Bihar Elections: Both NDA, secular alliance trying to create tension: Tariq Anwar

Anwar added that the issue of development has taken a back seat in Bihar elections

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) today charged both the BJP-led NDA and the grand secular alliance of JD(U)-RJD-Congress with trying to create communal and caste tensions to win the Bihar Assembly elections.

"The issue of development has taken a back seat in Bihar elections and leaders of both the NDA and grand secular alliance are trying to create communal and caste tension to win the electoral battle in Bihar," NCP General Secretary and local MP Tariq Anwar told PTI.

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Anwar, who arrived yesterday on a four-day campaign tour of Katihar, said he would appeal the voters to help and strengthen secular forces in the elections on 201 seats as NCP was contesting only on 42 seats in Bihar.

Whatever be the results, NCP would help secular forces in forming the government after elections, if the results throw such a situation (where grand secular alliance could form the government), Anwar said.

Admitting that there is a stiff fight on almost all constituencies, he claimed NCP is placed on a better position in Katihar and its surrounding areas.

On the use of indecent and unparliamentary language and personal attacks by leaders of various political parties, the NCP leader said even the Election Commission was finding itself in an uncomfortable position to take action against them (leaders) despite the fact that they were violating the Model Code of Conduct.

It may be noted that the NCP on October 15 had walked out of the third front citing pro-BJP statements by Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Reiterating his party's stand, Anwar said NCP decided to quit the 'third front' due to SP and Pappu Yadav's Jan Adhikar Party showing 'soft corner' for the BJP.

"I am personally pained on Mulayam Singh's pro-BJP statement and to top it all, Lalu Prasad's silence on Mulayam's statement shows Lalu was giving much importance to his relations," he said.

The SP, NCP, Janadhikar Party of Madhepura MP Pappu Yadav, Samajwadi Janata Party of former Union Minister Devendra Prasad Yadav, National Peoples Party of former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma and Samras Samaj Party of former Union Minister Nagmani together had formed the third front.