Death toll in Bihar floods reaches 52

Patna, Aug 29(ANI): The flood situation in Bihar further worsened on Saturday as Kosi River continued to unleash its fury in several districts, pushing the death toll to 52.

According to officials, 12 fresh deaths were reported from Purnia, four from Sitamarhi, three from Saharsa and two each from Madhubani and Darbhanga.

They also informed that relief and rescue operations were going on at affected areas with the help of four National Disaster Response Force teams, who are equipped with about 1000 boats.

According to an official report, swirling waters affected scores of villages under Bahadurganj, Terhagachhi, Dighalbank, Kochadhaman, Bahadurganj, and Potahi in Kishanganj district.

Floods have so far affected more than 50 villages, while many villages were submerged in Banmankhi and Krityanandnagar blocks in Western Purnia by the turbulent river, which was steadily eroding its embankment.

Meanwhile, about 1,00,000 marooned people have been evacuated so far, a large number of them by Government boats and many on their own saved their lives.

Four helicopters and 200 country boats are working overtime to ferry the men and material to safe destinations. (ANI)

Flood situation remains grim in UP, Bihar

Lucknow/Patna, Aug 22 (ANI): The flood situation remains grim in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, as all rivers in both states are flowing above the danger mark.

Bihar recorded eleven deaths, while sixteen people have died in Uttar Pradesh.

Over 600 villages in the Terai district and 250 villagtes in the Sidharth Nagar District of Uttar Pradesh have been affected by the floods.

The flood situation in Bihar worsened on Saturday as swollen rivers inundated vast swathes of countryside in seven districts.

The river Burhi Rapti, Kunhara and Jamuar nullah are flowing above the danger mark in Uttar Pradesh. Thousands of acres of crops in Barabanki, Bahraich, Siddharthanagar and Pilibhit have been destroyed by the flood.

According to the State Relief Commissioner, over one lakh people have been evacuated from the affected areas.

Over five lakh people were affected as flood inundated Kishanganj, Saharsa, Supaul, Sitamarhi, and Purnia in Bihar.

The Central Water Commission report, has cautioned the state over the flood in major rivers like Bagmati, Kosi, Kamala Balan and Mahananda.

While Kosi was flowing above the danger mark at Basua, Bagmati breached the danger level at Benibad and Hayaghat.

Similarly, water level of Kamala Balan flowed above danger mark at Jhanjharpur, Kursela and Baltara while Mahananda flowed above danger mark at Dengraghat

The State Water Resources Department has claimed that all embankments in Bihar are safe. (ANI)

Lalu Prasad alleges rigging in third phase of elections

Patna, May 1 (ANI): Railways Minister Lalu Prasad has alleged that voting was rigged in Bihar in the third phase on Thursday.

Eleven out of Bihar’s 40 constituencies went to polls in the third phase of parliamentary elections.

“We have information of voting turnout between 25-55 per cent. In Badhaiya block of Munger district, there have been reports of rigging in. We have tried to contact the observers there and also the Senior Superintendent of Police,” said Lalu.

Munger, Banka and Kishanganj districts are considered to be pivotal constituencies for Lalu’s rival and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s party, Janata Dal United.

Meanwhile, Shekhar Suman, actor-turned-politician and a candidate of the Congress Party campaigned in Patna Sahib of Bihar from where he is contesting.

Suman’s son, Bollywood actor Adhyayan Suman along with wife Alka Suman, also campaigned for the actor.

“I have told them that I haven’t come here to play politics as I could have done it being in a different party which could have easily given me a winning seat,” said Suman.

Patna votes in the fourth phase on May 7.

There is a three-cornered contest involving Suman, another former Bollywood actor Shatrughan Sinha on Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) ticket and RJD’s Vijay Sahu.

The remaining fourth and last round of polls in Bihar will be held for three seats on May 7. The first and second phases in 13 seats each were held on April 16 and April 23.

The outcome of the five-stage elections will be known on May 16. (ANI)

Poll panel notice to Lalu, Rabri

New Delhi, April 9 (IANS) The Election Commission Thursday issued notices to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad and his wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi for violating the model code of conduct.

Deputy Election Commissioner J.P. Prakash told reporters here that the two had until April 11 to respond.

On April 6, Lalu Prasad told an election rally in Kishanganj that had he been the home minister, he would have run a roller over Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Varun Gandhi for his hate speeches against Muslims.

Lalu Prasad’s remarks created a furore and the Bihar Police Tuesday issued an arrest order against him. Gandhi is in jail in Uttar Pradesh for his reported inflammatory speeches.

Rabri Devi was served a notice for her alleged derogatory remarks against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and state Janata Dal-United (JD-U) chief Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh at Saran.
Indo Asian News Service

Would have run roller over Varun: Lalu Prasad

Patna, April 6 (IANS) Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Monday said that had he been the country’s home minister he would have run a ‘roller’ over Varun Gandhi for his hate speeches against Muslims and bothered about the consequences later.

Speaking at an election rally in Kishanganj in Bihar, Lalu Prasad said: ‘If I were the country’s home minister, and if Varun had said this (inflammatory speeches), then I would have run a roller over his chest, and thought about the consequences later.’

He was addresssing a rally for the RJD’s Kishanganj candidate, Union Minister Taslimuddin, who is the sitting MP from the constituency.

Lalu Prasad also said that the move to jail Varun Gandhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Pilibhit candidate, was right.

Kishanganj is 350 km from here.

Varun Gandhi is in Etah jail in Uttar Pradesh for his reported inflammatory speeches targeting Muslims.

Leading political leaders file nomination papers

Bhagalpur/ Gwalior/Mumbai, Apr 7 (ANI): Candidates of various political parties have filed their nomination papers from their respective constituencies.

Shahnawaz Hussain, a candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), filed his nomination paper from Bhagalpur in Bihar.

Hussain had said that he would focus more on development rather than playing caste politics.

He had suffered defeat in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections from his home constituency, Kishanganj.

Later, he contested again to win the by-elections from Bhagalpur, defeating the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Shakuni Chaudhary.

In Madhya Pradesh, Jyotiraditya Scindia, a candidate of the Congress, filed his nomination paper from Shivpuri.

Accompanied by his mother and wife, Scindia went to the District Collector’s office and filed his nomination.

In Mumbai, Priya Dutt, candidate of Congress party from Mumbai North Central constituency had to defer filing nomination since she was late in reaching the designated office.

This was attributed to bottlenecks in vehicular traffic.

She reached two minutes later after the Collector’s office had closed for the day.

“Thanks to the traffic of Mumbai, thanks to the entire crowd over here. We got badly stuck in the traffic and got late,” Dutt said outside the Collector’s office.

A disappointed Dutt said that she would file her nomination on Wednesday as it is a government holiday on Tuesday. (ANI)

Shahnawaz Hussain vows to focus on development

Bhagalpur, Apr 5 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shahnawaz Hussain has said that he would focus more on development rather than playing caste politics.

Hussain had suffered defeat in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections from his home constituency Kishanganj. However, he contested again to win the by-elections from Bhagalpur, defeating the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Shakuni Chaudhury.

Hussain said he was confident enough to win the constituency again.

“In the past, the villagers have been cheated and no progress had been done. After the NDA’s arrival some good work has taken place and our local MLA is also doing a lot of work. But I feel a lot of unfinished works still need to be done. I will make sure that I will stand to their aspirations and fulfill their wishes,” Hussain said.

The residents of Bhagalpur also believe the BJP candidate would not indulge in politics of faith, belief and social tags of caste but stand for equal justice, honour and rights of the people, particularly in the villages.

“I will vote for the BJP because I feel Hussain is a very good politician and has done good works in the past in our constituency,” said Devi, a villager.

Despite these trends, the voters in Bhagalpur, which is a communally-sensitive constituency, are now apprehensive and suspicious of the overall integrity and national leadership of the BJP.

Shahnawaz Hussain is a two-time BJP MP with a broad, progressive outlook.

He was yet to complete 32 when he became first a Minister of State and later he was elevated to cabinet rank during the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government between 1999 and 2004. (ANI)