Narendra Modi launches Bihar poll campaign with ‘poison, DNA’ jibe, Nitish Kumar hits back
MUZAFFARPUR:(Bihar): The restraint of his speech at an official function in Patna abandoned, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ripped into Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at a mega election rally in north Bihar’s Muzzafarpur today, accusing of him of hurting Bihar because of his “anger at me.”Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said politics had hampered the development of Bihar and promised to give more than Rs. 50,000 crore as special package to the poll-bound State.
Mr. Modi, who was in the State to kickstart the BJP’s poll campaign in Bihar, inaugurated several projects at a function attended by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and several Union Ministers.”I can understand some people don’t like other people’s faces. I can understand political differences. But if I was so bad, you should have come and slapped me, even strangled me. But you throttled the development of Bihar because of your problems with one man,” PM Modi said, referring to Mr Kumar’s legendary rivalry with him.
The PM referred repeatedly to Nitish Kumar having insisted on keeping him away from election campaigns in Bihar when their parties were partners for many years, saying to roars of approval from the 1.5-lakh strong crowd, “Don’t worry, I am here now.”
There were digs in his speech at Mr Kumar’s scorn of social media in the past and his late debut on Twitter and also the chief minister’s tweet this morning when he said, “We’re grateful that after 14 months Modiji finds time to visit Bihar.”
He dismissed as “lies” Mr Kumar’s allegation that central policies would diminish funds for the state. “I have inaugurated projects worth crores today. Bihar is set to get 3.45 lakh crore rupees in various schemes,” he said.
He also reiterated his promise for a mega package of more than 50,000 crore for Bihar saying, “I will come back to you after Parliament is over and will tell you how big an economic package I will give you.”
There were swipes in the PM’s speech at Nitish Kumar’s choice of new partners after his divorce from the BJP. The CM, he alleged was taking Bihar back to “Jungle raj,” elucidating thus: “Lalu’s RJD means Rojana Jungleraj ka Darr (fearing jungle raj everyday.)”
The Prime Minister was in Bihar to power up his party’s campaign for the Assembly elections due by October. In Patna, he inaugurated projects and flagged off trains at an official function where he shared stage with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whom the BJP hopes to unseat.
The two leaders exchanged polite comments. “I share Nitish Kumar’s pain, Bihar suffered because of politics,” said PM Modi. Nitish Kumar welcomed the PM, but also sought to underscore the state government’s contribution to the projects he inaugurated today.
In Bihar, the BJP takes on the combined might of Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United and Lalu Yadav’s RJD in what is billed as the most crucial election since last year’s Lok Sabha polls. The Congress and its allies have also joined hands with Nitish and Lalu.
The PM referred repeatedly to Nitish Kumar having insisted on keeping him away from election campaigns in Bihar when their parties were partners for many years, saying to roars of approval from the 1.5-lakh strong crowd, “Don’t worry, I am here now.”
There were digs in his speech at Mr Kumar’s scorn of social media in the past and his late debut on Twitter and also the chief minister’s tweet this morning when he said, “We’re grateful that after 14 months Modiji finds time to visit Bihar.”
He dismissed as “lies” Mr Kumar’s allegation that central policies would diminish funds for the state. “I have inaugurated projects worth crores today. Bihar is set to get 3.45 lakh crore rupees in various schemes,” he said.
He also reiterated his promise for a mega package of more than 50,000 crore for Bihar saying, “I will come back to you after Parliament is over and will tell you how big an economic package I will give you.”
There were swipes in the PM’s speech at Nitish Kumar’s choice of new partners after his divorce from the BJP. The CM, he alleged was taking Bihar back to “Jungle raj,” elucidating thus: “Lalu’s RJD means Rojana Jungleraj ka Darr (fearing jungle raj everyday.)”
The Prime Minister was in Bihar to power up his party’s campaign for the Assembly elections due by October. In Patna, he inaugurated projects and flagged off trains at an official function where he shared stage with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whom the BJP hopes to unseat.
The two leaders exchanged polite comments. “I share Nitish Kumar’s pain, Bihar suffered because of politics,” said PM Modi. Nitish Kumar welcomed the PM, but also sought to underscore the state government’s contribution to the projects he inaugurated today.
In Bihar, the BJP takes on the combined might of Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United and Lalu Yadav’s RJD in what is billed as the most crucial election since last year’s Lok Sabha polls. The Congress and its allies have also joined hands with Nitish and Lalu.
The anti-BJP coalition is projecting Nitish Kumar as its chief ministerial candidate. The BJP has not announced one – the face of its campaign is PM Modi in a tested strategy that has paid dividend in other state elections.
