PM Modi sounds poll bugle in Bihar

Patna: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched the BJP’s campaign for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Bihar, a state which is currently being ruled by one of the former allies of the NDA, the JD(U).

Mr Modi, while sharing the dais in Muzaffarpur’s Chakkar Maidan with other senior NDA leaders, including Ram Vilas Paswan and newly-inducted partner Jitan Ram Manjhi, the former chief minister, slammed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for forging an alliance with the RJD and its leader Lalu Prasad Yadav.

He slammed Mr Kumar and Mr Prasad, using the controversy surrounding “snake” and “poison” remarks made by them respectively apparently in the context of each other, and said they should not force the people of the state to “consume this poison”.

Mr Modi, however, failed to announce any special package for Bihar, which, according to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is due since long. Mr Modi, while speaking at the Parivartan Rally, said, “I still remember my promise for a special package, but we assessed that a mere Rs 50,000-crore package will not help Bihar, so we have decided to give more than what I had promised. I am unable to announce anything now as Parliament is going on.”

He said, “The RJD stands for rozana jungle raj kaa dar (fear of jungle raj on the daily basis) and if you want development, then you must shun this new combination.

Sharpening attack on Mr Kumar, Mr Modi said, “If he had problems with me, then he could’ve either slapped me or strangled me, but ending a long association has made the people suffer... I swallowed the venom, but when he insulted Jitan Ram Manjhi, a mahadalit, then I felt that there is some problem with his DNA. Later, BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha met Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and described him as vikas purush.