Kahalgaon (Bihar): Calling the BJP-JD(U) partnership in Bihar as ‘superhit’ as the opening pair of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag in cricket, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Wednesday one can debate on the quantum of development done by Nitish Kumar, but no one can point a finger at the chief minister on the issue of corruption. Rajnath Singh also attacked the opposition and said people had also witnessed the 15-year tenure of the RJD government in Bihar. They can well understand the difference between the ‘misrule’ of that time and the good governance of the Nitish Kumar-led alliance government.
Rajnath was addressing a rally here in Bhagalpur district ahead of Assembly polls beginning October 28. “The alliance of the BJP and the JD(U) is as superhit as the opening pair of Sachin and Sehwag of the Indian cricket team,” Rajnath said. He said the alliance government has provided basic facilities of electricity, road and water, which Bihar lacked for decades.
“People have seen the 15-year rule of ‘lalten’ (RJD’s poll symbol lantern). They also seen the development of Bihar during the BJP-JD(U) alliance government. The performance of these two governments cannot be compared. The state has got transformed under the NDA government,” the minister asserted.
Praising Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi of BJP, Singh said there are no charges of corruption against them. “I am not making this claim that Nitish Kumar has done everything for Bihar. It could be debated whether he has done enough work or less work. However, there can be no debate on their integrity,” Rajnath stated. He said no one can point a finger at Kumar on the issue of corruption.
Taking potshots at the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Rajnath, speaking in local Bhojpuri language, said ‘lalten’ has cracked and its oil has leaked and nothing will work now.
“The era of lalten (lamp) is over. It now the era of LED bulb under Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” asserted Rajnath. He also spoke at length about various welfare schemes of the Modi government such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana.
Rajnath is scheduled to address at least 18 rallies in Bihar in six days spanning over all three phases of the assembly elections. Polls for the 243-member Bihar Assembly will be held in three phases – October 28, November 3 and November 7. Counting of votes will take place November 10.