Speaking at an election rally in Purnea, Nitish Kumar said this will be his last election.
Soon after Nitish Kumar's stunning statement that this was his last election, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) president Chirag Paswan launched a two-pronged attack on the Bihar chief minister accusing him of running away from the battleground.
BIHAR ELECTION 2020: FULL COVERAGE
Speaking at a rally in Purnea's Dhamdaha on Thursday, Nitish Kumar said," "Today is the last day (of campaign for the final phase of assembly election). Polling will take place the day after tomorrow. This is my last election... ant bhala to sab bhala (all's well that ends well)" Nitish is seeking a record fourth term as CM this year.
Nitish's remark on the last day of campaigning for third phase polls triggered speculation about the 69-year-old leader's retirement from politics. Hours later, his party clarified. "I would like to clarify that Nitish ji has said that this is his last election. He is, and will stay in politics," Harivansh, deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha, who is a member of the JD-U, said.
Also Read: 'I need Nitish Kumar's govt for all-round development': PM Modi's open letter to people of Bihar
Tejashwi Yadav, Nitish Kumar's main challenger in Bihar and Chirag Paswan, were quick to grab the opportunity to target the chief minister. While Tejashwi repeated his 'worn out' barb against him, Chirag said the JD-U president has ran away leaving behind the people in lurch.
"We have been saying this for long that Nitish Kumar ji has worn out and he is not able to manage Bihar. Now on the last day of election campaign, he has announced that he is taking retirement from politics, maybe he has understood the ground realities," news agency ANI quoted Tejashwi, who is Mahagathbandhan's CM face in Bihar, as saying.
Chirag Paswan reiterated that if voted to power, his government will launch a probe into all corruption cases during Nitsh's tenure and that he won't hesitate in sending the CM to jail if found guilty. Paswan's LJP was part of the NDA in Bihar, however, the young leader walked out of the alliance just ahead of elections raising questions over Nitish's working.
"If a leader runs away from the battlefield what will his people do? If he thinks that with this he will be able to escape a corruption investigation, then I won't let it happen. If he's found guilty, he will have to go to jail," Paswan said.
Bihar will vote in the third and final phase on November 7. Counting of votes for all 243 seats is scheduled for November 10.
WATCH: Tejashwi Yadav slams Nitish Kumar
