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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched the NDA’s election campaign in Bihar with a rally in Samastipur, opening his address in Maithili to connect with the local audience.
From praising Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and invoking regional idioms, to accusing the mahagathbandhan of being “led by people out on bail”, here are the key takeaways from Modi’s poll rally.
“NDA under Nitish Kumar will break records”
“The NDA under the leadership of CM Nitish Kumar will break all previous electoral records in the Bihar Assembly polls,” Modi said.
He praised the JD(U) chief for transforming Bihar since 2005, but pointed out that “nearly a decade of his tenure was hampered by a hostile Congress-led UPA government at the Centre, which was constantly blackmailed by the RJD that it would withdraw support if cooperation was extended to the NDA government in Bihar.”
In a rally in Bakhtiyarpur, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said Nitish Kumar “will not be made Bihar’s CM if the NDA is voted to power” and accused the Centre of “shielding corrupt leaders and criminals.”
Swipe at RJD’s ‘lantern’, ‘jungle raj’ and alleged corruption
The PM asked the crowd to switch on their mobile phone lights and said, “When all people have access to such modern gadgets, there is no need for the lantern,” referring to the RJD’s election symbol.
He accused the RJD-Congress combine of ushering in “jungle raj” during their rule.
“All this would not have been possible had there been 'jungle raj' in Bihar. Don’t you remember that a former PM had said that of every rupee spent by the government, only 15 paise reached people? The money used to be devoured by a blood-stained hand (khooni panja),” said Modi.
“Bihar will keep the 'jungle raj' at bay and vote for good governance. ‘Nayee raftar se chalega Bihar, phir jab aayegi NDA sarkar.’
He contrasted the NDA’s governance model with what he called the “scam-ridden rule” of the RJD-Congress combine, asserting that the people of Bihar “cannot trust those who destroyed the rule of law” and “made kidnapping and extortion flourish like a business.”
Responding to Modi’s remarks on “jungle raj,” Tejashwi said, “The prime minister had himself recounted 55 scams of the Nitish Kumar government. What action has he taken? ‘Jungle raj’ is where no appropriate action is taken against scams, and where criminals roam free.”
Bihar’s economic turnaround
Modi also mentioned Bihar’s economic turnaround, saying, “The central assistance extended to Bihar in the last 11 years is three times what the state had received from the previous government.
The state has turned the corner. It is now exporting fish, a far cry from the days when it was dependent on other states for its own needs.
In Patna, Tejashwi told reporters that the “BJP sets up factories in Gujarat and seeks victory in Bihar. This is not going to happen.”
Sharing the stage with Modi in Samastipur, CM Nitish Kumar acknowledged Modi’s “generous help” in running the state.
“Bihar is making progress with generous help from the Narendra Modi government at the Centre,” he said.
Nitish targeted Lalu, saying he had “misgoverned the state and made his wife the chief minister when he had to step down.” Referring to Lalu’s resignation in 1997 following the fodder scam charges, Nitish added, “He has not mended his ways. After having propped up his wife, he is now busy backing sons and daughters.”
The Bihar CM also acknowledged his brief alliances with the RJD in the past, calling them “a mistake,” and said he was “better off in the coalition” he had been part of since the beginning.
The 243-member Bihar Assembly will go to polls in two phases on November 6 and 11, with results set to be announced on November 14.
