Bihar polls: Congress mocks BJP’s ‘sop opera’ of 19 lakh job offer

The BJP released its manifesto today with the focus on giving 19 lakh jobs to Biharis

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday drew sharp flak shortly after it released its manifesto wherein it promised several sops, including 19 lakh jobs to the people of Bihar.

“Till a day back, the BJP was questioning how the Mahagatbandhan chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav would provide jobs to 10 lakh people in Bihar. Their chief ministerial candidate Nitish Kumar too had joined the chorus in ridiculing Tejashwi on the job offer. Now the same BJP has promised in its manifesto to provide 19 lakh jobs to Biharis. The saffron party has actually reduced itself to a laughing stock,” argued senior Congress legislator and AICC media coordinator Prem Chandra Mishra.

To get all the updates on Bihar elections, click here

Taking swipe at the BJP, the Congress mockingly tweeted, “If you had delivered on the promise of 2 crore jobs earlier, then there would have been no need for fresh 19 lakh jobs.”

The RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said that since the BJP had no face in Bihar, it had to ask Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to release the vision document (as BJP’s manifesto is known). “But Sitharaman Ji should first tell why she never gave a special package & special status to Bihar,” tweeted Tejashwi.

Also Read | 19 lakh jobs, free Covid-19 vaccine to all: BJP's promises to Bihar in election manifesto

Bihar’s Finance Minister Sushil Modi, who has been afflicted with Covid-19, was not present during the BJP’s manifesto release function. Former Union Ministers Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Shahnawaz Hussain too have been found to be Covid-19 positive.

Already two ministers in the Nitish’s Cabinet, one MLC, two journalists from a national daily, and an IPS officer have died due to coronavirus in the last one week.

The BJP, in its manifesto, today promised free vaccines for Biharis if they come to power.

This was sharply criticised by the Congress. “NDA manifesto promises free vaccine for Biharis. With this poll promise @bjp4india has implied that the citizens of other non-election states will have to pay for the vaccine,” tweeted Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.