Congress woos JD(U), Bihar gets Rs 12,000 crore development grant New Delhi: In a major move, the Cabinet on Thursday cleared the Backward Region Development Grant for Bihar and other states. Bihar got the lion's share of Rs 12,000 crore.

The announcement came in the backdrop of souring relations between the JD(U) and the BJP, with some calling it an attempt by the government to woo the JD(U).

It remains to be seen how Chief Minister Nitish Kumar responds to this as he had asked for Rs 20,000 crore allotment for Bihar. JD(U) MP Ali Anwar said, "We has asked for Rs 20,000 crore. The government is providing Rs 12,000 crore. We will continue our demand till we get the amount."

He added, "Our demand is for special status for Bihar. We will continue our demand till we get it. The entire people of Bihar are with us. We are not asking for any special favour. The criteria for special status should be changed. Whichever states are backward should be given this status."...more    
09:04 PM, Apr 18, 2013

Bihar gets lion's share of Centre's Rs 12,000 crore grant New Delhi: In a major move, the Cabinet on Thursday cleared the Backward Region Development Grant for Bihar and other states. Bihar got the lion's share of Rs 12000 crore. The announcement came in the backdrop of souring relations between the JD(U) and the BJP, with some calling it an attempt by the government to woo the JD(U). It remains to be seen how Chief Minister Nitish Kumar responds to...  
08:54 PM, Apr 18, 2013

Shiv Sena is open to discussion on PM candidate issue: Rahul Narvekar After Nitish Kumar's clear assertion that the JD(U) would not be comfortable with the BJP projecting Narendra Modi as the NDA's candidate for the position of Prime Minister, Shiv Sena has also echoed similar sentiments. Shiv Sena spokesperson Rahul Narvekar joined IBNLive readers for an interaction on the matter. Q. By opposing Modi are the allies trying to push BJP to name a weaker candidate and later squeeze BJP to...  
05:44 PM, Apr 18, 2013

Cong woos Nitish, Cabinet may approve Rs 12,000 cr Bihar package New Delhi: As the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal United continue to lock horns, the Cabinet is on Thursday likely to announce a special package for Bihar. In what is being seen as the government wooing the JD(U), the Cabinet could give a go ahead for a Rs 12,000 crore special package. Bihar will get this money under the Backward Regions Grant Fund to be implemented in the...  
03:12 PM, Apr 18, 2013

Gadkari denies assuring Nitish that Modi won't be PM candidate New Delhi: Former Bharatiya Janata Party chief Nitin Gadkari has denied reports that he assured Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will not be the Prime Ministerial candidate. Gadkari said he met Nitish along with senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley, but did not say that Modi won't be the PM candidate. In his statement, Gadkari has said that he and Jaitleyhad in 2012 told Nitish...  
11:37 AM, Apr 18, 2013

Shiv Sena warns BJP over Modi as PM candidate Mumbai: There seems to be more trouble for the National Democratic Alliance as the Shiv Sena has now said that the Bharatiya Janata Party should make it clear as to who will be its Prime Ministerial candidate. An editorial in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece, Saamna, says an NDA meeting should be called and a decision should be taken. In reference to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the editorial further says...  
09:20 AM, Apr 17, 2013

JD(U)'s statements against BJP leaders unwanted: Bihar Deputy CM New Delhi: The war of words between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal United has escalated as Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi hit out at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. "JD(U)'s statement in Delhi's national executive against our leaders was completely unwanted," Modi said. "We will discuss our future course of action on April 18 in our national executive meet," Modi added. Nitish Kumar on Sunday did...  
03:26 PM, Apr 16, 2013

After PM candidate, BJP, JD(U) spar over 2002 Godhra carnage New Delhi: There is a new low in the ties between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (United) as the two parties have taken on each other over the Sabarmati tragedy in Godhra in 2002. BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi on Monday pointed out that it was Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who was the rail minister during the Sabarmati tragedy of 2002. "There is no one in the...  
01:52 PM, Apr 16, 2013

The Last Word: Is Nitish right to set criteria for NDA's PM candidate?

In his speech on Sunday, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar listed the criteria for a prime minister and said only someone who can take all sections of society together can become take the top post. ...
10:26 PM, Apr 15, 2013

News 360: People ignore man's cries for help as wife, daughter die in accident

The video of the incident, captured on CCTV camera, shows the public apathy towards accident victims. ...
09:43 PM, Apr 15, 2013

NDA divided over Modi; will Advani be the consensus PM candidate? New Delhi: The tussle over talk of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's PM candidature is threatening to split the NDA wide open. A day after JD(U) leader and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar virtually vetoed Modi, a section of the Bihar BJP is now pushing for a break with the JD(U) - but in a bid to buy some time, BJP president Rajnath Singh has asked partymen to wait till December....  
09:12 PM, Apr 15, 2013

Nitish nobody to give certificate on secularism to Modi: BJP New Delhi: Reflecting widening rift with JD(U), BJP on Monday said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was "nobody" to give a certificate on secularism to his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi and pointed out that he has remained a part of NDA even after the 2002 Godhra incident. The resentment in BJP over Kumar's scathing attack on Modi on Sunday was visible with several leaders feeling the Bihar CM had "almost...  
07:16 PM, Apr 15, 2013

We need to target UPA instead of fighting with each other: Kirti Azad

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit out at its biggest ally Janata Dal United saying it should refrain from targeting its allies and instead focus on removing the "corrupt" United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had, in a veiled threat to the BJP, made it clear that his party will not accept the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the NDA's prime ministerial nominee. ...
03:58 PM, Apr 15, 2013

Yashwant supports Advani as PM as Modi faces Nitish hurdle New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party leader Yashwant Sinha has vouched for senior party leader LK Advani to be the Prime Ministerial candidate. He said if Advani is available to be the PM candidate, it will end the debate on NDA's PM nominee. "Advaniji is the senior-most, most respected leader and if he is available to lead the party and government, then that should end all discussion. Everyone should fall in...  
01:42 PM, Apr 15, 2013

BJP, JD(U) spar over Nitish's veiled attack on Modi New Delhi: Are the ties between the Janata Dal United and the Bharatiya Janata Party reaching breaking point over Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the Prime Ministerial candidate? Senior leaders from Bihar will meet party chief Rajnath Singh on April 18 in Delhi. The Bihar BJP leaders say Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's veiled threat over Narendra Modi is not acceptable. "The Chief Minister's attack on Narendra Modi is against...  
11:22 AM, Apr 15, 2013

Bihar BJP to meet Rajnath after Nitish's veiled threat over Modi New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party is scrambling to tackle Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's ultimatum on its Prime Ministerial candidate. The Bihar BJP core group will meet party chief Rajnath Singh on April 18 in Delhi. The BJP will discuss Nitish's ultimatum on keeping out Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi from the PM race. Top state leaders of the BJP will join the meeting, including Sushil Modi, Mangal Pandey,...  
09:55 AM, Apr 15, 2013

BJP tells JD(U) to focus on dislodging UPA; Cong tries to woo Nitish New Delhi: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) drama played out on Sunday with the Janata Dal United (JDU) giving the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a year-end deadline to declare its Prime Ministerial candidate. By Sunday evening, the BJP hit back saying that the key NDA ally should rather focus on targeting the UPA than its own allies. Hoping to gain some advantage of this BJP-JD(U) squabble, the Bihar Congress tried...  
07:52 AM, Apr 15, 2013

JD(U) may not give a deadline to BJP on PM candidate: sources New Delhi: A compromise between the Janata Dal United and the Bharatiya Janata Party seems to be in the offing, according to sources. The JD(U) may not insist on the BJP immediately announcing its Prime Ministerial candidate, sources say. The JD(U) may give the BJP six to eight months to decide on a PM candidate. The JD(U) resolution on the NDA's PM candidate that was to come up in the...  
11:54 AM, Apr 13, 2013

NDA PM candidate will be from BJP: JD(U) New Delhi: The Janata Dal United national executive meet is set to be held in the national capital on Saturday. JD(U) office bearers met party chief Sharad Yadav on Saturday morning ahead of the meeting. The JD(U) has already raised pitch on the Bharatiya Janata Party's Prime Ministerial candidate. It has clearly said that it wants the name to be announced at the earliest. JD(U) leader Shivanand Tiwari though said...  
10:31 AM, Apr 13, 2013

JD(U) to raise pitch over BJP's PM candidate at its meet today New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) ally Janata Dal United JD(U) is set to raise the pitch over the Prime Ministerial candidate issue at its national executive meet that starts on Saturday. It is likely to demand that the BJP names its Prime Ministerial candidate within a specific time frame, insisting that the nominee should have secular credentials. With Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's rising graph and some BJP...  
07:50 AM, Apr 13, 2013