Zero plus zero is zero: Shah on Nitish, Lalu tie-up

BJP chief says their merger would not pay them any dividend

Taking the battle to Nitish Kumar's home turf, BJP President Amit Shah today ridiculed the Janata Parivar alliance with Lalu Prasad saying "zero plus zero remains a zero" and claimed that nobody can stop the saffron party from coming to power in Bihar.

Attacking the duo, he asserted their merger would not pay them any dividend.

"Whether its 'mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) or 'mahavilay' (grant merger) nobody can stop BJP from coming to power in Bihar with two-thirds majority in coming poll," Shah said in his speech at 'Karyakarta Samagam' (workers congregation) on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar.

In his about 15-minute speech at the historic Gandhi maidan, he attacked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar by accusing him of "stabbing on the back the mandate given to BJP, JD(U) combine in 2010 state poll (by ties with BJP)."

Making a snide remark on Kumar, he said "Once again he is trying to usher in 'jungle raj' (by joining hands with RJD) in the state which BJP along with JD(U) had ended earlier."

Both Shah and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who was also present, dwelt on the achievements of Narendra Modi government in past 10 months and appealed to the party workers to make people aware that BJP government in Bihar would help it become the "front running state in the country."

Singh attacked Kumar and Prasad for sustained campaign against the Modi government.

"Nitish Kumar is spreading hatred against us by propagating that we have economically harmed the state even after increasing share in central taxes from 32 per cent to 42 per cent and demanding special package for Bihar. The fact is that we have given him more than what he is seeking," he said.

"Let them throw mud on us, we will not back from our duty to help Bihar become front-runner among states in the country," he said.

He also took potshots at the merger of old Janata Parivar "merely with an aim to stop BJP from coming to power in the state".