Modi attacks Nitish & Co, hints at Bihar special package (Roundup)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday denounced Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, only hours after sharing a stage with him, and RJD leader Lalu Prasad as he formally kickstarted the NDA's campaign for the Bihar assembly polls.

Urging the thousands gathered at Chakkar Maidan in Muzaffarpur not to bring back "jungle raj" in Bihar, Modi bracketed Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad as he sought support for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies.

Only hours after praising Nitish Kumar in Patna for his requests and suggestions related to Bihar's development, Modi did a u-turn, hitting out at the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader for the state's backwardness.

"I was not the only one to be backstabbed by him. The people of Bihar were also backstabbed," he thundered at the rally, referring to the chief minister's decision to leave the National Democratic Alliance after Modi was picked to head the BJP for the 2014 parliamentary battle.

He said Nitish Kumar had strangled Bihar's development by ending an alliance with the BJP and joining hands with former foe RJD.

Modi said there were some problems with Nitish Kumar's "DNA", and he cannot be trusted. "The DNA of democracy is not like that. In democracy, you give respect even to your political rivals."

Modi said Nitish Kumar betrayed the people by not fulfilling his promise to provide electricity to all.

"Nitish Kumar had repeatedly stated that if he was unable to provide electricity to the whole of Bihar, he would not come seek votes again in 2015...

"Have you got electricity? It has not come. But he has come to ask for votes. He betrayed your trust."

Terming RJD as "Rozana Jungleraj ka Darr", the BJP veteran asserted that his party would not allow the return of "jungle raj" in Bihar. "This election is to get rid of RJD."

"Like the Lok Sabha polls, give us two-third majority to develop Bihar. I promise I will fulfil the dreams of the people in 60 months if the BJP is voted to power."

He promised to provide round-the-clock electricity to the people. He promised a special package of more than Rs.50,000 crore to Bihar for its development.

The rally was attended by all BJP leaders from Bihar including half-a-dozen union ministers and allies Ram Vilas Paswan and Upender Kushwaha. The BJP's new ally, former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, also shared the stage with Modi.

Earlier, in Patna, Modi lauded Nitish Kumar but targeted Lalu Prasad and the Congress on Bihar's development.

Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United, the RJD, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party have formed a grand alliance to defeat the BJP-led coalition in the coming election.

Modi made the comments after flagging off the Daniyawa-Biharsharif railway line and the Patna-Mumbai railway line here. He blamed the UPA for failing to complete the Barauni fertilizer factory in Bihar.

Modi said his government's agenda was to develop eastern India including Bihar. "Unless Bihar is developed, the country cannot be developed."

Lalu Prasad accused Modi of trying to create a rift between him and Nitish Kumar. "Modi is lauding one of us and attacking another. It is a strategy to divide us. But it will never succeed."