In a veiled jibe at former chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and his Mahagathbandhan with the Congress, BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda on Sunday said one who entered politics holding the hands of Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan — who led a movement against the Congress — and went on to become chief minister, was today siding with the very party.
“The leader who became a politician and CM with the blessings of Jayaprakash Narayan — the man who formed Janata Party by sidelining the Congress — was now hugging the very party,” Nadda said without naming Yadav while addressing his first election rally in poll-bound Bihar’s Gaya on Sunday. He added those who are now around 50-60 years of age might’ve witnessed the JP movement.
“For the first time in independent India, they might have heard a voice and political ideology different from that of the Congress — the voice of Jayaprakash Narayan,” Nadda said. He compared Yadav with another product of the JP movement, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. “Nitish along with Narendra Modi has changed the political culture of Bihar. Earlier, the Congress used to do politics on the basis of caste,” he said, highlighting the works of the central government in Bihar.
“In 2015, PM Modi announced Rs 1.25-lakh-crore-worth package for Bihar, of which Rs 394 crore has already been spent for the welfare of farmers, Rs 10,000 crore for education and Rs 1,550 crore for skill development.” He added only four medical colleges were opened in Bihar in seven decades of independence. “But After 2014, Bihar has got 14 new medical colleges and 11 more are underway. A new All India Institute of Medical Sciences is being built in Darbhanga for Rs 1,200 crore,” the BJP chief said.
The BJP leader also hailed the launch of physical distribution of property cards under the ”SVAMITVA” (ownership) scheme by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday. Asserting the benefits of Jan Dhan accounts, he also said that Nitish Kumar government provided financial assistance to migrants from Bihar during the lockdown period in these bank accounts.
He also gave a new slogan during the rally “Everything is possible if Modi is around, the state will move ahead if Nitish is around.” Elections to the 243-seat Bihar Assembly will be held in three phases — October 28, November 3, and 7. The counting of votes will take place on November 10.
Ruling Janata Dal (United) will fight for 122 seats, while its alliance partner BJP has got 121 seats. The JD(U) will give seven seats to Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustan Awam Morcha from its quota, while the BJP will allot 11 seats to Vikassheel Insaan Party.
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