Nitish Kumar speaks in Darbhanga on Monday. Picture by Mukesh Kumar Jha

JDU workers wore a gloomy look when they arrived for Nitish Kumar’s Sampark Yatra meet here on Monday. But the former chief minister energised them with his speech.

Like at Sampark Yatras he has addressed elsewhere in the past few days, Nitish attacked the promises Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made during election rallies.

A huge gathering of party workers came from Darbhanga and Samastipur districts to the meet at Polo Maidan in Laheriasarai, 175km northeast of Patna. Nitish began by playing a CD containing Modi’s speech where he had promised to bring black money back to India.

Just listening to Modi’s speech and reading it with Nitish’s talk of “unfulfilled promises” enthused party workers. “If only Modi had brought back black money and deposited even Rs 10,000 into the accounts opened under Jan Dhan Yojana,” Nitish told party workers.

He further said: “Modi keeps saying that a clear majority for BJP in the state is necessary for proper development. So, how did Gujarat develop with the Congress in power at the Centre? Modi did not even give Bihar the special status the BJP promised.”

“Modi had promised to make opportunities available to youth. But he has frozen appointments for a year. Unhone to thaan dene ki promise ki thi lekin cut-piece de diya (He had promised a bale of cotton, but gave a cut-piece).” He was possibly referring to inclusion of ministers from Bihar in the Union ministry.

Anand Jha, a party activist from Alinagar, said: “We had no answers to jeers from BJP supporters. But Nitishji has energised us by pointing out Modi’s shortcomings. People have bought over Modi’s false promises, but we will now spread the truth.”

Nitish will stay the night at the circuit house in Samastipur and address party workers there on Tuesday.