Vaibhav Suryavanshi breaks AB de Villiers’ first-class world record with the fastest 150 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy
Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s domineering streaks at the senior level continued as he bashed a 36-ball century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy Plate league opener for Bihar against Arunachal Pradesh at the JSCA Oval Ground in Ranchi on Wednesday. Turning up for the match only three days after India’s Asia Cup U-19 final debacle against Pakistan in Dubai, Suryavanshi peppered the Arunachal bowlers from the outset to storm to his century on the back of a feast of fours and nine sixes in 36 balls, making it only the second-fastest hundred by an Indian man in overall List A cricket. Only Punjab batter Anmolpreet Singh has recorded a quicker ton among Indians in List-A cricket, having smashed a 35-ball century against Arunachal in the Vijay Hazare competition last season. Suryavanshi’s 36-ball ton ranks as the joint-fourth fastest ever in the world in List -A cricket. The dashing left-hander had racked up his 150 in only 54 deliveries, with Bihar storming past the 200-run mark inside 18 overs. Suryavanshi thereby broke South Africa batting legend AB de Villiers’ record (64 balls) for the fastest century in the format. Suryavanshi, however, missed out on recording the fastest List-A double hundred as he fell on 190 off 84 deliveries. He clubbed 15 sixes during the whirlwind knock, only second to Rohit Sharma (16) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (16) in a List-A innings among Indians.
NDA surges ahead in Bihar as Mahagathbandhan trails; Nitish-Modi wave to break 2010 record
The NDA is leading in Bihar, with Nitish Kumar and PM Modi’s popularity driving the surge. They’re poised to break the 2010 record, when the NDA won 206 seats. The current trends showcase that the people have once again bestowed their trust on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as the NDA is heading towards yet another historic victory. In the current trends, the Nitish Kumar-led NDA has secured a combined total of 196 seats, with BJP leading in 88, JDU in 79, LJP 21, HAM 4 and RLM 4 as per data from the EC at 12:52 pm. RJD leads in 31 seats, Congress leads in 4, CPI(ML) lead 5, while CPI-M 1 and VIP lead in 0 seats each, taking the total to 41, as per data from the EC at 12:52 pm. Additionally, the BSP leads in one seat, and the AIMIM in five seats. For Nitish Kumar, who has governed the state for nearly two decades, this election has been widely viewed as a test of both political endurance and public trust. Once celebrated as “Sushashan Babu” for pulling Bihar out of the shadows of what was often termed the “jungle raj,” the Chief Minister has in recent years confronted signs of voter weariness and questions over his shifting political alignments. Despite this, the current trends reflect a noticeable shift on the ground, indicating that voters are reposing faith in his governance model once again. The return of a confident, coordinated BJP-JD(U) alliance has significantly reshaped the battlefield this time. With Prime Minister Modi standing firmly beside Nitish Kumar throughout the campaign, the coalition projected a united and reinvigorated front, emphasising welfare delivery, infrastructure expansion, social schemes, and administrative stability. The mix of PM Modi’s national appeal and Bihar CM’s extensive grassroots presence has created a formidable electoral force, one that appears poised to translate its political momentum into a landslide victory in Bihar. As Bihar reached the verdict stage, the PM Modi-Nitish partnership has emerged as the defining factor of the assembly election. The ruling alliance has highlighted that Bihar’s transformation is reflected not only in electoral outcomes but also in the conduct of elections. A comparative look at past polls underscores a dramatic change: the 1985 elections saw 63 deaths and repolling in 156 booths; in 1990, 87 deaths were reported; in 1995, the elections were postponed four times due to rampant violence under Chief Election Commissioner TN Seshan; and in 2005, repolling was ordered in 660 booths. In contrast, the 2025 elections recorded zero repolling and zero violence, an outcome the NDA has hailed as a testament to improved law and order. The results reaffirmed a pattern seen over multiple elections, with Bihar giving the BJP and Narendra Modi overwhelming support in the 2014, 2019, and 2024 Lok Sabha polls, as well as in the 2020 and now 2025 Assembly elections. Bihar, India’s third most populous state and one that is nearly 89 per cent rural, has long played a critical role in shaping national politics. The NDA leadership has attributed the current mandate to the state’s strong rural support base and what it describes as Bihar’s “vote for dignity and self-respect.” The ruling bloc also accused the INDI Alliance of disrespecting the state, referencing remarks made by its leaders, including Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of Chhath Puja. The NDA positioned Prime Minister Modi’s push for Chhath Puja to be listed in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage category as evidence of its commitment to Bihar’s cultural identity. Often targeted by the opposition as ‘paltu ram (frequent turncoat)’, Nitish Kumar has held his ground and vote bank stronger always. Nitish Kumar’s lasting popularity stems from his focus on tangible development and inclusive growth. He’s delivered on promises, improving rural infrastructure and providing direct financial assistance, earning trust across Bihar’s socio-economic spectrum. Voters remember his fulfilled commitments, valuing steady progress over grand rhetoric. Nitish Kumar’s political trajectory, spanning more than four decades, has often been cited as a study in adaptability and strategic clarity. Rising through the JP movement of the mid-1970s, he went on to contest the Harnaut Assembly seat in 1985 under the leadership of Satyendra Narain Sinha of the Janata Party and emerged as a significant voice for backward castes and secular politics. Nitish Kumar’s governance in Bihar has been marked by a focus on development and inclusivity, which has helped him maintain popularity across communities, including Muslims. His schemes and policies have driven economic growth, improved infrastructure, and enhanced living standards, resonating with voters. Nitish Kumar’s political journey is a testament to his adaptability and strategic growth. Influenced by veterans like Ram Manohar Lohia, SN Sinha, Karpuri Thakur, and VP Singh, he honed his skills in the JP movement (1974-1977) alongside Jayaprakash Narayan. This exposure earned him recognition among prominent politicians.
Under Nitish Kumar, NDA will break all electoral records in Bihar: PM at Samastipur rally
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that the “NDA under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar” will break all previous electoral records in the Bihar Assembly polls, while taking a swipe at the opposition INDIA bloc, which he said was led by “people out on bail”. Addressing his maiden election rally in the poll-bound state, the PM asked the crowds to switch on the lights of their mobile phones, and in a dig at the RJD, said, “When all people have access to such modern gadgets, there is no need for the lantern”. Showering praise on Nitish Kumar, who heads the JD(U) and seeks a fifth consecutive term in office, Modi alleged, “He came to power in 2005, but nearly a decade of his tenure was hampered by a hostile Congress-led UPA government at the Centre, which was constantly blackmailed by the RJD that it would withdraw support if cooperation was extended to the NDA government in Bihar.” The PM added, “The central assistance extended to Bihar in the last 11 years is three times what the state had received from the previous government. The state has turned the corner. It is now exporting fish, a far cry from the days when it was dependent on other states for its own needs. Makhana, which is a famous produce of Bihar, has access to markets far and wide”. “Bihar is now an attractive investment destination. I foresee a future in which every district will be teeming with startups of local youths”, the PM added. “All this would not have been possible had there been ‘jungle raj’ in Bihar. Don’t you remember that a former PM had said that of every rupee spent by the government, only 15 paise reached people. The money used to be devoured by a blood-stained hand (khooni panja)”, said Modi, in an obvious reference to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the poll symbol of Congress, the RJD’s alliance partner. “Bihar will keep the ‘jungle raj’ at bay and vote for good governance. ‘Nayee raftar se chalega Bihar, phir jab aayegi NDA sarkar’ (Bihar’s growth will speed up once NDA returns to power). RJD and Congress indulged in scams, their leaders are out on bail, and now they are trying to steal the ‘Jannayak’ title of Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur,” Modi said. “Bihar is the land of a genius like Aryabhatta. Its people cannot repose their trust in the RJD-Congress combine, which had destroyed the rule of law. Kidnapping and extortion had flourished like a business. The worst sufferers of ‘jungle raj’ were our mothers and sisters and those from the weaker sections”, alleged Modi. “Also, under the RJD rule, a dozen-and-a-half districts of Bihar were infested with Maoist insurgency. Hundreds of people were murdered, and people were afraid of stepping out of their homes. When I came to power in 2014, I pledged to bring Maoism to an end. With utmost humility and satisfaction, I can say that we have broken the spine of Maoism. Soon, the country will be free of the menace. This is Modi’s guarantee”, the PM said. Modi also said, “In the last assembly polls in Gujarat, where the party has been in power for 30 years, all previous records were broken. Similar was the case in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Haryana. I am confident that in Bihar, too, under Nitish Kumar, the NDA will break all previous records,” he said. In an apparent dig at INDIA bloc chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav, who, along with father Lalu Prasad, the RJD president, is named in the land for jobs scam, the PM said, “The people of Bihar cannot repose their trust in people who are out on bail (zamaanat par chhute hue log)”.
“We will make Bihar free from crime and corruption”: RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav slams NDA govt
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav slammed the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government on Friday, claiming that crime and corruption have increased in Bihar. While pledging to rid Bihar of corruption and crime if he were elected, the RJD leader also claimed that the top five states in the nation that are ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have the highest rates of crime. The decision to appoint Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Mukesh Sahani of the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) as chief Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav slammed the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government on Friday, claiming that crime and corruption have increased in Bihar. While pledging to rid Bihar of corruption and crime if he were elected, the RJD leader also claimed that the top five states in the nation that are ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have the highest rates of crime. Speaking to reporters in Patna, Yadav said, “We don’t make broken, fragmented or false promises. We will do what we say… If Tejashwi Yadav becomes the Chief Minister, the people of Bihar will also become the Chief Minister. We will make Bihar free from crime and corruption…” The RJD leader asserted that when scams are happening across the state and no action has been taken, that is called “jungle raj”. “The Prime Minister himself listed 55 scams of Nitish Kumar. What action has been taken? When scams are happening and no action is being taken, that is jungle raj. There is not a single day in Bihar where there are no shootings, murders, looting, rapes, kidnappings…Uttar Pradesh has the highest crime rate in the entire country. Bihar is second. The top five BJP-ruled states in the entire country have the highest crime rate,” Yadav told reporters. The Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Bihar Assembly also accused the ruling government of misusing the Central agencies for their own benefit. “What are they doing there?… They only want to misuse the agencies. They will set up factories in Gujarat and want victory in Bihar; this is not going to happen,” the RJD leader said. Meanwhile, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan on Friday accused the Mahagathbandhan of focusing only on vote-bank politics, alleging that its leaders talk about Muslims but fail to give them proper representation and are driven by “personal ambitions” rather than public welfare.minister and deputy chief minister, respectively, was also criticised by the LJP (RV) chief. “They only want to retain their vote bank. They talk about Muslims, but when it comes to giving them representation, they give them nothing…Mukesh Sahani has been announced as the Deputy CM face, but he does not care about giving representation to people from his community… The people who have not gone out for campaigning, how will they work for Biharis? In the Mahagathbandhan, the battle is just for their personal ambitions…” Paswan said. Paswan later asserted that Muslims should understand the schemes provided by the NDA government, which are aimed at delivering benefits to all. “This is the same RJD to whom my father in 2005 said that they should make a muslim the Chief Minister. Why didn’t they make a muslim the CM?… They say something else and do something else. For them, Muslims are just their vote bank. Muslims should understand this and the schemes provided by our government are aimed at providing benefits to all,” the LJP (RV) leader added. Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Mahagathbandhan cleared the air regarding its lead face in the alliance, with the declaration of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Bihar Leader of Opposition (LoP) Tejashwi Yadav as the Chief Ministerial face.
Four people run over by train
In a tragic incident, four people, including a woman and her daughter, were killed after being run over by a train near Rahua Dhala in the Sahebpur Kamal police station area of Begusarai district late this evening. According to police , the victims were crossing the railway track when they were hit by a passing train. The deceased have been identified as Dharamdev Mahto, Rita Devi (wife of Madan Mahto) and her daughter Roshni Kumari, all residents of Rahua village. The identity of the fourth victim is yet to be confirmed. The bodies wete sent for post-mortem . An investigation into the incident has been initiated.
Five more arrested in Kolkata in connection with gangster’s ICU killing in Patna
Bengal and Bihar police jointly arrested more five individuals, including a woman, in Kolkata on Saturday night in connection with the killing of a gangster inside an intensive care unit (ICU) at a hospital in Patna, the capital of Bihar state. The arrests bring the total number of people detained in the case to 11. Earlier in the day, a joint operation by police forces from Bihar and West Bengal led to the arrest of five suspects from an apartment complex in New Town, a satellite township near Kolkata. Officials said four of the five detained there were directly involved in the killing. “The accused fled Patna immediately after the crime and took shelter in Kolkata. Their location was traced using mobile phone tracking,” a senior police officer told Press, adding that one of the five arrested may have helped the suspects hide rather than taking part in the killing itself. Authorities plan to seek transit remand for the accused to transfer them to Bihar. Later that evening, a second police team raided a guest house in Kolkata’s Anandapur neighbourhood, where five more suspects were taken into custody. The suspects had checked into the guest house on Friday, producing valid identification documents and renting two air-conditioned rooms on the third floor. One of the detainees was injured during the raid and was taken away in an ambulance, witnesses said. The guest house owner, speaking to local media, said she had no reason to suspect the group. “They behaved normally and had all proper ID. We’ve been running this guest house since 2018, and never faced such an incident,” she said. The police contacted her around Saturday evening, after which her husband and son rushed to the premises. Residents of the area reported a heavy police presence around 7:30–8:00 p.m., with armed personnel cordoning off the building. CCTV footage had earlier captured a car heading towards Kolkata from Patna, which helped investigators narrow their search. The individuals arrested in Anandapur have been identified as Sachin Singh, Harish Kumar, Tausif, and Yunus Khan, along with an unnamed woman. The nature of their roles in the killing is still under investigation. The fatal shooting of the gangster inside a hospital ICU has shocked residents and raised concerns about law and order in the region. Police say investigations are ongoing and further arrests have not been ruled out.
