls.

In the letter, the three legislators have also claimed that unless the party’s higher leadership intervenes in the matter, the infighting might take a serious shape before the crucial state Assembly polls in 2026, impacting the party’s electoral prospects, party insiders said.

Bhunia was, however, not available for his comments.

Earlier this month, six Trinamool legislators from Nadia district wrote a similar letter to the Chief Minister similarly accusing the party Lok Sabha member from Krishnagar constituency Mahua Moitra of running a “parallel party administration” in the district, bypassing the MLAs

However, the Chief Minister has already communicated to these six legislators from Nadia that any decision on this count will be taken at a later stage at a district-level organisational meeting at Nadia.

–IANS

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