Lok Janshakti Party president Chirag Paswan on Wednesday tore into Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for using Prime Minister Narendra Modi's name to win the assembly election in the state. Paswan, who has closen to plough a lonely furrow in the ongoing polls, asked Nitish about development works in his tenure.
"Nitish Kumar ji wants to win election using Prime Minister Narendra Modi's name. Your (Nitish Kumar) work in the last five years still remains a secret. JDU leaders only count on Centre government's yojanas. JDU has destroyed the state," the LJP leader wrote on Twitter.
The LJP has fielded its candidates in over 140 seats of the 243-strong assembly, mostly against those fighting on a JD(U) ticket. Chirag during campaigns even declared that the BJP and LJP will form the net government in Bihar and urged the public not to vote for Nitish. The LJP quit the NDA ahead of polls, citing ideological differences with Nitish Kumar. Chirag has been vocal against Nitish over several issues including the handling of Covid-19 situation, migrants exodus and floods in the state.
Nitish Kumar is seeking a fourth consecutive win this election. The JD(U) and BJP have been ruling in the state since 2005, barring the 2013-17 period.
Earlier on Sunday, Paswan said that Nitish Kumar might ditch the BJP after the assembly poll results are out and join the RJD-led Grand Alliance to make yet another attempt at posing a challenge to the NDA in the 2024 general elections. The Jamui MP had said that the LJP was and will remain loyal towards the BJP, which was staring at the spectre of yet another "paltimaar" by the JD(U) president.
Meanwhile, BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda has asserted that berating Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar while lavishing praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a "conspiracy" to split votes which could benefit the opposition RJD.
Bihar is the the first state to go to polls in the midst of pandemic. The Election Commission of India has made elaborate arrangements to ensure the smooth conduct of the democratic exercise with strict Covid guidelines in place. Polling in the first phase on October 28 covered 71 seats. The turnout was over 55 per cent. Polling in the second phase took place on Tuesday, covering 94 constituencies. The turnout was nearly 54 per cent. The remaining 78 seats will go to polls in the third phase on November 7. The results will be declared on November 10.
