Patna
Janata Dal (United) MP and National Working President, Sanjay Kumar Jha, on Tuesday, emphasised that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will contest the Bihar Assembly elections "unitedly".
Speaking to ANI, Sanjay Kumar Jha stated that the upcoming polls will determine the course for Bihar over the next 25 years.
He said, "The NDA will contest the election unitedly. The biggest issue in these elections is where Bihar will be in the next 25 years after the formation of the Government."
Further, he slammed the RJD-Congress regime for "negative growth" in Bihar after Liberalisation in 1991.
Lauding Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for development in the State, he said that the government has worked on roads, electricity, law and order, and women's empowerment.
Jha said, "When the era of liberalisation began in 1991, the IT industry and investment came to several states. In those 15 years, Bihar saw a negative growth. When there should have been an IT setup here, 'Charwaha Vidyalaya' was being established instead. Instead of industries, the kidnapping industry was set up here."
"Then Nitish Kumar came to power here. In 20 years, Bihar entered a take-off stage. Roads, electricity, law and order, and women's empowerment - he has worked on all of these. Bihar is in fourth gear. We have to go into the fifth gear. The election will decide whether we have to enter fifth gear or back gear," the JD(U) leader added.
Earlier on Monday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the dates for the Assembly Elections in Bihar. The 243 Assembly seats will go to the polls in two phases on November 6 and November 11, with counting of votes to be held on November 14.
The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Gyanesh Kumar, also informed that the ECI has decided to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists throughout the country, following the announcement of the schedule for the Bihar Assembly elections.
In the 2020 elections, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar led the NDA alliance, which secured a majority in the Legislative Assembly by winning 125 seats. In August 2022, Nitish Kumar broke the alliance with the BJP and resigned as Chief Minister and formed the government with the RJD-Congress-led Mahagathbandhan. He also became a key figure in the formation of the combined opposition, the INDIA bloc.
However, Kumar's romance with the RJD lasted just short of two years, and in January 2024, ahead of the Parliamentary polls, Kumar walked back to the NDA. This time, Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United and the BJP lead an NDA alliance, which also has Chirag Paswan's Lok Jan Shakti Party (Ram Vilas), Jitin Manjhi's Hindustan Awami Morcha, and Upendra Khushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Shakti Party (RLSP) as its constituents.
In these elections, the NDA will be up against the INDIA bloc, led by Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD, the Congress, the CPI (ML) led by Deepankar Bhattacharya, the CPI, the CPM, and Mukesh Sahani's Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP). This time, Bihar will also see the entry of a new player in the form of Prashant Kishor and his party Jan Suraaj. (ANI)
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