Patna:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today backed Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan from the most public of forums - an election campaign rally in Bihar's Gaya.
Both ministers have been under fire from the opposition for their involvement in what is called the "Lalitgate" and the Vyapam scam. But the BJP has backed both, turning down the Opposition's demand for their resignation.
Today, while taking on the Nitish Kumar government over development in Bihar, Prime Minister Modi came up with what was seen a powerful endorsement for the two Chief Ministers.
Both Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, he said, were included among the "Bimaru" states - an acronym comprising the first letters of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh in Hindi, meaning sick -- where the development index was extremely low.
"Rajasthan was called a bimaru (sick) state, but no longer. Under Vasundhara Raje, Rajasthan has scaled new heights," he said.
The situation he said, was similar in Madhya Pradesh. But "Madhya Pradesh elected a BJP government... in just 10 or 12 years under Shivraj Chouhan, Madhya Pradesh is no longer a sick state."
In contrast, the 20-year rule of Rashtriya Janata Dal led by Lalu Prasad and JD(U) led by Nitish Kumar, has kept Bihar in the dark, literally.
"These lantern wallahs have kept you in the dark," he said, taking a dig at the poll symbol of RJD, a lantern. "Is there electricity in the state? If there is the lowest per capita consumption of electricity anywhere, it is in Bihar. Even Sikkim, Jharkhand have more power."
"You should get a BJP-NDA government in Bihar, I can speak from experience" he added.