Emboldened over the successful rally in Muzaffarpur on July 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to fly down to Bihar and address three rallies in different parts of the state in August.
Modi would address his first rally in Gaya, the home town of former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, whose outfit Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) is now an alliance partner of the NDA. “Modi ji will launch his poll campaign in Magadh region from Gaya on August 9,” said BJP’s Rajya Sabha member and in-charge of Bihar affairs Bhupendra Yadav.
This will be followed by another rally on August 19 in Saharsa where Modi is likely to talk on Kosi flood issue and remind people of Seemanchal area (north-eastern Bihar affected by Kosi flood in 2008) and how Nitish Kumar had returned the flood relief amount which he, as the Gujarat chief minister, had then sent for rehabilitation of those displaced.
On August 30, Modi is likely to address a BJP rally in Bhagalpur, considered a bastion of saffron camp, but was lost in 2014 when the party’s only Muslim candidate Shahnawaz Hussain got trounced in the last year Lok Sabha poll.
Even as the BJP was planning to chalk out Modi’s itinerary so that party’s fortunes could shore up in the ensuing Assembly polls. BJP MP from Patna Sahib Shatrughan Sinha again met JD (U) strongman Nitish Kumar on Wednesday — a second meeting within a week. Though Shatru said no political colour should be given to their meeting, sources within the BJP admitted that the “party with a difference” was beset with internal differences.
In the meantime, the Election Commission gave recognition to NDA’s new-found ally the fledging outfit, HAM, as a political party. “If our government is formed, our first priority would be to release ex-MP Anand Mohan, serving life term, from jail,” said Manjhi causing unease within the saffron camp as Anand Mohan has been convicted for killing a district magistrate G Krishnaiah.
Published 29 July 2015, 20:26 IST