The political war-of-words in Bihar’s election campaigns became hotter on Monday with top leaders, including L.K. Advani, Rahul Gandhi, Nitish Kumar, Sharad Yadav and Lalu Prasad Yadav, making fiery speeches to woo voters for the remaining four phases of the Assembly polls.
As Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi sharpened his attacks on the Bihar’s ruling JD(U)-BJP government in a crowded public meetings, JD(U) national president Sharad Yadav mocked at him and the Nehru-Gandhi family. In an unusually personal attack, Mr Yadav described the Congress youth icon as a mere political novice and said he (Gandhi) should have been “picked up and thrown into the Ganga”.
Addressing campaign meetings at Ramnagar in Bettiah, Kuchaikot in Gopalganj and Manjhi in Chapra, Mr Gandhi stressed on the disparity between the massive central funding to Bihar and the development work found on the ground in the state. “Your chief minister says Bihar is shining. He says this to the whole country and the world. But both you and I are astonished because Biharis still go to other states looking for work. In Mumbai, Raj Thackeray says Biharis must be driven out of there,” said Mr Gandhi at Manjhi.
Amid the Congress party’s euphoric campaigns and ambition coming from all the 243 constituencies having the party’s candidates, Mr Gandhi admitted the challenges before him. “The Congress party’s road is tough in Bihar. But like in UP, where people had mocked at us, we will go ahead in Bihar. I promise we will work hand in hand with you to bring real development to Bihar,” he said. Mr Gandhi’s meeting at Manjhi was briefly disrupted by some angry Congress workers.
In Hajipur, blaming the Congress policies for India’s backwardness, Mr Advani attacked the Congress and urged voters to give Nitish Kumar and Sushil Kumar Modi another chance to complete the “historic development initiatives started amid praise from far and wide”. Senior BJP leader Ananth Kumar described the Congress as “the 12th batsman in a 20-20 cricket match”.
Mr Nitish Kumar also stepped up his attacks on arch rival and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in Chhapra. “Earlier people (RJD) asked for lathis to be regularly polished with oil. But we asked for ink to be replenished in the pens. The time of lathis has gone. This is the era of knowledge,” said Mr Kumar.