This will be PM Modi’s third visit to the state in the last few weeks.
Patna/ New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing four rallies today in Bihar as he visits the state where voting began on Wednesday for the three-phased elections, the country’s biggest since the start of the novel coronavirus pandemic. This will be PM Modi’s third visit to the state in the last few weeks where Nitish Kumar – the NDA’s chief ministerial candidate – is seeking a fourth term.
In a tweet last night, PM Modi wrote in Hindi: “Tomorrow, I will be in the middle of people of Bihar. On the occasion of (this) mega democratic festival, I will be seeking blessings from people at public meetings in Chapra, Samastipur, Motihari and Bagaha.”
PM Modi will begin the back-to-back rallies from Chapra – believed to be the political bastion of ex-chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. This is the first time in four decades that the RJD chief, jailed for corruption, is not campaigning for the state elections.
His son and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav is leading the Grand Alliance with the Congress and Left parties. In a tweet this morning, Tejashwi Yadav, who has been attracting huge crowds at his rallies, targeted the Prime Minister in a tweet, saying: “Respected Prime Minister is coming to Bihar for campaigning… People of Bihar are hopeful that the PM will focus on the core issues that can improve the lives and their problems during his address.”
On Wednesday, as PM Modi addressed a joint rally with Nitish Kumar, he called the 31-year-old RJD leader “Jungle Raj ka Yuvraj” in what was seen to be the most direct yet in the campaign for Bihar.
Later, Tejashwi Yadav had responded saying the Prime Minister should focus on “real issues”. “He is the country’s Prime Minister, he can say anything, I don’t want to react to that. But he came to Bihar, he could have spoken about a special package, unemployment, more important issues,” Tejashwi Yadav had told reporters.
PM Modi has so far addressed six election rallies in Bihar. In total, he will be addressing 16 poll rallies amid campaign heat.
Today is the final day for the campaigning for the second phase of Bihar elections. Voting will take place in 94 of 243 assembly constituencies in Bihar on Tuesday (November 3) in the second phase of polling; the final phase of voting will take place on Saturday (November 7), and the results will be announced on November 10.
