Maintaining that there was a rift within the National Democratic Alliance in Bihar, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge today asked why the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was not seen during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadshow. He said, during his speech at a rally, Modi did not even mention Nitish as the Chief Ministerial candidate. “If the NDA wins the election, the BJP will ask Nitish to sit at home,” he remarked during a public rally. Addressing a press conference along with several senior party leaders here today, Kharge expressed confidence that the Mahagathbandhan will form the government in Bihar after the elections. The Congress president reminded Modi that he was the Prime Minister of the country and he had much better things to do than to keep on abusing the Congress and its leaders like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Ms. Indira Gandhi. “You should be talking about generating employment, bringing investment, improving education and not abusing the Congress,” he told the Prime Minister, while reminding him of his promises like providing two crore jobs every year.
NDA’s promise of one crore jobs
Referring to NDA’s promise of one crore jobs, he asked what it was doing for twenty years. He said it was a pure lie and that is why he has been saying that Modi is the “master of liars.” The Congress president said that people of Bihar were politically conscious and they will not be lured by Rs ten thousand. He said, even if he offers them Rs ten lakhs, the women of Bihar will still not vote for the BJP and NDA. Noting that Modi says things that are unbecoming of a Prime Minister, he pointed out how he was pushing the youth towards watching reels. “Earlier he would suggest they fry ‘pakoras’ and now he is asking them to watch reels,” he pointed out, while asking, do such things suit the Prime Minister of the country.
Promising to restore the glory of the state
Promising to restore the glory of the state, the Congress president resolved to build a “migration-free Bihar.” He reiterated the Mahagathbandhan promises which include providing one government job to every family that does not have a government employee, Rs 2,500 cash assistance to women, 200 units free power, Rs 25 lakh health insurance, increasing MGNREGA wages to Rs 300 per day, removing the 50 percent ceiling on reservations, increasing reservation for the EBCs and SCs in the panchayati raj institutions, and scrapping fees for competitive examinations. Earlier, addressing a public meeting in Raja Pakar, he took a dig at Nitish Kumar, who has taken oath nine times as the Bihar Chief Minister, asking him what he can do now when he could not do anything in twenty years. He said Nitish had forgotten his socialism in the greed of power to stick to the “chair.”
Prime Minister Modi for frequenting all the elections.
Kharge also took a dig at Prime Minister Modi for frequenting all the elections. “Modi is roaming around in these elections like it is his children’s wedding,” he remarked, while adding Modi is either interested in electioneering or going abroad and nothing else.
Among those present at the press conference were AICC general secretary (organisation) K. C. Venugopal, Bhupesh Baghel, Ashok Gehlot, Pawan Khera, Krishna Allavaru, Akhilesh Prasad Singh, and others.