'Hit Modi for a six', says Sidhu to Bihar Muslim voters

As campaigning for the second phase of Lok Sabha election in Bihar came to an end on Tuesday evening, Congress leader and Minister in Punjab Government Navjot Singh Sidhu stirred a row through his controversial statement in eastern Bihar.

While addressing an election rally in Katihar in favour of veteran parliamentarian Tariq Anwar, Sidhu asked the Muslim electorate not to allow their votes to split. “You are minorities. But in this part of the State, you are in majority as you constitute more than 62 per cent of the population. If you remain united and vote accordingly, you can hit (Narendra) Modi for a six,” the cricketer-turned-politician Sidhu said. The firebrand orator warned the electorate not to be misled by leaders like Owaisi, who, he alleged, had fielded candidates in Bihar to divide the Muslim electorate.

The BJP has taken strong exception to Sidhu’s remarks and have complained it to the Election Commission saying it was a violation of the model code of conduct.

The Congress candidate Tariq Anwar is pitted against JD (U)’s Dulal Goswami. Katihar is one of the five Lok Sabha seats in Bihar where the campaigning ended today for the April 18 polling. The other four constituencies are: Kishanganj, Purnia, Banka and Bhagalpur.

Of these five constituencies, the RJD is contesting on two seats – Bhagalpur and Banka, where it has renominated its two sitting MPs: Shailesh Mandal and Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav. The Congress is contesting on the remaining three seats - Kishanganj, Katihar and Purnia.

Incidentally, neither the BJP nor the LJP have fielded any candidates on any of these five seats. The JD (U) is contesting on all the above-mentioned five constituencies.