Modi boosts grip on power with alliance in scandal-hit India state

A former arch-rival of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi aligned with the Hindu nationalist leader on Thursday to form a new government in Bihar, one of the country's most populous states.The outspoken Nitish Kumar took the oath as Bihar's chief minister just hours after standing down in protest at corruption allegations against his last coalition partner.The link up between Kumar's Janata Dal United party and the prime minister's right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) further tightens Modi's