Aurangabad/Bhabhua (Bihar): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that the record turnout in the first phase of Bihar assembly polls was proof that people have reposed their trust in the “track record of Narendra and Nitish”.
While the NDA will register its largest victory in this election, the Congress is now busy finding excuses for the impending defeat, the PM claimed.
Addressing back-to-back rallies in Aurangabad and Bhabhua, the headquarters of Kaimur district, in the poll-bound state, Modi predicted victory of the NDA, led in Bihar by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the JD(U) president, and also lauded the Election Commission for successfully conducting elections across 121 constituencies where voting was held.
He cited the examples of Ram temple in Ayodhya, abrogation of Article 370 and Operation Sindoor to assert “I do what I promise”.
“Yesterday, the voters of Bihar broke all records. Never before in the history of the state has there been such a high poll percentage. Much of the credit goes to mothers and sisters, the Maatri Shakti (mother power), who turned up in large numbers to raise the turnout to nearly 65 per cent. It is evident that they all have trust in the track record of Narendra-Nitish,” said Modi.
The people have voted to ensure that an NDA government, which would guarantee good governance, remains in place in Bihar, the PM said.
“They have not been taken in by the false promises of RJD-helmed opposition. Even the Congress, despite being an ally, is not trusting the RJD’s promises made in their manifesto,” claimed Modi.
Without mentioning INDIA bloc Chief Ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav by name, the PM said “The crown prince of jungle raj gets tongue tied whenever he is asked what are his plans for fulfilling the bogus promises he has been making”.
People do not want a return of the ‘jungle raj’ during which Naxals ruled the roost and several lives were claimed in violence that used to take place during elections, he asserted.
Hinting at a poll campaign of the RJD, which has been a matter of controversy, Modi said, “The jungle raj wallahs have taught even children to speak of things like katta (unlicensed country-made handgun) and dunaali (double-barreled gun)”.
“Investors would run away at the sight of lantern (RJD) panja (palm of hand symbol of Congress) and laal jhanda (red flags of the Left). They must have tried to create mischief this time as well. But I commend the Election Commission for conducting orderly polls,” said Modi.
The Prime Minister alleged that Nitish Kumar, the state’s longest serving Chief Minister, whom he credited with having “brought jungle raj to an end”, faced non-cooperation from the Centre “in the first nine years of his tenure”, when Congress-led UPA was in power.
They tried to take revenge on the people of Bihar, alleged Modi.
“People have faith in the track record of Modi and Nitish because I do what I promise. Today a Ram temple is in place at Ayodhya, which has undone 500 years of injustice. Article 370 has been scrapped. And, I had promised on Bihar’s soil that perpetrators of Pahalgam terror attack will be punished. You all know what happened in Operation Sindoor,” said Modi.
In an apparent jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s “Vote theft” charge, Modi claimed the opposition party was “already busy finding excuses for impending defeat. They are carrying out a net practice of how to explain why they lost Bihar”.
“It is now confirmed that the NDA will register its largest victory in this election. I urge you to be ready for a victory celebration after November 14,” he told the gathering.
Speaking in an area of Bihar from where a large number of people are known to be in the armed forces, the Prime Minister also spoke of the one rank one pension scheme which has led to Rs one lakh crore being transferred into accounts of ex-servicemen.
“The RJD people might not even know how many zeros are in one lakh crore,” chuckled Modi, adding: “They cannot think of providing jobs to the people. They made people do away with their land while promising jobs. Now they are out on bail,” said the PM.
The allusion was to land for jobs scam, pertaining to tenure of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad as Railway Minister in the UPA 1 government. Prasad and a number of his family members, including son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav, are named in the case.
“The Congress and RJD know nothing except a politics of insults. They heaped scorn on Chhathi Maiya by calling it a drama. They had spoken ill of Maha Kumbh. On November 11, when the second phase of polls is scheduled, you must punish them,” said Modi.
The allusion was to Lalu Prasad’s remarks about the 12 yearly mega congregation held at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh several months ago and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s charge that Modi had enacted a “drama” by declaring that he would take a dip in Yamuna on Chhath but backtracked when the news got leaked that a puddle had been formed close to the river banks with “clean, piped water”.
Without naming Revanth Reddy, who has stoked a controversy with “Congress means Muslims, Muslims means Congress” remark, Modi said, “Their Chief Minister in Telangana is in news. I will speak about that at a later stage. But you can see the writing on the wall”.
In an obvious reference to the Nehru-Gandhi family, Modi alleged, “The Congress tried to politically finish off Babasaheb Ambedkar because his stature had grown bigger than the royal dynasty. They also belittled sons of Bihar like Babu Jagjivan Ram and Sitaram Kesri”.
