NDA will get 2/3rd majority in Bihar : Amit Shah
NEW DELHI/ PATNA: BJP leader Amit Shah on Sunday said the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would get two-thirds majority in the coming Assembly elections in Bihar.
While addressing a virtual rally, ‘Bihar – Jansamvad’, though Mr. Shah claimed that it was not a ‘poll rally’, he concluded his 45-minute speech listing the achievements of both tenures of the Narendra Modi government and its contribution for the development of Bihar.
“This virtual rally has nothing to do with upcoming elections in Bihar. The BJP believed in democracy … this is to encourage everyone and reassure the confidence in corona warriors … here I want to salute those crores of corona warriors battling against the virus by risking their lives … I want to acknowledge their contribution,” the Union Home Minister Amit Shah said.
Shah listed the various achievements of the Modi government achievements over the last few years from scrapping of Article 370 to abolition of Triple Talaq -and hailed the efforts taken by the Centre in the fight against Covid-19.
Shah launched the BJP campaign for Bihar online, with a detailed recap of the Modi government’s performance over the last six years — from surgical strikes to the Ram temple in Ayodhya. He, however, claimed that the virtual address made necessary by the constraints of the corona virus and the resulting lock down had “nothing to do Bihar polls”.
“This is to encourage everyone and assure corona warriors. Those who want to see politics in this I want to ask who stopped you from holding a rally? All you are doing is chilling out sitting in Delhi,” he said in remarks directed at the Congress.
He also lambasted the BJP’s political rivals in the state, including the RJD and the Congress. “Who has stopped you from holding virtual rallies?” he asked. The RJD held a protest with the family of its supremo, Lalu Prasad, leading it.
The former BJP chief, however, made it clear that the BJP will contest the election due in October-November under the leadership of ally Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and reminded the people that “When PM Modi came with his jholi (bag) asking for votes, you have filled his jholi and given him a majority mandate”.
The bulk of Mr Shah’s message was directed at the migrant workers. Both the Centre and the Nitish Kumar government have come under harsh criticism over the plight of the migrant workers, the biggest chunk of whom are from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
“Leaders are trying to hoodwink the janta (people) of Bihar. But you should distance yourself from these talks, especially migrant workers. Remember, the whole country appreciates you. When you look at the foundations of the developed states, you will find the mehek (flavour) of Bihar in their foundations,” Mr Shah said.
Highlighting the government’s measures for the migrants, Mr Shah said, “Almost 1.25 crore people were taken home by PM Modi. People were walking, when we found about it, we ran buses to take them to the stations and ran trains. We arranged, food, medical help, buses for the migrant workers”.
PM Modi said all migrants be put in camps in the states, he said. “He asked states to ensure food for them. Then he began trains for the migrant workers”. The government, he said, even bore 85 per cent of the cost of the train journey.
The opposition has been vocal about the trauma of the migrants, who after finding themselves out of a job, shelter and food overnight had to hit the road, undertaking journeys of hundreds of kilometres on foot to reach the villages.
In Bihar, the BJP and allies BJP and Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party feel that the image of the Chief Minister, who was earlier dubbed “Sushashan Babu” (Mr Good Governance), has taken a beating over the migrants issue.
Left parties activists shout slogans while observing Dhikkar Diwas in protest against Amit Shahs virtual rally, in Patna today. The rally, held ahead of the assembly elections, marks the beginning of the BJP campaign in Bihar, where elections are due later this year.
The party has received criticism over plight and sufferings of migrants following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-hour notice for a country-wide lock down. In a world struggling with the new challenge of COVID-19 pandemic, the digital/virtual saffron rally marked the commencement of the new form of electioneering and its campaign for the crucial polls.
(With Inputs from Vikas Verma in Patna)
