It’s going to be the Grand Alliance of seven ruling partners Vs Amit Shah in Bihar. Both these major players on Saturday sounded poll bugle with a show of strength in Bihar.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on his day-long visit to Bihar addressed an impressive rally at Sahu Jain High School maidan in Lauriya in West Champaran and another at Patna’s Bapu Sabhagar on the occasion of the birth anniversary to the Kisan leader Swami Sahajanand Saraswati.
The entire city of Patna was adorned with Amit Shah’s posters, banners and hoardings throughout. At the main roundabouts women and men in colourful dresses were seen standing in wait for his cavalcade of to welcome the home minister.
On the other hand, the seven-party ruling alliance also organised a huge rally at Ranghbhumi Maidan in Purnia. All the prominent leaders of the seven partners addressed the gathering, including state Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy, Tejshwi Prasad Yadav.
One thing was common and obvious about the two leaders – Nitish Kumar and Amit Shah. They both sharpened their attacks against each other amidst cheering and clapping of supporters.
“Nitish is daydreaming to becoming PM of this country. Every three years he has a tendency to daydream of becoming PM. Again this time also he is again feeling the same,” said Amit Shah and added “all the BJP doors are closed for him forever. We have had enough of him.
He further said, “We had kept our promises to make him CM after 2020 assembly polls, but he chose to sit with Congress and RJD. Nitish joined hands with these two parties after dumping the BJP to realise his prime ministerial dream which he keeps reviving every three years.”
This is the third visit of Amit Shah to Bihar in the last seven months. During his address at bordering Lauriya in West Champaran Indo-Nepal borders were sealed.
“Bihar is in a bad shape, there is a total absence of law and order in the state. Sand and liquor mafias are now active in the state. There is a revival of ‘jungle Raj’ in Bihar,” said Shah. There is a deal with Laloo Prasad Yadav to make Tejashwi the CM, he added.
The home minister recalled that the Centre had sanctioned a sum of Rs 15,000 crore for three projects, but lamented that the Bihar government failed to provide a piece of land. He said the Valmikinagar would be linked with the Ramayan circuit in Bihar.
His junior counterpart Nityanand Rai said Champaran’s huge crowd has proved that BJP will bounce back in Bihar again in the next election.
Addressing an impressive rally at Rangbhumi maidan in Purnia, CM Nitish Kumar said that BJP leaders are trying to divide Hindus and Muslims and create tension in the bordering districts of Bihar. He called upon the people to be alert and don’t fall into their trap.
Recalling Modi’s promises in 2014, the CM said, “He (the PM) had assured the people of Purnia of special status for Bihar. But we are deprived of any special package or grant till date,” he said, adding “Amit Shah had promised our pending demand of the new airport at Purnia. We were ready to provide a piece of land for this purpose.”
“We have to wipe out the BJP from Bihar at any cost. Our grand alliance is strong and intact. We all are one despite our ideological differences with a promise to save the country from divisive forces”, he said.
On the occasion, he reiterated his commitment never ever to go anywhere. He has no personal ambition except for taking an initiative to make a strong Opposition alliance in the country to save democracy and to save the constitution.
CM Nitish Kumar again urged Congress leaders to take a final decision in forging an alliance to fight the BJP. “If the Congress joins the alliance, we will restrict the BJP to less than 100 seats,” he asserted.
Amid demands for jobs from the agitated crowd gathered at the venue, he said “We are in the process of giving 10 lakhs job in the state. We are also considering a hike in teachers’ salaries. So, don’t worry and don’t believe in rumours spread by our detractors.”
“They (read BJP) have forgotten the contributions of leaders like Atalji, Advaniji, Murli Manohar Joshiji and Arun Jaitely ji. We have worked and learned with them,” he said.
“Now, BJP is trying to lure Jitan Ram Manjhi in their fold. When he was with them what he got. BJP has an expertise in loud talk only. The party has tried its best to weaken JDU during the 2020 assembly polls,” he said.
A video-recorded message of RJD president Laloo Prasad Yadav was played at the Purnia rally in which he stressed that “there must not be any confusion about our relationship with Nitish. Our alliance is strong. We will break our previous records in both 2024 and 2025 elections”.
“RSS and BJP are all the same. They are against any reservation to the Dalits and underprivileged. There is an unprecedented poverty and unemployment in the country. We must dislodge this government at the Centre to save the constitution. We will not allow division in the country on communal lines”, he said.
Currently, Laloo Prasad Yadav is in New Delhi, with his eldest daughter Miss Bharati who is a Rajya Sabha member, after undergoing kidney transplant in Singapore.
He profusely thanked his second daughter, Rohini Acharya, for donating her kidney to her father. “I will never be able to repay her sacrifice in my life,” he said.