As the election draws closer, the AIADMK finds itself weakened by internal squabbles and lacklustre strategies.
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Even today, the mountain of Gahlour and the canal of Kothilwa stand as silent witnesses, as if to say, struggle in Bihar is eternal, but policies still remain incomplete.
In 2025, Kushwaha’s influence may lie not in the number of seats he wins but in the votes he splits.
The first phase of the 2025 Bihar Assembly Elections saw a record 64.66 per cent voter turnout — the highest in the state’s history. Analysts attribute this surge to women’s strong participation, driven by welfare schemes, financial aid, and rising civic awareness, which reflects Bihar’s shifting social and political landscape.
Caste-based polarisation has intensified in recent months, says the CPI(ML)(Liberation) leader amidst Bihar assembly election campaign.
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Between 2005 and 2025, around 133.88 million people in Bihar were affected by floods. Despite this, both the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan fail to present a credible plan for flood management in their manifestos. The term climate change is not even mentioned anywhere.
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'Caste is the biggest political party in Bihar' - 11 November 2025 Issue
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If one looks at the ticket distribution by various political parties in the fray, it would not be an anomaly to understand how caste alliances are formed
Artificial Yamuna, photo-ops doing Chhath rituals ahead of Bihar elections have now become an electoral strategy with PM Modi upping his attack on the Opposition saying they have called the Bihari festival "a drama" in response to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's remarks that the BJP was "doing drama" of Chhath puja for votes. Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 have become a spectacle which now has the festival at its centre. Subir Sinha writes on the political and social appropriation of Chhath.
For all the talk of ‘development first’ politics by NDA and Mahagathbandhan, Bihar remains a state where caste is the primary currency, especially so during Assembly elections
By addressing themselves as ‘hum’, Biharis offer a collective motivation to act together in times of crisis and breakdown and demonstrate the ethical politics of hope as they navigate economic vulnerability, social conflict and political uncertainty
Land reforms, a largely unimplemented and mostly shelved programme, is considered central to Bihar’s growth. Yet, it has little currency during election campaigning
Elections stripped of ideology signal the rise of “marketisation” of politics—parties become brands, candidates turn into commodities and voters are treated as consumers to be enticed
The former poll strategist of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is carving out a third corner in the Bihar contest by building a party of the ‘corporate’ type to woo voters from both sides of the NDA/INDIA fight
Political parties in Bihar are trying hard to woo members of Extremely Backward Classes, a loose collection of more than a 100 small, heterogeneous castes
The political foundation in Bihar is caste which carries the burden of its own class
Prashant Kishore’s Jan Suraaj shuns both the communal line of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as well as the socialist agenda of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and focuses on a few key areas like education, health and development.
With the Chief Minister Women’s Employment Scheme, JEEViKA and similar programmes, Nitish Kumar has turned welfare into a powerful electoral strategy, forcing his rivals to follow suit
Can Nitish Kumar once again defy anti-incumbency in Bihar’s 2025 election?
Successful attempts have been made in the past to end the Jungle Raj in Bihar by implementing processes like speedy trials and convictions of criminals. However, it is very much a part of Bihar politics even today
Is the SIR a new avatar of the NRC by another name, being pushed through under the garb of cleansing the electoral rolls?
Young Palestinians bristle with anger at the genocide. But that anger comes with paralysis.
The 13th Berlin Biennale explores themes of fugitivity, subversion and art’s endurance
At 60, the fact that Khan continues to hand out historical moments to his global fan base, reinforces the careful cultivation of his image as a “superstar” across the nearly four decades of his career.
A remarkable collection that explores the ways in which the mystics of the past remain relevant to the challenges of the modern world
Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Shafey Kidwai ponders on the lessons and trials he encountered during his time as an educator before retirement
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In a historic decision, the Supreme Court has ruled that anyone arrested by the police must receive written reasons for their arrest, in a language they understand, no matter the alleged crime.
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Police said 54 people, mostly students, were hospitalised with injuries ranging from minor to severe.
WPL 2026 Retentions: Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur were among the big names retained by their teams, while Deepti Sharma and Alyssa Healy were released. Check the full list here
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Jatadhara aims to conjure spirits of faith, greed, and salvation, but ends up chasing its own tail. It’s ambitious, yes, but also confused, overlong, and astonishingly self-serious.
Vince Staples’ latest is an unsettling allegory about how Black creativity and trauma are often consumed as entertainment; how the spectacle of Blackness is commodified even in spaces supposedly meant to honour it.
On his 40th death anniversary, here's remembering Hindi cinema's giant, Sanjeev Kumar, who excelled every time as an actor, no matter what the genre, the role or the shade of emotion.
The film becomes a tribute to women who could never quite name the “itch” they felt, yet learned to embrace both their knowing and their elusiveness.
Vince Staples’ latest is an unsettling allegory about how Black creativity and trauma are often consumed as entertainment; how the spectacle of Blackness is commodified even in spaces supposedly meant to honour it.
On his 40th death anniversary, here's remembering Hindi cinema's giant, Sanjeev Kumar, who excelled every time as an actor, no matter what the genre, the role or the shade of emotion.
The film becomes a tribute to women who could never quite name the “itch” they felt, yet learned to embrace both their knowing and their elusiveness.
The film explores the cost of affection against the weight of history—two spouses learning to navigate each other’s worlds while simultaneously grappling with disconnection and discomfort. It delves into inherited philosophies, set against the backdrop of farmlands and a house in rural Punjab.
The Partition was an open wound that marked Ritwik Ghatak's art, his worldview, and his sense of belonging. On his birth centenary, here's looking back at his Partition trilogy, which portrayed the refugee experience on celluloid with remarkable nuance.
On cinema maestro Ritwik Ghatak's birth centenary, Shamya Dasgupta's latest book 'Unmechanical: Ritwik Ghatak In 50 Fragments', published by Westland Books, is ideal to remember the prolific auteur through the stories and writings of his students, academics and filmmakers.
Bihar Election 2025
Ahead of Bihar polls, a row over Samrat Choudhary and Tej Pratap’s remarks of ‘Nachaniya’ referring to RJD candidate Khesari Lal Yadav reveals an underlying misogyny that plagues Indian politics
Marking his 100th birth anniversary, a lookback through Ghatak’s life and legacy
He may not have lived to see his genius acknowledged in his own lifetime, but in the century since his birth, Ritwik Ghatak’s work has become exactly what he wanted it to be: a bridge between history’s deepest wounds and art’s attempts to heal them.
Stone plays a suspected alien plotting humanity’s overthrow in the ‘Poor Things’ director’s latest
Lesbian Space Princess is as messy, vibrant, and endearing as its protagonist. It’s a queer animated film that dares to be both silly and sincere, swinging between parody and poignancy without ever losing its heart.
SRK has often spoken about his interest in technologies, especially VFX. However, in the last decade and half, he has also lent himself to be a part of VFX experiments, in ways perhaps no other contemporary has.
Shah Rukh Khan embodies the idea of India we are fast losing—the India that some are fighting to retain, that existed at a simpler, more loving, softer time, with values that we have been proud to exhibit, and now struggle to save.
At 60, the fact that Khan continues to hand out historical moments to his global fan base, reinforces the careful cultivation of his image as a “superstar” across the nearly four decades of his career.
The film takes the single most significant curiosity of human hands—wanting something to do—and builds an entire horror plot out of it.
With Rituparno Ghosh, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, was emotionally naked. With Sanjay Leela Bhansali, she’s theatrically divine. With Ratnam, she’s human and very much fragile, furious, and fascinating.
Sheeba Chadha and Lakshvir Saran play a mother-son duo who may have more to share than they let on
Community is inherent to survival, and women have long been profoundly lonely—Abja and Her Pickled Eggs really understands that. The film takes a searing look at what it means to be a woman and the multitude of definitions it encompasses. More importantly, it asks if we ever stop performing.
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The four days of Chhath- Nahay Khay, Kharna, Sandhya Arghya (offering the setting sun), and Usha Arghya (offering to the rising sun) are also a post-anthropocentric celebration of the blurring of spatial and species distinctions.
PhysicsWallah IPO: 'Major Investments Are Done, Now It’s Time for Public to Join Our Journey', Says Alakh Pandey
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Annual, Trailing, or Rolling: Which Mutual Fund Return Tells the Real Story?
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Niko Partners: Why It’s Time to Enter India’s Gaming Market
Can You Carry Alcohol On Trains? Here’s All About The Indian Railways' Liquor Carrying Rules
As someone who has grown up in Jaipur, I can attest to the fact that the city's food space is growing than ever before. Amidst evolving times, these are the restaurants that the Pink City is currently loving.
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The luxury home living brand has come up with a 18,000 sqft flagship store at MG Road bringing its design-forward approach to furniture and collectibles
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