PM outlines 6-point agenda for Bihar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi harped on his pet theme — development — when he addressed a series of rallies in Bihar on Sunday. Taking a detour from controversial issues like beef and quota, Modi outlined his six-point agenda for Bihar’s progress.

Launching his election campaign for the first time after Dasara, Modi did not miss any opportunity to take jibes at his opponents — Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad.

While he taunted Nitish for being ‘Lok-tantrik’ (for the video which shows Nitish meeting a tantrik), Modi had another coinage for Lalu Prasad’s RJD. “The RJD now stands for Rashtriya Jadu-tona Dal,” he said while addressing a party rally at Marhaura in Chapra, Lalu’s erstwhile constituency.

After two phases of polling, Modi was addressing his first rally on Sunday at Lalu’s bastion, now represented by Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy.

Stressing that only growth and development could take Bihar out of morass, Modi outlined a six-point programme for the state’s progress. “Bijli, sadak aur paani (power, road and water) are the three essential ingredients for the state, while padhai, kamai aur dawai (education, employment and medical facilities for elders) are the remaining three issues which will help a family become self-dependent,” said Modi.

Impressed by the mammoth gathering at Marhaura and then again at Sona village of Naubatpur (in rural Patna), Modi said the crowd shows who will celebrate Deepavali on November 8, the day Bihar Assembly poll results will be declared.

“Apke iss pyar ko sood samet lauta doonga (Will return your affection with interest),” Modi said at Naubatpur. The prime minister said people were already celebrating choti Deepavali after the BJP fared well in J&K’s Leh-Ladakh region.

“We have won in an area in J&K which has 90 per cent minorities. Jab Himalaya mein barf pighalta hai, toh Bihar mein bhi mausam badalta hai, (When the snow melts in Himalayan territory, the climate changes in Bihar too),” Modi drew an analogy on his J&K victory with Bihar poll.

He also addressed meetings at Hajipur and Nalanda where he dwelt at length about the ancient seat of learning. While he greeted people in Bhojpuri language at Chapra, he did the same in Nalanda in Maghi, the local dialect. All these places will go to polls in the third phase of election on October 28.