Launching a blistering attack at the Mahagathbandhan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad Yadav's family had looted Bihar over the years, but are out on bail. He also took a veiled dig at Rahul Gandhi and said the Congress MP was trying to become a 'jan nayak', referring to his 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in the poll-bound state.
The prime minister was speaking at a poll rally in Bihar's Samastipur.
Questioning the alliance between the two parties, PM Modi said the RJD and the Congress left no stone unturned to halt the development in Bihar. He even alleged that the RJD used to threaten the Congress government at the Centre from 2004 to 2014 by asking it not to help the Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Bihar during the same period.
"These people are out on bail in scams worth thousands of crores. Those who are out on bail are out on bail in theft cases. Now their habit of stealing is such that they are engaged in stealing the title of Karpoori Thakur," he said, adding that people of Bihar will never tolerate this insult to Karpoori Thakur.
PM Modi endorses Nitish Kumar as NDA's CM face
In his remarks, PM Modi also endorsed incumbent Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as NDA's CM face for the two-phase Bihar assembly elections. Lauding the Janata Dal United (JDU) leader, the prime minister said the NDA will break all its previous records of victory in the state. "Bihar will give NDA its biggest ever mandate," he said.
He said the rate of growth will speed up to a new level once the NDA returns to power in the state, urging people to vote for the ruling alliance, which also includes Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Manch (RLM). Bihar will keep 'jungle raj' at bay and vote for good governance, he said.
"When there is so much light... then do we need 'lalten' (lantern)? Bihar ko 'lalten' (RJD) aur uske saathi nahi chahiye," the prime minister said, as he asked people to switch on the lights on their mobile phones.
The voting for the 243-member Bihar Legislative Assembly will be held on November 6 and 11. The counting of votes will take place on November 14.
