<p>Days after rumblings in the NDA alliance in Bihar, BJP on Sunday made it clear that all its constituents including Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) and Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP will fight the election together, with Chief Minister Kumar being its face.</p>.<p>“We are going to the polls under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Our victory is certain," BJP chief J P Nadda said, days after maintaining a stoic silence on LJP leader Chirag Paswan’s regular and repeated verbal attack on the Bihar CM.</p>.<p>Nadda’s remarks, coming on the conclusion of BJP’s two-day virtual meeting, is expected to bring the weeks-long sparring between its allies to an end. This is a strong alliance as the three parties in 2019 won 39 of 40 Lok Sabha seats of Bihar with the five-party Opposition alliance winning only one (Congress).</p>.<p>However, while the BJP has reiterated the leadership of Nitish for Bihar, indications are that 2020 assembly polls in the state will not be an “only Nitish” affair as it was the case in earlier elections.</p>.<p>On the first day of the meeting, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is the BJP’s in-charge for Bihar elections, gave more than an inkling of it asking party leaders to take home the message of development works carried out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bihar and its schemes and measures for relief during Covid-19 in the state. </p>.<p>He dropped broad indications that this time BJP will go to polls more on Modi persona and will put in forefront core issues it is tackling, as he invoked the rich cultural heritage of Bihar, which is the “land of mother Sita”, Gautam Buddha, Mahavir, Guru Gobind Singh, Samrat Ashoka and Chanakya. He also recalled that a temple of “Ram Lala” is being built in Ayodhya when Modi is PM and how BJP fulfilled its promise of removing Article 370. In past elections, Nitish Kumar, who also got a good number of minority votes, never allowed the BJP to raise its contentious core issues.</p>.<p>Both Nadda and Fadnavis in the last two days highlighted the 'Garib Kalyan package' of Rs 1.70 lakh crore and Rs 20 lakh crore package for 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', announced by Modi.</p>.<p>“This is an election of Bihar’s destiny. This is an election which will write a new history of Bihar. Nothing could stop the BJP irrespective of whatever calamity came its way…The making of New India has begun with Modi ji’s efforts. Bihar lent its strength behind Modi ji’s efforts in the last two elections (2014, 2019)"</p>.<p>Fadnavis said noting that 58 percent of Bihar voters are aged below 25 years and recalled how youth have voted for Modi. “For BJP office bearers, this is an election for not victory alone but writing a new history,” he said. The party is laying emphasis on a solid digital campaign in the state to be backed by a door to door public contact campaign to reach voters.</p>
<p>Days after rumblings in the NDA alliance in Bihar, BJP on Sunday made it clear that all its constituents including Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) and Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP will fight the election together, with Chief Minister Kumar being its face.</p>.<p>“We are going to the polls under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Our victory is certain," BJP chief J P Nadda said, days after maintaining a stoic silence on LJP leader Chirag Paswan’s regular and repeated verbal attack on the Bihar CM.</p>.<p>Nadda’s remarks, coming on the conclusion of BJP’s two-day virtual meeting, is expected to bring the weeks-long sparring between its allies to an end. This is a strong alliance as the three parties in 2019 won 39 of 40 Lok Sabha seats of Bihar with the five-party Opposition alliance winning only one (Congress).</p>.<p>However, while the BJP has reiterated the leadership of Nitish for Bihar, indications are that 2020 assembly polls in the state will not be an “only Nitish” affair as it was the case in earlier elections.</p>.<p>On the first day of the meeting, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is the BJP’s in-charge for Bihar elections, gave more than an inkling of it asking party leaders to take home the message of development works carried out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bihar and its schemes and measures for relief during Covid-19 in the state. </p>.<p>He dropped broad indications that this time BJP will go to polls more on Modi persona and will put in forefront core issues it is tackling, as he invoked the rich cultural heritage of Bihar, which is the “land of mother Sita”, Gautam Buddha, Mahavir, Guru Gobind Singh, Samrat Ashoka and Chanakya. He also recalled that a temple of “Ram Lala” is being built in Ayodhya when Modi is PM and how BJP fulfilled its promise of removing Article 370. In past elections, Nitish Kumar, who also got a good number of minority votes, never allowed the BJP to raise its contentious core issues.</p>.<p>Both Nadda and Fadnavis in the last two days highlighted the 'Garib Kalyan package' of Rs 1.70 lakh crore and Rs 20 lakh crore package for 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', announced by Modi.</p>.<p>“This is an election of Bihar’s destiny. This is an election which will write a new history of Bihar. Nothing could stop the BJP irrespective of whatever calamity came its way…The making of New India has begun with Modi ji’s efforts. Bihar lent its strength behind Modi ji’s efforts in the last two elections (2014, 2019)"</p>.<p>Fadnavis said noting that 58 percent of Bihar voters are aged below 25 years and recalled how youth have voted for Modi. “For BJP office bearers, this is an election for not victory alone but writing a new history,” he said. The party is laying emphasis on a solid digital campaign in the state to be backed by a door to door public contact campaign to reach voters.</p>
