Ahead of assembly polls, Amit Shah arrives on two-day tour of Bihar

Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Bihar on Saturday, on a two-day tour during which he is scheduled to meet leaders of the BJP-led NDA, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and address a couple of public functions.

The former BJP president was received at the airport here by party leaders, including Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, an ex-chief of the state unit.

"We are excited over the Bihar tour of Amit Shah ji, who has promised that a grand temple of Goddess Sita, comparable to the Ram Janmabhoomi at Ayodhya, will be built in our state", Rai told reporters while waiting for his boss.

Arguably the second most powerful man in the BJP after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah drove straight to the party office, about two kilometers away, traversing through streets full of posters and banners put up by the party cadres.

According to state BJP chief Dilip Jaiswal, Shah would interact with the party's legislators, followed by a meeting, "till late in the night, of the core committee that comprises Union ministers from Bihar and other senior leaders".

On Sunday, Shah will address a function of the Cooperation department, a portfolio he holds along with Home, which is likely to be attended by thousands of people.

Shah will thereafter leave for a rally in Gopalganj district.

"Upon return from Gopalganj, Shah will visit the residence of the chief minister for a crucial meeting of the NDA, before boarding his return flight," said the Bihar BJP president.

The visit of Shah, widely regarded as the BJP's principal strategist, comes months ahead of the Bihar assembly polls which the party would contest in alliance with the JD(U), headed by Nitish Kumar, besides smaller partners like Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Hindustani Awam Morcha, of Union ministers Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi, respectively.