Modi slams JD-U for dumping BJP

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Saturday targeted the ruling Janata Dal-United in Bihar, saying that people of the state will reply in next general elections to the party's decision to severe ties with the BJP.

"People of Bihar will give reply to the JD-U for its betrayal," Modi, who was last month anointed as the chief of BJP's poll campaign committee, told nearly 1,500 Bihar BJP workers via teleconference.

Without naming Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who last month dumped the BJP which was its alliance partner, Modi endorsed state party leaders' stand that there was anger against the JD-U leader.

Modi also blamed the Congress-led UPA government for high inflation, rampant corruption and other problems in the country.

The Gujarat chief minister promised Bihar BJP workers that he will attend the party's rally in Patna in October.

"I will come and attend the rally in Patna," Modi told BJP leader and former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi during the teleconference.

Modi used the audio bridge communication technology during the teleconferencing to talk to nearly 500 BJP workers in Patna and the remaining 1,000 in different parts of the state.

"Modi directly talked with party workers in Patna, small towns and villages on their mobile phone," said BJP state president Mangal Pandey.

The Gujarat chief minister told the BJP workers that it was for the first time that he used teleconferencing to talk to partymen outside his own state.