PATNA: In a war of words between Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav, the Bihar CM on Wednesday asked the latter to show the development works done by the RJD regime — led by his father and mother — in 15 years, while Lalu Prasad’s son challenged Kumar to contest from his home turf Nalanda in the Assembly polls. “Let him select any one constituency from home Nalanda and I will contest against him,” he said.
Kumar, while addressing his first physical election rally at Balua Maidan in Banka district, said: “We have done a lot of development work in the state after 2005, but I challenge those who speak and try to mislead the people through dynastic politics to show the works of development done by the then ‘pati-patni’-rule in 15 years.” “Look at the work done by us in the last 15 years. Don’t get misled by the propaganda of those who have no record of doing anything worth name for development through their 15 years of misgovernance in Bihar,” he said.
Targeting Tejashwi and LJP’s Chirag Paswan, he alerted people not to fall in anybody’s “publicity trap” else while their income would multiply but that of the common man would slide as was the case before the present dispensation came on the scene.
Meanwhile, filing his nomination papers from Raghopur seat, which he represented in the assembly last time, Tejashwi, chosen by the anti-NDA grouping as its CM candidate, described Kumar as “bechara mukhya mantri” (helpless CM) who he said failed to win either special status for Bihar from the Union government or a central university status for the Patna University.
He was accompanied by elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav and senior party leader Bhola Rai. Making a major poll promise for nearly 4 lakh contractual teachers, he said: “Let me come to power. The long-standing demand of equal pay for the regular work of contractual teachers will be duly met by making a major change in the education sector.”
BJP releases final list of 35 candidates
The BJP on Wednesday issued its fourth list of 35 candidates for the Bihar polls, and with this the party has named all its nominees for the 110 seats that it is contesting in the three-phase elections starting from October 28. All the candidates are for the third phase scheduled for November 7. The names of six women figure on the fourth list. The JD-U and the BJP are fighting on 115 and 110 seats respectively.
Organisers of Nadda rally booked in Gaya
Taking serious note of violating social distancing norms during the first rally of BJP chief J P Nadda on October 11, the Gaya administration lodged an FIR against the organisers of the event. The FIR has been lodged with the civil lines police station on the basis of the circle officer Rajiv Ranjan. Nadda was accompanied by HAM founder Jitan Ram Manjhi, JD-U leader RCP Singh and Bihar BJP chief Sanjay Jaiswal.
‘Bihar to be terror hub if RJD wins’
Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said if the RJD comes to power, “terrorists would escape Kashmir and take shelter in Bihar”. Speaking at an election rally in Vaishali, Rai said, “If the RJD forms government in this election then the terrorists in Kashmir will seek shelter in Bihar. We won’t let that happen).” Rai’’s statement created an uproar with the opposition attacking the BJP for the statement.