On Nitish turf, Modi talks 'power' crisis

Shares stage with LJP chief Paswan for the first time in 12 years

Sharing the stage with Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan for the first time in 12 years, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) prime ministerial candidate — Narendra Modi — on Monday said that the coming decade will be the decade of development and progress of the Dalits.

 

“The Third Front parties work to save the Congress party … Third Front comes up only during the elections and it has never benefitted the country,” he said, while addressing the Hunkar rally at Muzzafarpur in Bihar.

 

Criticising the ruling Janata Dal (United) government, Modi said that the Nitish Kumar government has failed to create jobs for unemployed youth in the state. He alleged that a number of vacancies were available in various departments of the government but no steps were being taken to fill the posts.

"In Bihar, it is news when there is electricity, not when there's a power cut," he said.

 

He alleged that the Bihar government was soft on terror and its lackadaisical attitude towards terrorists was due to vote bank politics. 

 

Terrorism is destroying the country and the border India shares with Nepal is a cause for massive concern, he added. 

 

The Gujarat Chief Minister also raked up the October 27 Patna rally bomb blasts.

 

He said: “People may be opposed to the BJP or Modi but why were innocent people targeted ... those who died were my brothers and sisters from Bihar but those indulging in vote-bank politics can't understand this.”

 

“Today's rally is for our rights, for change, for development. We have to get rid of vote bank politics," he added.

Modi compared Nitish Kumar's "hypocrisy" with Paswan's "openness". "Ram Vilas Paswan always greeted me with respect after leaving the NDA. He didn't shy away from being photographed with me," he said.

 

Earlier, addressing the rally Paswan appealed the people to break the barriers of caste, creed and religion for development of the state.  

 

The LJP chief was the first leader to quit the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government after the 2002 Gujarat communal violence. 

 

Meanwhile, senior Bihar BJP leaders skipped Modi’s 'Hunkar rally' as they were reportedly unhappy with the party's tie-up with Paswan's LJP in the state. 

 

Paswan's LJP sealed a pre-poll alliance with the BJP after he was offered seven Lok Sabha seats in Bihar.