Bihar polls: Jitan Ram Manjhi announces alliance with BJP to 'defeat Nitish Kumar'

June 12, 2015

New Delhi, Jun 12: Former Bihar chief minister and leader of Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) Jitan Ram Manjhi met Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah in the capital on Thursday and announced that his party would join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) alliance ahead of the state Assembly polls.

manjhi-shah-nitish

Speaking to scribes after his meeting with Shah, Manjhi said, "Saath milke ladenge. Abhi seat ke baare mai kuch decide nahi hua hai. (We will fight together. Nothing has been decided on the number of seats.)"

The motivation, Manjhi said, was to ally with BJP 'to defeat Nitish Kumar'. "Lalu ji-Nitish Kumar ke gathbandhan ko nakamyaab kare; yeh hamare liye aur BJP

ke liye Bihar ka sabse bada mudda hai. (Biggest motivation for me and BJP is to defeat the Lalu-Nitish alliance)," he added.

Manjhi further added that a meeting of his party's core committee would be held on June 15 to fine-tune the details of the alliance.

Sources said that Manjhi was demanding 50 tickets while the BJP preferred giving only 30 seats to HAM.

Meanwhile, rumours are also rife that Madhepura MP and expelled RJD leader Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav too may seek alliance with the BJP.

The saffron party has been holding talks with other NDA allies over Bihar polls and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief and Union minister Upendra Kushwaha also met Amit Shah in Delhi today.

HAM spokesman Danish Rizwan had informed that Manjhi would meet EC and claim "handpump" symbol for his new party.

With RJD President Lalu Prasad who was initially insisting on inclusion of Manjhi in broad secular front accepting Nitish Kumar as CM candidate of the anti-BJP grouping, doors had been shut for Manjhi and he had been left with the option either to go with BJP-led NDA or enter into fray alone.

Manjhi, who has emerged as a prominent dalit face in the Bihar poll, had three meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi indicating that he was inching closer to the saffron party.

BJP chief Amit Shah and other party leaders have time and again said their options are open for Bihar election and hinted contact with Manjhi who could help them reach out to dalits constituting about 22 per cent of the population in the state.

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News Network
July 6,2020

New Delhi, Jul 6: India's COVID-19 tally neared the 7 lakh mark with 6,97,413 cases after 24,248 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

As per the Health Ministry, there are 2,53,287 active cases in the country while 4,24,432 patients have been cured or discharged. While one patient has migrated.

425 new deaths were reported in the last 24 hours in the country due to COVID-19, taking the number of patients succumbing to the deadly virus to 19,693.

As per the Health Ministry, Maharashtra continues to be the most impacted state from the infection with 2,06,619 cases and 8,822 fatalities due to the virus. Tamil Nadu in second place has a total of 1,11,151 cases and 1,510 fatalities.

The national capital's COVID-19 cases are also nearing the 1-lakh mark with 99,444 coronavirus cases and 3,067 deaths.

The total number of samples tested up to July 5 is 99,69,662 of which 1,80,596 samples were tested yesterday, informed the Indian Council of Medical Research on Monday. 

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Agencies
March 14,2020

New Delhi, Mar 14: The number of novel coronavirus cases in India rose to 83 on Saturday, which includes one death each from Delhi and Karnataka, the Union Health Ministry said.

While a 76-year-old man from Kalaburagi who had recently returned from Saudi Arabia died on Thursday, a 68-year-old woman in Delhi who had tested positive for coronavirus passed away at Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital on Friday night.

The woman, whose son with a travel history abroad had tested positive, died because of co-morbidity (diabetes and hypertension), the Health Ministry said, adding that she had tested positive for COVID-19.

Delhi has reported seven positive cases and Uttar Pradesh 11 so far. Karnataka has six coronavirus patients while Maharashtra has 14 and Ladakh three.

Besides, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab have reported one case each. Telangana has reported two.

Kerala has recorded 19 cases, including three patients who were discharged last month after they recovered from the contagious infection with flu-like symptoms.

The total number of 84 confirmed cases includes 17 foreigners -- 16 Italian tourists and a Canadian, the ministry officials said.

Amid rising coronavirus cases in India, the government has asked people not to panic, saying no community transmission of the virus has been observed and there has only been a few cases of local transmission so far and that is "not a health emergency" in India at present.

With the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaring COVID-19 a pandemic, a Health Ministry official said over 4,000 people who had come in contact with the 83 positive cases have been identified through contract tracing and were being tracked while 42,000 people across the country are under community surveillance.

He said all essential facilities like community surveillance, quarantine, isolation wards, adequate personal protective equipment (PPEs), trained manpower, rapid response teams are being strengthened further in all the states and union territories.

The Centre as part of its measures to contain the spread of the disease on Friday announced that people will be allowed to travel through 19 of 37 land border checkposts from Saturday midnight and services of the Indo-Bangladesh cross border passenger trains and buses will continue to remain suspended till April 15.

Only four Indo-Nepal border checkposts will remain operational, and for citizens of Bhutan and Nepal visa-free entry to the country will continue, Home Ministry Additional Secretary Anil Malik had said.

He said the decision on closing the Kartarpur Corridor is under consideration

The government on Wednesday suspended all visas, barring a few categories like diplomatic and employment, in an attempt to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

It has asked Indian nationals to avoid all non-essential travel abroad.

All incoming international passengers returning to India should self-monitor their health and follow the required do's and dont's as detailed by the government.

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News Network
April 21,2020

New Delhi, Apr 21: India's count of positive coronavirus cases reached 18,985 after 1,329 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Tuesday.

Out of the total cases, 15,122 are active cases, 3,259 have been discharged or cured and one has migrated. With 44 new deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the toll stands at 603.

As per the evening update by the ministry, Maharashtra continues to be the worst-hit state with 4,669 cases, out of which 572 patients have been discharged and cured and 232 deaths.

Delhi's total count of confirmed cases stand at 2,081, which includes 431 cured or discharged cases and 47 deaths.

Gujarat has reported a total of 2,066 positive COVID-19 cases, out of which 131 patients have recovered or discharged, while 77 patients have lost their lives.

Madhya Pradesh's count of COVID-19 cases stand at 1,540, including 127 cured or discharged cases and 76 deaths.

Rajasthan has so far reported 1,576 positive cases, out of which 205 patients have recovered or discharged and 25 people have lost their lives.

Tamil Nadu's COVID-19 figure has risen to 1,520, with 457 patients recovered and 17 fatalities. Uttar Pradesh has reported 1,294 cases, out of which 140 patients have recovered and 20 are dead.

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