Bihar polls: BJP's RP Singh claims 'We can form govt alone', says seat share talks soon

Seeming confident ahead of the Bihar polls, BJP Union minister R P Singh, on Friday, claimed that the saffron party is capable of forming the next Bihar government alone, without ally JD(U)'s support. Affirming that the BJP will not break away from the JD(U) partnership, he said that the seat share will be decided soon. Claiming that the Lok Sabha poll results which saw a second Modi wave will form the basis for the seat division, he said the PM Modi's popularity will play a major role.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: India's tally crosses 39 lakhs; WHO predicts vaccine by mid-2021

BJP min: 'Can form govt alone'

Ex-JDU chief Sharad Yadav in talks with party netas before Bihar polls; may rejoin NDA

Sharad Yadav to return, Manjhi joins NDA

Earlier in the day, sources told Republic World that senior JD(U) leaders are in talks with former party leader Sharad Yadav, launching speculations of his 'ghar wapaasi'. This comes after Sharad Yadav was admitted to a Gurugram hospital and JD(U) General Secretary KC Tyagi reportedly spoke with him and also arranged a call between Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's aide and him. Sharad Yadav, who was one of the trusted lieutenants of Nitish Kumar was removed from the leader of Rajya Sabha in 2017 after he publically condemned Nitish for quitting the grand alliance (RJD-Congress).

Earlier this week, ex-chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, declared that his Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) will join the NDA. HAM spokesperson Danish Rizwan said that the number of seats the party will get to contest in the upcoming elections was never an issue for it as the HAM(S) will join the NDA for the development of the state. Manjhi left the opposition Grand Alliance holding the Lalu Yadav led party responsible for the failure to form a coordination committee to iron out the differences within the alliance for better functioning and disagreements with RJD over Tejashwi Yadav being declared the CM candidate.

Bihar Polls: Ex-CM Jitan Ram Manjhi returns to NDA fold; says' full faith in Modi-Nitish'

Bihar assembly elections 

Bihar will go to polls amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with the EC releasing guidelines for conducting polls. As BJP lost in Delhi, all eyes are set on former party chief Amit Shah and Nitish Kumar -led JDU. While Kumar faces strong anti-incumbency, RJD - Bihar's main opposition has lost the luster it once had due to the absence of it's chief Lalu Prasad Yadav - with his son Tejashwi, most likely to be named as CM hopeful.  Currently, the JDU-BJP combination rules the state with 131 seats, while the RJD-Congress opposition has 111 seats. The Election Commission has also released specific COVID-19 guidelines for polling, counting votes amid the pandemic.

NCB arrests Showik Chakraborty, Samuel Miranda after admitting to drugs procurement