A political war of words has erupted in Bihar ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, with the Congress accusing Union Home Minister Amit Shah of banking on "vote chori (vote theft)" and "vote revdi (vote doles)" to secure a victory for the NDA.
In a sharp response to Shah's recent rally in Araria, where he urged party workers to ensure an NDA win in over 160 of the 243 assembly seats, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh hit out, saying the BJP is relying on underhanded tactics.
“In education, VC stands for Vice Chancellor, in startups it's Venture Capital, in the military it's Vir Chakra. But in today’s politics, VC means ‘vote chori’,” Ramesh posted on X.
“He (Shah) is hoping that VC plus VR, vote chori plus vote revdi, will deliver Bihar to the NDA. But the politically aware people of Bihar will defeat these machinations,” he added.
Ramesh asserted that the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) will triumph in the state, and that the first shockwave will be felt in Delhi.
Shah, addressing a public meeting on Saturday, had accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav of trying to "secure voting rights for infiltrators". He promised that a two-thirds NDA majority would lead to the ousting of all "infiltrators" from Bihar.
“You must aim higher than last time, 160-plus seats is the goal,” Shah told party workers.
(With inputs from PTI)