PATNA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday exuded confidence that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would return to power in Bihar with record majority under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Kicking off the election campaign from Bihar’s Samastipur district, PM Modi said that NDA would not only gain full majority but also break all previous records in the coming assembly elections. “NDA will break all previous records this time,” he asserted.
NDA’s performance was at its best in the 2010 assembly election when it got 206 seats with Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) bagging 115 seats alone. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had won 91 seats in the 243-member Bihar assembly.
The prime minister doubled down on his “jungle raj” claim against the RJD, saying the state must keep them at bay and vote for good governance. “RJD, Congress indulged in scams and their leaders are out on bail. Now they are trying to steal ‘Jannayak’ tile of Karpoori Thakur,” he remarked.
He said that late Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur didn’t get his due during RJD-Congress regime. “It was the NDA which awarded him with Bharat Ratna (posthumously). Now they (RJD-Congress) are trying to steal of title of Jannayak from the departed leader,” he told the gathering.
He also alleged that RJD-Congress created obstacles for Nitish Kumar’s government in Bihar, but Nitish Kumar took the state out of the morass and set it on the right track. “Bihar is now progressing fast under NDA rule, and people of state would not allow it to go back to the ‘lantern age’ (RJD rule).
Accusing the RJD-Congress of misleading people by referring to threat to the Constitution, PM Modi said that it was the NDA which accorded constitutional status to the Backward Commission, a long pending demand of the people. In addition, SC/ST quota was increased during NDA regime, he said.
He added that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre allocated three times funds to Bihar compared to the previous UPA government. He claimed that the NDA government gave constitutional status to the Backward Commission, a long pending demand of people.
He called upon the BJP workers to extend their full support to NDA candidates in their respective constituencies to ensure their victory in the election. For the purpose, workers have to be vigilant and work hard, PM Modi added.
He also stressed on Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojna under which the government has provided financial assistance of Rs.10,000 each to 1.20 crore women. He promised to provide more financial assistance to women after formation of the NDA government in the state.
Reiterating the Centre’s resolve to tame Maoist activities, PM Modi said that soon the country would get rid of Maoist-activities. Attacking RJD-Congress regime for unleashing Maoist activities in Bihar, PM Modi said that hundreds of people were killed in Maoist related incident in the state. More than 18 districts of Bihar were infested with Maoist activities during RJD-Congress rule, he said.
People feared moving out of their home during the period. “But when people voted NDA to power at the Centre in 2014, the government-initiated several steps to weed it out,” he remarked.
He blamed the RJD-Congress combine for running the prospects of youngsters, women and Dalits. “The doors of the police stations were closed during RJD-Congress regime. What one can expect of justice when doors of police stations were closed for these people,” he asked.
Earlier, PM Modi paid floral tributes to Karpoori Thakur at his native village. He also met the departed leader’s family members, including Ramnath Thakur, who is a minister in the Narendra Modi cabinet.
