Bihar polls fight between dark era under RJD rule and bright era of NDA govt: Nadda

Patna, Oct 31 (PTI) BJP president J P Nadda on Friday asserted that the Bihar assembly elections will be a fight between “the dark era of RJD’s jungle raj” and “the bright streak of development” under the NDA.

Addressing a poll rally at Bikram in Patna, Nadda said Bihar has come on the track of development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, “and we need to keep this track safe and sound”.

Hailing the NDA’s manifesto for the Bihar polls released on Friday morning, he said it has promised to give “one crore government jobs” to the youth of Bihar, alongside other employment opportunities if the alliance is voted to power again.

He said the manifesto also mentions plans to “rename the Kisan Samman Nidhi to Karpoori Thakur Samman Nidhi” under which farmers will be provided an increased sum of Rs 9,000 across the year in three equal instalments. Earlier, farmers were given Rs 2,000 thrice a year.

Alleging that the RJD stands for 'Rangdari' (extortion), 'Jungle raj' (anarchy) and 'Dadagiri' (intimidation), Nadda slammed party leader Tejashwi Yadav for raising the issue of migration in the state, claiming that his father Lalu Prasad had in the past remarked that “Biharis go outside wearing a ‘gamcha’ (a traditional cotton towel) and return wearing a tie and suit”.

Recalling that there was an era when generators used to operate in villages and towns of Bihar, Nadda claimed that “today, electricity has reached every corner of the state”.

The BJP chief also said “internet has reached every village, helping content creators and influencers carve out a niche in the digital world”.

Nadda said the Nitish Kumar-led government has provided 75 lakh women in the state with Rs 10,000 each, adding that “if the NDA is voted to power again, it will give the women Rs 2 lakh each” to make them self-employed.

“Under the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat scheme, 62 crore Indians, including more than 5 crore Biharis, are being provided Rs 5 lakh health coverage,” he said.

Campaigning for Bikram candidate Siddharth Saurabh, Nadda said, “He has laid the foundation stone of a trauma centre, given approval for a bridge at Naubatpur, which will help reduce traffic snarls, and Rs 200 crore has been approved for constructing pucca roads across villages”.

Nadda was also expected to address a public rally in Buxar district earlier in the day, which “got cancelled due to rain and bad weather,” said BJP spokesperson Neeraj Kumar. PTI SUK RBT