India News | Bihar Polls: PM Modi Holds Road Show in Patna, CM Nitish Kumar Absent
by ANI · LatestLYPatna (Bihar) [India], November 2 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday held a roadshow in Bihar's Patna after election rallies at Arah and Nawada. However, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was absent from the roadshow.
Amid the Chief Minister's absence, PM Modi was accompanied by BJP State President Dilip Jaiswal, and Union Minister and JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan.
This comes amid Mahagathbandhan's CM face, and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has time and again claimed that the NDA is sidelining CM Nitish Kumar. Yadav had earlier questioned Nitish Kumar's leadership, alleging that the Chief Minister "might not even be aware" of the contents of the NDA's manifesto.
Meanwhile, PM Modi today hailed the NDA's poll promise to provide Rs 3,000 in addition to the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi to farmers in Bihar, saying 'jinhe koi nahi poochhta, Modi unhe poojta hai' (Modi worships those whom no one else cares about).
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Addressing a public meeting in Nawada, Prime Minister Modi took a jibe at the Opposition, claiming that the previous governments did not prioritise small farmers.
He said, "The governments after independence did not prioritise small farmers. But this is Modi, 'jinhe koi nahi poochhta, Modi unhe poojta hai' (Modi worships those whom no one else cares about). In the last 11 years, our government has brought small farmers to the centre of the agriculture policy."
He claimed that the government has provided Rs 650 crore to the 2 lakh farmers in Nawada."We opened bank accounts for farmers, and they get the amount for PM Kisan Samman Nidhi in those bank accounts. The poor farmers have received Rs 20,000 crore. In Nawada, Rs 650 crore has been deposited in the accounts of 2 lakh farmers," he said.
NDA, in their manifesto, has promised an annual benefit of Rs 3,000, totalling Rs 9,000 for farmers, under the 'Kapurgari Thakur Kisan Samman Nidhi'.
Both in Arah and Nawada, the PM once again invoked the era of RJD's infamous "jungle raj" and said it was defined by "katta, grirta, katuta, kusanskar, kushashan, and corruption."
"One side is NDA's governance, on the other side is the misgovernance of jungle raaj. Jungle raaj is the time of darkness, which slowly emptied out Bihar. The thing with which RJD's jungle raaj is katta, grirta, katuta, kusanskar, kushashan, and corruption," PM Modi said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also held rallies in Muzaffarpur and Vaishali. He launched a scathing attack on the RJD, asserting that if Lalu Yadav's son Tejashwi Yadav manages to become Chief Minister, it will mean that three new ministeries - of kidnapping, extortion, and promoting abduction and bloodshed will open up in the State.
Addressing a public rally in Muzaffarpur, Shah recalled that the murder of G Krishnaiah, who was the District Magistrate of Gopalganj in Bihar, by a mob in 1994, highlighted the "jungle raj" under the Lalu Prasad Yadav regime.
"During Lalu-Rabri's administration, here in Gopalganj, the DM Krishnaiah was beaten to death; if Lalu's son becomes CM again, then three ministries will be created in Bihar: one to run the kidnapping industry, a second to collect extortion, and a third to promote abduction and bloodshed," Shah said.
On the contrary, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi targeted an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who he alleged was being "controlled" by industrialists Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani.
Addressing a rally in Begusarai for the Mahagathbandhan candidate and Congress leader Amita Bhushan, Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at "Modi's 56-inch chest" once again and reiterated the claim that Operation Sindoor was suspended due to pressure from the United States.
"Operation Sindoor happened. Donald Trump's phone call comes, Modi ji, who says they have a 56-inch chest, gets scared as Donald Trump says to shut this Sindoor, and within two days, PM Modi stopped it. The truth is that Narendra Modi is not only afraid of the US president, but he is also being controlled by people like Adani-Ambani," Rahul Gandhi said here.
"PM Modi has a 56-inch chest, but the truth is that we don't get to know a person's courage with the size of the chest. (Mahatma) Gandhi ji fought against the Britishers; he didn't have a big chest, but he was not afraid. Many such people do not have a big chest but are not cowards, but others are also there with a 56-inch chest but are cowards," the Congress leader said.
The Congress leader claimed that it is due to making deals of "giving away" land at Rs 1 to industrialist Adani that has left no land for the State.
"A few days ago, Amit Shah said that there is no land to set up a company in Bihar. However, I would like to ask the Prime Minister: they claim there is no land, but you can still give it to Adani for Re 1 after it has been taken. There is land for that, but no land for Bihar's development," he said.
Meanwhile, the death of Dularchand Yadav, which occurred during a violent clash between supporters of two candidates in Mokama on October 30, has sparked a row in Bihar as JD(U) candidate and strongman Anant Singh was arrested in the murder case.
Earlier today, Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) Vinay Kumar said that the death of Dularchand Yadav was caused by cardiac and respiratory failure, and not by a gunshot injury, as per the post-mortem report.
While addressing the press conference in Patna, the DGP informed that a bullet mark was found on the leg of the deceased, but it was not the cause of death.
"An FIR has been lodged in this matter, and a detailed post-mortem examination was conducted, including videographic documentation. A bullet mark was found on the leg of the deceased, but it was not the cause of death. The primary cause was determined to be cardiac and respiratory failure," DGP Vinay Kumar said.
He added that a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) team has been constituted to probe the incident.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar asserted that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has "zero tolerance" towards violence and assured that the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections will be held in a completely "peaceful, law-abiding and transparent manner."
The CEC said the polls will provide an opportunity for voters to celebrate democracy as a "festival".
ECI has ordered the immediate transfer of key administrative and police officials posted from the Mokama Assembly constituency and directed disciplinary action against them.
Accused Anant Kumar Singh shared a video message on his social media expressing "complete faith" in people's support ahead of the upcoming Bihar elections. Singh, who is contesting the Mokama Assembly seat this time, took to Facebook to share a video that features him being escorted by police personnel.
He captioned the post, "Satyamev Jayate! I have complete faith in the people of Mokama!! That's why now the people of Mokama will fight this election!"
Amid the political row over the incident, Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani blamed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the "collapsing" law and order situation in the state.
Sahani said that the Bihar government's remote control remains in Delhi."'Sushasan Babu should respond to what they have made of Bihar. He is only a so-called 'Sushansan Babu'. Delhi has the remote control of the Bihar government. Bureaucrats consider themselves more powerful than the Chief Minister because they know he's unwell. People of Bihar have made up their mind to bring about a change," Sahani told ANI.
RJD leader Mrityunjay Tiwari stated that "the law and order in the state has collapsed."
"This arrest is just a mere formality... There is a collapse of the law and order situation in Bihar... This is 'gundaraj'. PM Modi should also speak about this 'gundaraj'... Why was there such a delay in arresting the accused?" Mrityunjay Tiwari said.
RJD candidate Veena Devi has distanced herself from the murder case, expressing confidence in the Election Commission in conducting free and fair elections, free from violence.
"This is the police's matter, the police officials will know what is happening, we are not involved in this. The incident happened between two people; we are not involved," the RJD candidate from Mokama Assembly constituency told ANI.
She further expressed confidence in the ECI's ability, saying that the poll body is "looking at everything."
"This is a matter of the government, of the Election Commission, of law and order; we do not want to go into this. The Election Commission is looking at everything," she said.
Speaking to reporters while campaigning in the Mekra village area of Mokama, Veena Devi is the Mahagathbandhan candidate facing off against Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Anant Singh, who has been arrested in connection with the Dularchand Yadav murder case.
Devi is the wife of former MP and influential leader Surajbhan Singh.
While the JD(U) candidate is under scrutiny in connection with the case, party leader KC Tyagi said that law and order prevails in Bihar.
"Law and order prevail in Bihar. Administrative officers are authorised to arrest anyone they consider appropriate, following an investigation. There is no political or caste-based discrimination of any form," Tyagi stated.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Nityanand Rai launched a counterattack against Tejashwi Yadav, calling him and his partymen "criminals who protect criminals".
He claimed that those who committed heinous crimes like massacre, rape, murder, robbery, "took shelter in the houses of RJD ministers".
Speaking to reporters, Rai said, "Tejashwi Yadav knows that all his people, including himself, are criminals who protect criminals. When there was Jungle Raj from 1990 to 2005, criminals got protection everywhere... The crime situation was such that people committing crimes like massacre, rape, murder, caste frenzy, robbery, took shelter in the houses of RJD ministers. Protecting criminals, practising nepotism, and grabbing the land of the poor are all in the nature of the RJD."
Mokama, which will vote in the first phase on November 6.
Voting for Bihar's 243-seat Assembly will take place in two phases on November 6 and 11. Counting of votes will take place on November 14. (ANI)
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)