Nitish Kumar in Patna before leaving for the 17-day Sampark yatra. (Press Trust of India)
Bettiah, Bihar:
Nitish Kumar is back, defending his turf against the BJP's advances in Bihar, where state elections will be held next year. He launched a lacerating political attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on an assortment of issues, including a swipe at his Clean India campaign.
During his speech, an unusually combative Mr Kumar played out excerpts from Mr Modi's Lok Sabha campaign in Bihar to allege that after becoming PM he had forgotten about Bihar, which gave the BJP 22 of its 40 Lok Sabha seats.
"The acche din (good days) of the jhaadu (broom) are here," said the former Bihar chief minster and explained, "Someone was just saying that India may not have become clean, but the price of jhaadus has certainly gone up. First you place garbage and then you clean it."
The allusion was to recent reports that organisers of some Swachch Bharat or Clean India events have dumped garbage in places for VIPs to clean in a photo op. The "acche din" was sarcastically borrowed from the BJP's promise during the national election of good days once a Modi government took charge.
Mr Kumar had resigned as Bihar chief minister in May this year after old ally the BJP decimated his Janata Dal United in the nationals elections. Today, he began a mass contact programme from Bettiah in the West Champaran district.
In attendance were about 2500 party workers, specially invited to the meeting with the JD(U) focussed on strengthening its organisation ahead of next year's mega battle with the BJP.
After playing a Modi speech in which he had spoken about special economic status for Bihar, Nitish Kumar said, "He had said he would give priority to special status, special package, special attention to Bihar. Where has this happened? Where is the priority?"
The BJP's Shahnawaz Hussain has retorted, "Nitish Kumar should worry about his party... Bihar has a special place in Modi's heart. We will ensure its development."
During his speech, an unusually combative Mr Kumar played out excerpts from Mr Modi's Lok Sabha campaign in Bihar to allege that after becoming PM he had forgotten about Bihar, which gave the BJP 22 of its 40 Lok Sabha seats.
"The acche din (good days) of the jhaadu (broom) are here," said the former Bihar chief minster and explained, "Someone was just saying that India may not have become clean, but the price of jhaadus has certainly gone up. First you place garbage and then you clean it."
The allusion was to recent reports that organisers of some Swachch Bharat or Clean India events have dumped garbage in places for VIPs to clean in a photo op. The "acche din" was sarcastically borrowed from the BJP's promise during the national election of good days once a Modi government took charge.
Mr Kumar had resigned as Bihar chief minister in May this year after old ally the BJP decimated his Janata Dal United in the nationals elections. Today, he began a mass contact programme from Bettiah in the West Champaran district.
In attendance were about 2500 party workers, specially invited to the meeting with the JD(U) focussed on strengthening its organisation ahead of next year's mega battle with the BJP.
After playing a Modi speech in which he had spoken about special economic status for Bihar, Nitish Kumar said, "He had said he would give priority to special status, special package, special attention to Bihar. Where has this happened? Where is the priority?"
The BJP's Shahnawaz Hussain has retorted, "Nitish Kumar should worry about his party... Bihar has a special place in Modi's heart. We will ensure its development."
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