Patna, October 23:  The battle for the Bihar assembly intensified today with PM Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi simultaneously held rallies in the state. PM Modi addressed rallies jointly with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar at Sasagram, Gaya and Bhagalpur. Rahul Gandhi along with RJD's Tejashwi Yadav held rally in Nawada.

While BJP is leading the NDA with JD(U) Nitish Kumar as the Chief Ministerial candidate, Congress is contesting on 70 seats under RJD-led  Mahagathbandhan.  Tejashwi Yadav is the Chief Minister face of the alliance. Bihar Assembly Elections 2020: PM Narendra Modi Addresses Rally in Sasaram; From Paying Tribute to Ram Vilas Paswan to Speaking on Article 370 Abrogation in Jammu & Kashmir, Here is What He Spoke About.

 

PM Modi attacked the opposition calling it the supporters of "bicholiye and dalaal." He said that the opposition wants to restore Article 370 that NDA abrogated. “After making such statements they dare to ask for votes from Bihar? Is this not an insult of Bihar? The state which sends its sons and daughters to the borders to protect the country?" said Modi targeting the opposition.

He also said that because of Nitish Kumar government, Bihar is now finally free from corruption and crime, and is continuing steadily on the path of development. Modi said that Bihar has decided not to go back into the hands of people who made it a "Bimaru" state. He said, "NDA government under Nitish Kumar in Bihar is necessary to strengthen resolve of ''Aatmanirbhar Bharat."

Modi also paid his respect to late Ram Vilas Paswan and Raghuvansh Prasad Singh. He said he bows down his head to the “sons of Bihar lost their lives in Galwan Valley for the tricolour and ensured Bharat Mata's head is held high.”

Modi also paid his respect to late Ram Vilas Paswan and Raghuvansh Prasad Singh. He said he bows down his head to the “sons of Bihar lost their lives in Galwan Valley for the tricolour and ensured Bharat Mata's head is held high.”

The Mahagathbandhan leaders Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav cornered NDA on the rising unemployment in Bihar. “Don’t lie to Biharis, Modi Ji. Did you give jobs to Biharis? Last elections, PM promised two crores jobs, no one got them. In public, he says I bow my head to Army, farmers, labourers and traders. But once he reaches home, he only works for Ambani and Adani,” Gandhi said at the rally. He claimed that that NDA’s new farm laws are an attack on the farmers.

Targeting Modi on the Galwan Valley face-off Gandhi said, “The Chinese army martyred 20 of our soldiers and took over 1200 kilometres of our land. When China came inside our land, why did our PM, insulting the heroes, said that no one came inside India.” Bihar Assembly Elections 2020 Phase 1 Key Candidates: From Tejashwi Yadav to Luv Sinha, The Big Names in First Phase of Polls on October 28.

Tejashwi Yadav promised 10 lakh jobs to the Bihar youth if the Mahagathbandhan comes to power, adding, “PM is most welcomed in Bihar but he should have given answers about special status to Bihar, absence of factories, unemployment and other state issues.” Yadav also attacked the current Bihar CM Nitish Kumar saying that he is tired and “can’t handle Bihar now.” Refuting Kumar’s claim that factories don’t come to Bihar because it is landlocked, Yadav said, “Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana are also landlocked states, yet our people go there to work as they have factories.”

Tejashwi also said that Bihar CM snatched the jobs from the employed and didn’t do anything for the migrant labourer during the coronavirus lockdown. He also said that with Lalu coming out of Jail on November 9, Nitish Kumar’s time is up.

Gandhi called out Modi on the migrant labour crisis and said that the PM was not concerned about the labourers and announced a nationwide lockdown without proper notice period. He also attacked the government on its failure to address the migrant labourer’s crisis.

Bihar Assembly Election is the biggest political gamble for the year. With the political titans jumping in the campaign, Bihar is all set to witness a massive political snakes and ladders of politicians struggling to reach the top and pushing others to the bottom. The Bihar Assembly Elections will be conducted in three phases between October 28 to November 7. The results will be declared on November 10.

 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 23, 2020 07:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).