Lalu Prasad Yadav

The alliance had been under threat for several days ever since RJD Chief Lalu Prasad's house was raided on July 7.

Often referred to as Chanakya of Bihar politics, Kumar, 66, quit today as the head of the coalition government in the politically crucial state that could have a bearing on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The compromise-formula, according to sources, will not require Tejwashwi to resign from the post of deputy CM, something RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad has been saying from the day this controversy erupted.

Bharti, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter, had appeared before the central probe agency yesterday and was grilled for about eight hours.

The CBI on Friday conducted raids in four cities in connection with a corruption case, in which RJD chief Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi are among the accused.

The information and broadcasting minister said the Central Bureau of Investigation was doing its duty and acting in accordance with the mandate given to it by law.

The case has been registered against the then railway minister, his wife Rabri Devi, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and his son Tejashwi, the then IRCTC MD, P K Goyal, the wife of Yadav's confidante Prem Chand Gupta, Sujata, and others, CBI sources said. Gupta is a former Union corporate affairs minister.

Sources told CNN-News18 that Kumar accused Congress of "dumping Mahatma Gandhi's ideology", adding that he had nothing to learn from the grand old party. "We do not follow anyone, we are clear with our principles," Kumar reportedly said.

Ever since a Nitish-led 'mahagathbandhan' of RJD, JD(U) and Congress handed down a stunning defeat to BJP in 2015 Bihar Assembly election, a grand alliance is being seen as the only way to stop the saffron juggernaut.

There has been speculation that arch-rivals SP and BSP may shed hostility and inch closer in view of the BJP's spectacular rise in Uttar Pradesh.

With BJP winning major victories in hot-button states like Uttar Pradesh, the party is confident of replicating its success story in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly polls, says OM Mathur, BJP’s National Vice-President. In an interview to Moneycontrol, Mathur also spoke on Modi’s various schemes that have benefited the economically backward people of India. Edited excerpts:

In an exclusive interview to Etv, on the sidelines of RJD workers’ meet in Rajgir, Lalu elaborated on his plans to counter the Modi-wave and denied any rift with current Bihar Nitish Kumar.

The government's move to ban a news channel for a day is an "attack on democracy" and a step towards "emergency and dictatorship" in the country, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav today said.

The RJD president appeared before the special court of Shivpal Singh in connection with the case number 38A/96 pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 3.31 crore from Dumka Treasury in undivided Bihar during the 1990s.

Lalu Prasad, who served as Railway minister during UPA I, said that he had achieved a surplus of Rs 60,000 crore during his tenure as the Railway minister. He had not even asked from the government to support the Rail Budget.

Putting up a stunning show, the JDU-led grand alliance was today well on course to gaining a thumping majority in the Bihar assembly defeating the BJP-led NDA convincingly.

Polling is peaceful in the state as we have not received any information of untoward incident so far," Additional Chief Electoral Officer R Lakshmanan told PTI. Polling is currently underway in six Naxal-hit districts of Kaimur, Rohtas, Arwal, Jehanabad, Aurangabad and Gaya.

The second phase polling constitutes a great challenge for the security personnel as the six districts are heavily affected by Naxalism. In view of the security concerns, voting time has been curtailed by one hour and two hours in as many as 23 Constituencies.

"Urging all those voting today in Bihar to vote in large numbers. I particularly urge my young friends to cast their vote." the Prime Minister tweeted.