Patna, Nov 14: AIMIM is showing a strong performance in Bihar’s Seemanchal region, with early trends at 2 p.m. indicating leads in five Assembly constituencies.

According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), the party is ahead in Jokihat (Araria), Kochadhaman (Kishanganj), Amour (Purnea), Baisi (Purnea), and Thakurganj (Kishanganj).

Notably, four of these seats — Jokihat, Kochadhaman, Amour, and Baisi — were also secured by the party in the 2020 Assembly elections. The trend is significant for AIMIM, which has been attempting to expand its presence in Bihar.

After being left out of the INDIA bloc, party chief Asaduddin Owaisi had declared his intention to contest 100 seats in the state.

However, on October 19, AIMIM formally announced a list of 25 candidates, including two non-Muslims, marking an effort to widen its appeal beyond its traditional support base.

In the previous election, AIMIM delivered a surprise victory by winning five seats, all located in Seemanchal — Amour, Baisi, Jokihat, Kochadhaman and Bahadurgarh in Kishanganj.

The region, comprising Araria, Katihar, Kishanganj and Purnea districts, has 24 Assembly constituencies and is home to a substantial share of Bihar’s Muslim population.

AIMIM had been counting on this demographic to maintain its relevance in the state’s political landscape.

Following the 2020 results, four of Owaisi’s MLAs defected to the RJD, leaving only Akhtarul Iman of Amour with the party. Iman is currently leading once again from his constituency, reinforcing AIMIM’s foothold in its stronghold.

The ruling NDA is heading for a landslide victory in the Bihar Assembly elections, with the latest trends showing the alliance crossing the 200-seat mark as of 2 p.m.

Meanwhile, according to the early trends of the Election Commission of India (ECI) at 2 p.m., the BJP is emerging as the single largest party with a lead in 91 seats, while the JD(U) stood second with 79 seats.

The alliance partners — the LJP(RV) is leading in 22 seats, Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) at four, and the HAMS also at four.

The Mahagathbandhan is currently at 36, its worst-ever performance.

New Delhi, Nov 14: BJP’s IT cell Chief Amit Malviya on Friday took a sharp dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as early trends from the Bihar Assembly elections indicated a disastrous performance for the grand old party and its allies.

Reacting to the numbers, Malviya posted on X, “Rahul Gandhi! Another election, another defeat! If there were awards for electoral consistency, he’d sweep them all. At this rate, even setbacks must be wondering how he finds them so reliably.”

He further said that Rahul Gandhi has accumulated 95 defeats for his party.

“While many will call him a 9-to-5 blame-game politician, Rahul Gandhi has now accumulated 95 electoral defeats in two decades, five short of a century. Is the attack on India’s institutions a diversionary tactic by the silver-spoon scion? Malviya questioned.

He also posted graphics of state elections showing when and where the Congress party lost elections after Rahul Gandhi entered electoral politics.

According to the Election Commission, the Congress — which contested 60 seats — was leading in only four constituencies. The broader Mahagathbandhan, comprising the RJD, VIP, and Left parties, was also staring at what appears to be one of its worst electoral outcomes in the state.

Out of Bihar’s 243 Assembly seats, the NDA is headed for a landslide victory, with the BJP leading on 89 seats and its ally JD(U) ahead on 79 at around 1 p.m..

The Congress party’s poor showing has led to criticism from within the party. Senior party leader and former Governor Nikhil Kumar openly questioned the party’s poll preparedness, organisational structure, and candidate selection.

“This reflects the weakness of our organisation,” he said, adding that a political party’s success relies heavily on its organisational machinery. “If the organisation is weak and cannot function effectively, the overall outcome suffers.”

Kumar argued that inadequate groundwork and flawed strategy further damaged the party’s prospects. He said that while the candidates fielded were capable, “even better candidates could have been chosen,” stressing the need for the organisation to work “strategically and intelligently” with a strong presence in every constituency.

He also highlighted internal coordination lapses and a lack of inclusivity in decision-making. According to him, several deserving candidates were ignored in favour of “incompetent” ones — a move that, he suggested, severely undermined the party’s competitiveness in crucial seats.

Mumbai, November 14: Residents living around the demolished Elphinstone Road bridge gathered on Thursday evening to raise an alarm over persistent vibrations caused by construction work for the Sewri–Worli Elevated Corridor, warning that the tremors could compromise the safety of their already fragile buildings.

As reported by Hindustan Times, around 50 residents assembled near the construction zone, where the over 100-year-old British era bridge once stood, alleging that demolition and preparatory work have triggered constant shaking in nearby homes and chawls.

Many of the structures around the site are decades old, and residents say the vibrations have intensified since the bridge’s approach ramps were pulled down.

“Since the bridge’s demolition began, we have been experiencing vibrations in our buildings. Such constant vibrations will weaken the structural stability of the buildings along the construction site,” said Munaf Patel, a resident of Haji Noorani Chawl. The chawl is among the structures that could be removed to make space for one of the pillars of the upcoming corridor.

Residents said the neighbourhood comprises largely ageing and dilapidated buildings that are already vulnerable to pressure. Ongoing heavy work, they fear, is increasing the likelihood of structural damage or a serious mishap. “We fear the vibrations are having a serious impact on our buildings.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has demolished the approach ramps on both sides of the old bridge and is now clearing the debris. Once the debris is removed, the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (MRIDC) will bring in heavy cranes to dismantle the remaining section above the railway tracks.

Full scale piling work for the double-decker corridor is still pending, adding to residents’ concerns about the more intensive construction activity yet to come.

The MMRDA had initially proposed the demolition of 19 buildings with rehabilitation for affected families and businesses. A revised design has significantly narrowed the impact zone to two structures, but locals say this has not reduced the vibrations or their anxiety.

Following the protest, residents said they plan to meet MMRDA officials on Friday to seek a solution or at least clarity on safety measures. MMRDA commissioner Sanjay Mukherjee did not respond to calls or messages.