Arun Kumar
Arun Kumar is Senior Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times. He has spent two-and-half decades covering Bihar, including politics, educational and social issues.
Articles by Arun Kumar
Bihar Assembly Election 2020: Despite SC directive, candidates with criminal record in the fray
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, New Delhi/Patna
UPDATED ON NOV 02, 2020 05:57 PM IST
ADR has found that the ruling JD(U), the Congress, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the RJD are the only parties which listed the reasons for fielding candidates with criminal antecedents
EC notice to 104 candidates in Bihar assembly polls for not publicising criminal cases
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON NOV 02, 2020 12:19 PM IST
An EC directive requires candidates and parties to mandatorily publicise pending criminal cases against the candidates through advertisements in a local and a national newspaper, besides official social media platforms of the political party, and explain reasons for fielding them.
War of words between LJP, JD(U); Chirag says CM’s party playing truant with BJP
By Arun Kumar | Edited by Sparshita Saxena | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON NOV 01, 2020 09:41 PM IST
Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Chirag Paswan on Sunday hinted at the internecine battle within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and exhorted the LJP cadres to vote for the BJP wherever the LJP has not fielded its candidates.
Bihar polls: With sharp attack on Opposition, PM Modi’s message is loud and clear
By Arun Kumar | Edited by Sparshita Saxena | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON NOV 01, 2020 05:30 PM IST
PM’s message to the voters was loud and clear – Bihar is heading for a result that UP witnessed in 2017.
Bihar varsity recruitment: Application deadline extended for 4638 assistant professor posts
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON OCT 30, 2020 05:27 PM IST
Bihar state university service commission (BSUSC) on Friday extended the date for online submission of applications for appointment of 4638 assistant professors in 52 subjects in the state’s universities by one month, i.e. up to December 2.
Bihar Assembly Election 2020: RJD banks on chemistry with voters over poll arithmetic
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
PUBLISHED ON OCT 30, 2020 10:15 AM IST
Arithmetic has a tendency to change if voters’ calculations align with the political climate. It is Tejashwi’s chemistry with voters that has changed the tone and tenor of the election, said a senior RJD leader
Bihar varsity recruitment: BSUSC set to extend deadline to apply for 4638 assistant professor posts
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
PUBLISHED ON OCT 29, 2020 05:53 PM IST
Bihar’s universities and colleges are seriously understaffed due to delayed recruitments. Last time, BPSC had advertised 3364 vacancies in 2014 nearly 17 years after the previous advertisement in 1997 and the interview process got underway in 2015 and stretched up to 2020.
New alignments add a twist to Bihar assembly polls in Mithilanchal
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
PUBLISHED ON OCT 29, 2020 11:24 AM IST
The JD-U and the RJD won 12 and 11 seats respectively out of the 30 seats in the Mithilanchal region when the two parties were allies in the 2015 assembly election.
Bihar assembly election 2020: PM Modi takes on Tejashwi Yadav in Bihar, invokes Ram temple
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna/Muzaffarpur/Darbhanga
PUBLISHED ON OCT 29, 2020 07:41 AM IST
PM calls young RJD leader prince of ‘jungle raj’; polling goes off smoothly in first of three phases
‘Jungle raj ka yuvraj’: PM Modi’s frontal attack on Tejashwi Yadav
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, patna
UPDATED ON OCT 28, 2020 04:58 PM IST
This is the first time the PM attacked Tejashwi directly for the image of lawlessness and corruption Bihar epitomised 15 years ago during the regime of Tejashwi’s parents – Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi – and said that the people of Bihar, having suffered it, would know it better than him.
Bihar Assembly Election 2020: Chirag’s cameo keeps interest alive
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON OCT 27, 2020 03:39 PM IST
The LJP leader is acutely aware that his party is a small fry in the state politics, where the battlelines have been firmly drawn between the ruling JD(U) and its rival, the RJD
In first polls in dry Bihar, a war of words over prohibition amid huge seizure of alcohol
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON OCT 27, 2020 11:25 AM IST
The opposition claims prohibition has been a farce due to rampant smuggling and growing use of drugs.
Upper-caste votes may emerge crucial in Bihar polls
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON OCT 27, 2020 05:15 AM IST
Rajendra Singh’s margin of defeat in the Dinara assembly segment was thin, 2,691 votes, in a seat dominated by Yadav, Rajput, Kushwaha and Brahmins.
Nitish banking on well-nurtured women constituency in tough electoral test
By Arun Kumar | Edited by Abhinav Sahay | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON OCT 24, 2020 03:09 PM IST
Nitish Kumar is credited with introducing prohibition in the state, a very bold decision, keeping the women electorate in mind.
Unrelenting rebels pose a challenge to both coalitions
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON OCT 24, 2020 12:13 AM IST
Some parties have taken strict action -- the BharatIya Janata Party expelled nine leaders and its ally, Janata Dal (United) 15 for ‘anti-party’ activities -- but it has failed to stem the outflow of leaders unhappy over not getting ticket for the polls.
PM Modi’s Bihar poll speech left Chirag Paswan ‘emotional’. Here’s why
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON OCT 23, 2020 07:05 PM IST
The PM’s address was eagerly awaited as it was expected to clear the confusion due to the posturing of the LJP in the run-up to the polls - being soft towards the BJP and attacking the JD(U)
Bihar Assembly Election 2020: LJP chief Chirag Paswan attacks CM Nitish Kumar for political flip-flop
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON OCT 23, 2020 11:56 AM IST
In a series of tweets, Paswan further wrote that “the way Nitish Kumar had tried to dupe LJP candidates during the Lok Sabha election, he was doing the same with BJP candidates now”
Bihar Assembly Election 2020: Rebels threaten to queer pitch for most parties
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON OCT 23, 2020 10:20 AM IST
Most of the rebels are contesting from their respective area of influence riding high on social equations, where caste and religion are the determining factors in Bihar politics
Covid-19 threat to polls as top leaders test positive
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON OCT 23, 2020 03:04 AM IST
Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, former Union ministers Shahnawaz Hussain and Rajiv Pratap Rudy, and senior Congress leader and four-time Muzaffarpur MLA Vijendra Chaudhary announced they tested positive for Covid-19.
Bihar Assembly Election 2020: Tejashwi broadening Lalu’s agenda in today’s context, says Manoj Jha
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON OCT 22, 2020 10:40 AM IST
India today is an overwhelmingly young country and Tejashwi understands the concerns and aspirations of the new generation, says the RJD national spokesperson
Bihar Assembly election: Chirag Paswan fires fresh salvo against Nitish Kumar
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON OCT 22, 2020 07:55 AM IST
“Still talking of nali-gali {drains and lanes} and water to farms after 15 years in power is not going to serve any purpose,” Paswan said, referring to schemes introduced by Nitish Kumar to strengthen infrastructure. “Nali-gali is no yardstick of development.”
‘If Nitish Kumar wins, Bihar will lose’: Chirag Paswan’s latest salvo against JD(U) boss
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON OCT 21, 2020 01:34 PM IST
Chiragn Paswan who has been relentless in his attack on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, blamed him of the lack of development and unemployment in the state.
Bihar Assembly Election 2020: LJP chief Chirag Paswan starts campaigning today
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
PUBLISHED ON OCT 21, 2020 10:24 AM IST
On Tuesday, LJP released its third and final list of 42 candidates, taking the total number of seats it will be contesting to 137
Chirag Paswan’s LJP to fight on 137 seats, releases 3rd list of candidates
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON OCT 20, 2020 11:13 PM IST
The LJP had earlier released two lists of 53 and 42 candidates on October 16 and 8, respectively. The third list has 42 candidates.
Bihar assembly polls overshadow legislative council election for 8 seats
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
PUBLISHED ON OCT 20, 2020 08:42 AM IST
The legislative council election will be held on October 22, while the results will be announced after the assembly election results on November 12.
Chirag Paswan’s LJP vision document on October 21, promises Sita temple
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON OCT 19, 2020 09:14 PM IST
Lok Janshakti Party leaders said the vision document has the stamp of PM Modi’s development vision.
Bihar Assembly Election 2020: BJP plans digital outreach for PM’s campaign from October 23
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON OCT 19, 2020 02:34 PM IST
The party is relying on its app, ‘Kamal connect’, which has already been uploaded by nearly 125,000 party workers and the number is likely to grow
BJP following ‘coalition dharma’ by attacking me: Chirag Paswan
By Arun Kumar | Patna
PUBLISHED ON OCT 18, 2020 03:29 PM IST
His statement comes a day after Union home minister Amit Shah said in an interview to a TV news channel that the LJP had left the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar on its own accord.
Bihar polls: Upper caste, Dalits dominate LJP’s 2nd list, party banks on own cadre
By Arun Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON OCT 17, 2020 06:50 PM IST
While some of the candidates in the second list are also those left out by the BJP and the JD-U in ticket distribution, the party has mainly banked on its cadres this time.
LJP sticks to pro-Narendra Modi, anti-JD(U) stance in 2nd list despite BJP snub
By Arun Kumar | Edited by Abhinav Sahay | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON OCT 17, 2020 01:03 PM IST
LJP has decided to stick to its strategy of mostly fielding candidates on seats contested by JD(U) while trying to harvest the ‘goodwill’ for Prime Minister Narendra Modi into votes.