Bihar will get special status only after NDA victory: Paswan

Special category status to Bihar will be granted only when a NDA government will come to power in the state after the 2015 assembly polls, union Food and Public Distribution Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said Sunday.

"Special status will be given to Bihar when NDA comes to power in the state and create favourable conditions," Paswan told media persons here to a question on the ruling Janata Dal-United's campaign and Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and his predecessor Nitish Kumar's repeated accusations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had betrayed the state and its people on the issue.

Paswan, also the chief of the Lok Janshakti Party, said that the JD-U government has been uselessly blaming Modi on the issue.

"Even if the status is given, it is of no use because the JD-U government has failed to develop infrastructure in the state for it. The state government is not using funds provided by the central government for development," he said.

The LJP chief's comments echo those of leaders of ally Bharatiya Janata Party, including former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi and leader of opposition in the state assembly Nand Kishore Yadav, who also contended that Bihar will be accorded special status only if a National Democratic Alliance government comes to power in the state.