Hitting where it hurts

The war of words in Bihar ahead of the Assembly polls has reached a hysterical crescendo. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday addressed a series of rallies in Munger, Samastipur, Nawada and Begusarai, and is expected to address a few more before the first phase of polling in the state. On the podium before him in Munger was a banner with the slogan, "Badliye sarkar, badliye Bihar" (change the government, change Bihar). He used every opportunity to attack the ruling party and its allies in the state. He said the election was a clear two-way contest: on one side was "Jungle Raj" and on the other, "Vikas Raj". Targeting the "mahagathbandhan" (the Janata Parivar alliance) he said the Janata Dal (United) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) were sitting "with those who jailed Jayaprakash Narayan during Emergency". "Laluji, elections come and go but please do not forget these are the people who stood with you," he reminded RJD chief Lalu Prasad.