Hisua (Bihar): RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Friday (October 23) asserted that his father and party supremo Lalu Prasad will come out of jail on November 9 after securing bail in a fodder scam case, and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will have his farewell the next day. The votes for the state assembly polls will be counted on November 10.
"Lalu ji is getting released on November 9. He has got one bail and will secure another on November 9, which also happens to be my birthday. The next day, Nitishji will have his farewell," Tejashwi told a poll rally here, exuding confidence about winning the elections.
In his address, Tejashwi accused the Nitish Kumar government of failing to root out corruption, bring industries, provide employment and check migration for livelihood, adding "Nitishji, you have got tired. You won't to able to take care of Bihar."
The 30-year-old Tejashwi took a jibe at the chief minister for his remark that Bihar lacked industrialisation because it is landlocked, and reaffirmed his commitment of sanctioning 10 lakh government jobs in his first cabinet meeting if the grand alliance comes to power.
He added, "Those who didn't give you jobs, education, health facilities and industries in 15 years will not do so in the next five years as well."
In his address, delivered mostly in Bhojpuri in a tone that appeared a loose copy of his fathers famous style of speech-making, Tejashwi also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Bihar to address his first rallies in the polls.
"The PM has come to Bihar. I was expecting him to tell when Bihar will get the special state status and a special package. You should have revealed how many government jobs you provided," he said.
Continuing his tirade against Kumar, the Mahagathbandhans chief ministerial candidate said the JD(U) president did not come out of the CM's House for 144 days due to the fear of coronavirus. "Coronavirus is still there, but now he is coming out, because he wants votes, wants chair," he said.
Responding to the NDA's persistent question about where will he bring the fund from for his promised 10 lakh jobs, Tejashwi said Bihar has a budget of Rs 2.13 lakh crore and the Nitish Kumar government manages to spend just 60 per cent of it, adding "There still is Rs 80,000 crore left."
He sought to reach out to voters of every age group with the promise of waiving examination fees and fare for commuting to exam centres, making contractual teachers permanent, and raising the old-age pension to Rs 1,000 from Rs 400.
"This fight is not between Nitish and Tejashwi, neither is it between Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi. It is a fight between the people and a dictatorial government," he said.
Lalu Prasad is in judicial custody in Jharkhand capital Ranchi after his conviction in fodder scam cases. He was recently granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court in the case related to Chaibasa treasury but could not come out of jail as his bail plea in another case of fraudulent withdrawals from Dumka treasury is being heard.
Tejashwi questions PM Modi on granting 'special status' to Bihar
Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed his first election rally in poll-bound Bihar, RJD leader and Mahagathbandhan`s chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav attacked him for not giving `special state` status category to Bihar.
Addressing a press conference, Yadav attacked Prime Minister for not speaking on alleged scams in the state during Nitish Kumar government. He said, "For how long will the PM keep Bihar from the Special State status category? Bihar had hopes that he would speak about that. BJP talks about generating 19 lakh jobs depending on private enterprise. We will directly give 10 lakh government jobs."
"We are keeping up with aspirations of youth. On the side, there is 70-year-old Nitish and Modi. There is a gap of 2 generations. Your government in Bihar is around 15 years. Now they are speaking about jobs, industries and factories. Modi ji should ask Nitish ji `what was he doing for last 15 years`. In 2015 polls, PM Modi readout around 35 scams by Nitish Kumar in a public rally. Now, 25 more scams are added. We were hoping that he would talk about these scams," he said.
Some people just think of family once in power: Nitish attacks RJD
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar accused opposition RJD and its allies of seeking votes by creating conflicts and disturbance in society, and thinking just about the families of their leaders once in power, while addressing polls rallies at Dehri on-Sone in Rohtas, and Bhagalpur, where he shared the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Kumar appealed to the people to vote the NDA back to power to take the state to newer heights and continue the development works, adding "There are some people who get votes by creating conflict and disturbance in society. And after they win, they think only about their families."
In an apparent attack on the RJD and its supremo Lalu Prasad, he said "For these people, family just means the husband, wife, son and daughter. But for me, the entire Bihar is my family."
Bihar assembly elections will be held in three phases -- October 28, November 3, and 7, and the counting of votes will take place on November 10.
(With Agency Inputs)
