New Delhi: It was election hour on prime time debates Tuesday night with channels focusing on the ongoing Bihar elections and the much-awaited US presidential polls, which is proving to be a close race between incumbent President Donald Trump and Democrat candidate Joe Biden.
While CNN News18’s Zakka Jacob discussed the US elections and its possible outcomes, NDTV 24X7, India Today and Times Now decoded the battle in Bihar.
Amid all this, Republic TV stood out and continued its attack on Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, who is probing the network in an alleged television ratings scam.
On Wednesday morning, the Mumbai police also detained Goswami in a 2018 suicide abetment case.
Times Now anchor Padmaja Joshi focused on Bihar polls and showed a video where Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was pelted with onions.
JD(U) leader Dr Nihora Prasad Yadav was on the defensive and accused the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) of orchestrating the entire incident.
“Whenever the CM speaks about the backward classes he is attacked. I don’t know what the mindset is of the RJD with respect to the backward classes,” he said.
Joshi then turned to RJD leader Mrityunjay Tiwari and pointed out all that the NDA alliance had done in the state.
She quoted Jean Dreze on the public distribution system and also asserted that employment in medium and small-scale industries had doubled in 2015-16 compared to 2005-06. “Mrityunjay ji, should we talk about real issues now?” Joshi asked.
But eventually, she never really let him answer the questions.
‘Double Engine vs Double Yuvraj’ read the ticker on Aaj Tak as the panel moderated by anchor Anjana Om Kashyap discussed the elections in Bihar.
JD(U)’s KC Tyagi said, “We are not the only ones responsible for the plight of the migrant workers. It is also the governments of other states from where migrant workers were forced to leave.”
“Till the time river Kodi flows through Bihar, it will cause havoc and will pose as a barrier to the state’s progress,” Tyagi added, underlining how floods happen everywhere.
Meanwhile, RJD’s Mritunjay Tiwari, who was making multiple debate appearances it seems, claimed that former chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son Tejashwi Yadav have the love of the people of Bihar.
“The people of Bihar understand politics better than anyone else in the country. Bihar received no advantage of the double engine government till now,” he said.
To this, BJP’s Gaurav Bhatia hit back: “The second PM Modi mentioned a double engine government, the opposition started shivering with fear.”
No prize for guessing the topic of debate on News18 India.
In a discussion that delved into the history of Bihar polls, BJP’s Sudhanshu Trivedi cited old tapes where Lalu Prasad Yadav, on 24 October 1990, had allegedly said that Bihar is a state of caste and creed, Ram Lalla won’t work here.
“Today, his party members are talking about Lord Ram. This is the change BJP has been successful in,” Trivedi said.
“Bihar saw the most negative industrial growth in employment under Lalu Yadav’s government,” he alleged.
But Congress’ Premchand Mishra fired back, “I firmly believe that PM Modi is trying to distract the public from the real, on-ground issues. But the people have caught his lies and I’m sure that a government of mistrust like this will not return,”
Anchor Amish Devgan also interviewed LJP leader Chirag Paswan, where the two discussed the role his party will play in the formation of the government and the young politician’s undying loyalty towards PM Modi.
“It is impossible for JD(U) and BJP to form the government in Bihar. I’m not saying this, it is the people of Bihar who are so angry with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar,” said Paswan.
From Bihar polls, NDTV 24X7 moved west to the US, with Prannoy Roy, where he discussed how Trump or Biden’s presidency will affect India.
Shalabh Kumar, founder of the Republican Hindu Coalition, said, “President Trump has been a (former US president Ronald) Reagan on steroids.”
He added that Trump had delivered on most of his promises to Indian-Americans and was on the path to developing a “much closer relationship with India”.
Yet, Kumar also admitted that when it came to the contentious H1B visa, Biden’s stance was better than Trump. The Trump administration recently made several changes to this visa, including tightening eligibility norms, which has hurt Indian professionals.
Neha Dewan, the National Director of South Asians for Biden, said, “Our house is on fire because of President Trump and his actions..Kamala Harris’ ticket is reflective of what America is today.”
