A day ahead of first phase of Bihar polls, campaign continues for last leg

Patna, Nov 5 (PTI) A day ahead of the phase one of the assembly polls in Bihar, campaign continued for the second and final leg on Wednesday when rallies were addressed in different parts by BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda and Congress general secretary Priyanka Vadra, among others.

Vadra, who is canvassing for an election in Bihar for the first time, travelled to the remote West Champaran district where she held two back to back rallies, slammed the Narendra Modi government at the Centre for the alleged "vote theft".

Referring to the allegations of electoral roll manipulation in BJP-ruled states by "my brother" Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Vadra also lambasted leaders of the BJP-led coalition for repeatedly targeting her family for "dynasty politics".

The Wayanad MP, whose father, grandmother and great grandfather have been Prime Ministers, asserted that the BJP was unable to appreciate the "sacrifices" made by her ancestors and rued that the first PM of the country, Jawaharlal Nehru, was being "insulted" in India while continuing to get admiration abroad.

On the other hand, Nadda centred his campaign, at a couple of rallies, on "HIRA", the betterment in highways, internet, railways and air connectivity brought in Bihar and elsewhere by the NDA, drawing a contrast with RJD which, he claimed, stood for lawlessness and highhandedness.

Other star campaigners of the BJP who were in the state included Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, a former president of the party, who flayed Gandhi for allegedly "demanding caste-based reservations in the armed forces".

Singh, a former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, addressed a total of four rallies in the poll-bound state.

The current incumbent in UP Yogi Adityanath also held a couple of rallies where he described the INDIA bloc as "Ram drohis" (betrayers of Lord Rama) who would be vanquished by the five-party strong NDA in Bihar, which was comparable to the "Pandavas".

The imagery of Lord Rama was also invoked by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who said while Prime Minister Narendra Modi represented the ideals embodied by the deity, the INDIA bloc was carrying forward the legacy of "Babur and Aurangzeb".

Sarma also fulminated against the demand for a "Muslim Chief Minister in Bihar" raised by AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, whom he offered a "ticket to Pakistan".

Former Union minister Anurag Thakur, another BJP star campaigner, alleged in north Bihar district of Madhubani that INDIA bloc Chief Ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav had "betrayed his father, brother, sisters and other family members" and would cheat the people of the state if he came to power.

Meanwhile, the state braces for a day of hectic activity on Thursday, when voting will take place across 121 assembly seats in the first phase.

Several rallies are also scheduled during the day, including those by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will be addressing election meetings in Araria and Bhagalpur.

Rahul Gandhi is also scheduled to address a couple of rallies while three election meetings each will be held by Vadra and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

In addition, Rajnath Singh and Yogi Adityanath will be back to address four rallies each. PTI TEAM NAC NN