Amit Shah addressed a mega rally in Bihar's Purnia today
Union Home Minister Amit Shah today addressed a rally in Bihar's Purnea. In the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr Shah effectively launched BJP's solo election campaign for Bihar, ahead of the 2024 General Elections. Launching a direct attack on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for breaking his ties with the BJP, Mr Shah said the Janata Dal (United) leader betrayed BJP to fulfil his prime ministerial ambition.
The rally, named 'Jan Bhavna Mahasabha', is the first organised by BJP in the state after Mr Kumar walked out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) last month and joined a Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) with Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
Mr Shah is currently on a two-day visit to the state.
Hitting out at Mr Kumar, the Union Home Minister said: "Nitish Kumar's party had won only half as many seats as BJP in the last Bihar assembly elections. Even then, Modi ji allowed Nitish Kumar to be the Chief Minister because he had promised that in Bihar, the alliance [NDA] will work under Nitish Kumar's leadership. Yet, he betrayed us. His prime ministerial ambition made him join hands with Congress and Lalu Prasad Yadav."
The Union Home Minister further said: "Nitish Kumar has only one objective: To cling on to power at any cost. But he now stands exposed before the people of Bihar, who will no longer give him the benefit of the doubt."
He said: "People of Bihar know that in the next elections, only Modi ji's lotus [BJP's electoral symbol] will bloom in Bihar."
During his speech, the Union Home Minister listed several Central government projects in the state, including an airport. Addressing the crowd, Mr Shah said: "Arre taaliyaan bajao. Yeh airport aap ke liye banaya hai" (Applaud, we have built this airport for you).
In a sharp retort to Mr Shah's comments, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav said: "His speech was totally laughable. He neither sounded like a leader nor did he sound like India's Home Minister. He criticised the law-and-order situation in Bihar, but does he even realise how terrible the situation is in Delhi, the place he is based in? Delhi holds the No 1 position in crime and yet he was referring to 'jangal raaj' in Bihar."
The RJD leader added: "He [Mr Shah] didn't say anything about price rise and unemployment. He came to Bihar to disturb the atmosphere here. He is now talking about making Bihar the No 1 state in India. My question is, even after having ruled in Bihar for so many years, why didn't he and his party make Bihar the No 1 state?"
Mr Yadav further said that Prime Minister Modi's promise for a special status and a special economic package for Bihar remains an empty promise.
Later today, Mr Shah will hold a meeting with BJP MPs, MLAs and former ministers from Bihar in Kishanganj. He is also scheduled to chair the BJP State Core Committee meeting in the evening.