NDA seat-sharing for Bihar polls announced; BJP, JD(U) get 101 each
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP and the JD(U) will each contest on 101 seats in the Bihar assembly elections, while Union minister Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party will field its candidates on 29 seats, Union minister and BJP's Bihar polls in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan announced on Sunday.
In a post on X as the meeting of the BJP's Central Election Committee, which includes Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders, started, Pradhan said Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Morcha will field their candidates on six seats each.
He claimed all National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners have completed the seat-distribution exercise in a cordial manner.
He said, "Leaders and workers of all NDA parties welcome this with happiness. Bihar is ready for another NDA government."
The announcement followed days of negotiations involving senior BJP leadership and their allies except the JD(U), which had reached an understanding with the principal NDA party earlier.
Allies like Paswan, Manjhi and Kushwaha drove a hard bargain with the BJP and blew hot and cold in talks, even as the negotiation continued. Paswan appears to have prevailed on the BJP in conceding to his party more seats than it was earlier willing to.
The 243-seat Bihar assembly will go to the polls in two phases on November 6 and 11.
In 2020, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) had contested on 115 seats and the BJP on 110 seats, while Paswan had contested separately.
This is the first time that the JD(U) is not contesting more seats than the BJP in an assembly election in a clear indication of the realignment of strength within the ruling alliance.
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Karnataka urges Centre to scrap NEET-UG from 2026, restore state powers to conduct CET
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government on Saturday reiterated its demand before the Centre to scrap the NEET-UG examination from the academic year 2026 onwards and restore the powers of states to conduct their own transparent and merit-based Common Entrance Tests.
State Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil, in a statement, emphasised that Karnataka has a long-standing legacy of administering fair, transparent, student-friendly and merit-oriented entrance examinations through the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA).
He noted that the CET system in Karnataka has for decades enabled lakhs of deserving students, especially from rural, middle-class and economically weaker sections, to secure professional education opportunities based on merit, hard work and academic consistency.
The minister said the Karnataka CET model has been widely appreciated for its transparency, accountability and efficient conduct, helping meritorious students shape their future with confidence and instilling faith among the younger generation in the integrity of the education system.
He said the NEET experience over the past several years has raised serious concerns across the country.
According to him, repeated allegations and incidents of question paper leaks, impersonation, organised cheating rackets, manipulation, technical irregularities and lack of adequate accountability have severely damaged the credibility of the examination process conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
Pointing to recent controversies surrounding NEET examinations, the Minister said these issues have caused stress, uncertainty and mental trauma among students and parents. Repeated reports of malpractice expose the inability of central agencies to ensure a completely fair and foolproof examination system at the national level.
He added that confidence among students in the integrity of the examination process has been deeply shaken.
Stressing that medical education is a critical sector that determines the future healthcare strength of the country, Patil said admissions must be based on a system that is transparent, corruption-free and sensitive to regional and educational diversity.
He said a centralised examination model that repeatedly faces allegations of irregularities cannot be imposed on states that have demonstrated efficient and credible examination mechanisms.
The minister also highlighted that Karnataka’s CET system has successfully balanced merit with accessibility and ensured fair opportunities for students from all sections of society.
Patil said the state government has already written to the Government of India seeking the abolition of NEET and permission to conduct admissions through the Karnataka CET system.
He urged the Union government to respect the federal structure of the Constitution and allow states to conduct entrance examinations through credible agencies such as KEA.
Restoring the CET system would protect students’ interests and rebuild public confidence in the admission process, Patil said.
The minister reiterated that the state government will continue to pursue the matter in the interest of students, parents and the future of medical education in Karnataka.
