RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bihar was primarily intended to issue "instructions" for effective "management" of assembly elections in the state, which are due later this year.
The former deputy CM claimed he had predicted, soon after the Delhi assembly elections, that the PM would turn his focus to Bihar. "The PM is not coming here with any solutions to the state's problems of unemployment and poverty.
Bihar continues to be the most backward state in the country despite being under NDA rule for 20 years", alleged Yadav, who is now the leader of the opposition. "I had said soon after the Delhi assembly results that now the PM and his top aides will make a beeline for Bihar since this is the only state where polls are scheduled this year. Modi is coming to Bhagalpur to issue instructions to some people for suitable management of the elections", said Yadav, without elaborating further.
The RJD leader took pride in the fact that his party won the most seats in the last couple of elections.
In 2020, when the RJD-helmed Mahagathbandhan missed getting a majority by a dozen seats, Yadav had alleged that the results were "managed" in favour of the NDA by the state's "pliant" bureaucracy. A poster put up near the RJD office reminded Modi of his earlier "unfulfilled promises." Borrowing lyrics from a popular Bollywood song, the poster carried the slogan, "Poochhti hai janata, kya hua tera vaada, vo kasam vo irada."
However, Union minister Chirag Paswan, who heads the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), took exception to Yadav's charge that the PM's visit was linked to assembly elections.
The Hajipur MP pointed out "the PM had visited Jamui and Darbhanga last year when there were no elections. He comes to Bihar because he is concerned about the state, as was evident from the Union Budget presented recently". "And why does the RJD leader blame NDA for the plight of the state? Does he not remember that his party had ruled Bihar for three back-to-back terms, which was known for lawlessness and economic stagnation", asked Paswan.