Oppn plea on Modi rallies rejected

Amid growing criticism for forging an alliance with tainted Lalu Prasad ‘s RJD, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday said that he joined forces with RJD chief to ensure the defeat of the BJP-led NDA in the state assembly polls. “I particularly urge my young friends to cast their vote”, Modi wrote on his Twitter account.

A few months ago the state of Delhi went to polls in what was called a test of the BJP’s seven months in office. “I have 10 years of experience and I realise development should continue in Bihar”, he said, apparently reminding voters about his image as ‘Sushasan Babu”.

Mr Modi is up against an unlikely alliance of two powerful local leaders, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his predecessor, Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav.

The BJP delegation, which also included party general secretary Shri Arun Singh, party MP Shri Chandan Mitra, party spokesperson Shri Sambit Patra and party Secretary Shri Siddharth Nath Singh, said that Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Janata Dal (United) and Congress are repeatedly trying to create obstruction in fair, fear-free, corruption-free elections in Bihar. “Hum bolte hain ki Narendra Modi ko badhiya karne ke liye aaye hain (I say to emasculate Narendra Modi)”, Lalu Prasad told a crowd at the middle school ground in Tankuppa block of the reserved constituency of Bodh Gaya.

Modi enjoys the same appeal as he did when he led the Bharatiya Janata Party to an emphatic victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Bihar included, the minister said in an interview here.

Jitan Ram Manjhi, who comes from a lower caste known for eating rats. While the capital Patna witnesses a clear Modi-wave, the moment one comes outside Patna the clear caste divide seems to have a major influence in the Bihar Assembly Polls. “That will benefit everyone socially and economically”, he said.

The Bihar elections are also important for Modi, because if the BJP wins the state it would have more members in the upper house of India’s Parliament, which would ease the passage of key economic bills that the government is eager to push. In addition to this, the fate of many senior leaders will be on the line as Bihar votes on Friday.

The polling was by and large peaceful as a total of 1.35 crore voters seek to cast their votes amid elaborate security arrangements.

About 8.58 million voters are eligible to decide the fate of 456 candidates on Friday.

That has allowed the opposition parties to block the government’s land, taxation and other legislative reforms needed to overhaul the economy.

A probe by CBI should be held to find out the entire chain of extortion of money by Bihar Govt. Ministers and ruling party leaders in the state.