BJP announces mass contact programme in poll-bound Bihar

BJP today announced a mass contact programme in poll-bound Bihar, where it is set to face the Lalu-Nitish combine, with President Amit Shah diecting all MPs to tour five villages every day to reach out to voters.
Former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi also hinted at the possibility of a tie-up with former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and expelled RJD MP Pappu Yadav, saying the "size of his party's alliance may increase" but added BJP has received no proposal from them so far.
Shah chaired a meeting of all party MPs from the state, which was also atended by key state unit leaders, including its chief Mangal Pandey and Modi, where they dwelled on their strategy ahead of the state assembly election.

"We mainly deliberated on the mass contact programme to spread the good work being done by the Narendra Modi government and to expose the unholy alliance of Nitsh Kumar, Lalu Yadav and Congress," Sushil Kumar Modi told reporters.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has joined hands with his former foe Lalu Yadav of RJD to take on BJP after the saffron alliance routed both the parties in Lok Sabha elections in May last. Though their planned merger has hit a roadblock, both regional parties are likely to fight the assemly polls together.
The contact programme will start from May 25 and an MP is likely to visit 400 villages, he said.

Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, and Giriraj Singh were among those who attended the meeting.

Asked about tie-up with Manjhi and Pappu Yadav, Modi said all options are open.
"We have not received any proposal from them so far. We have an existing alliance and its size may increase," he said.
Ramvilas Paswan-led LJP and Upendra Kushwaha-led RLSP are the BJP's existing allies in the state.
During the drive, BJP will also verify the details of new members made through mobile calls in its recent membership drive, he said.
Making light of Nitish Kumar's recent assertion that tree bears fruits only after due time after he was asked about the fate of the merger of 'Janata Parivar' offshoots, Modi said BJP's storm in Bihar will not let Kumar's tree flower let alone bearing fruits.