Tejashwi Yadav targets JD-U for fighting poll sans manifesto

Patna: On the last day of campaigning for the final and seventh phase of voting, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav targeted Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and his party JD(U) for contesting Lok Sabha elections without a manifesto.

“Nitish Chacha Ji, release your party’s manifesto at least on the last day of campaigning. I will take care of the BJP if they say anything to you”. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said in a tweet on Friday.

This is perhaps the first election since its formation in 2003 that the JD(U) is contesting polls without a manifesto.

Sources, however, claim that the party was scheduled to release the manifesto on April 14 but decided to put it on hold because of its stand on issues like Ram Temple, special status for Jammu and Kashmir and NRC.

“The JD(U) was worried that the party’s different line on sensitive issues like Ram Temple, Article 370, Article 35A and  Uniform Civil Code could have hampered its relations with the BJP during Lok Sabha elections”, JD(U) sources said.

Reacting sharply JD(U) leaders downplayed the Opposition’s claim on the manifesto and said that, “Nitish Kumar’s seven resolves and his vision has benefitted every class in Bihar. People trust him and have been voting for development and economic growth in Bihar”.