Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar | Photo credit: IANS
Patna: Bihar’s Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) Nitish Kumar announced on Thursday that the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections will be their last polls. While campaigning for the third phase of the 2020 Bihar elections, Kumar appealed to voters to vote for the JD (U) as it was the last election for him. While appealing to the electorate to ensure the victory of his party, he said, “Ant bhala to sab bhala.”
He made the big announcement while campaigning in Purnea.
“Today is the last day (of campaigning for the final phase of the assembly election). The vote will take place the day after tomorrow. This is my last election,” he said at an electoral rally in the Purnea district.
The 69-year-old JD (U) leader has ruled Bihar for nearly 15 years and has been projected as the top ministerial candidate for the National Democratic Alliance.
In particular, the head of JD (U) has faced several protests during his election campaign in Bihar.
In reaction to Kumar’s comments, RJD leader and the main opposition ministerial candidate Grand Alliance Tejashwi Yadav said that Kumar is tired and realized that he cannot handle Bihar. “Nitish Kumar has realized that he has grown tired … that he cannot handle Bihar. Today, he has understood the basic reality and has decided to leave it,” Yadav said.
Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Chirag Paswan, who has made several remarks against Kumar lately, said that the JD (U) chief’s statement would have further demoralized the JD (U) candidates.
“I don’t know who advised him to make this statement at his last rally. When the leader flees from the battlefield, the contestants will definitely be demoralized,” Paswan said.
LJP leader Ajay Kumar said he was always in favor of Kumar’s retirement. He opined that Kumar should have announced a new face that could have been the main ministerial face of JD (U)
Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) head Upendra Kushwaha thanked Kumar for announcing that the 2020 Bihar elections will be his last elections. He asked Kumar to bless him and retire from politics.
Commenting on Kumar’s sudden announcement, Congress said it could be a political statement and that the head of JD (U) could be trying to play an emotional card to woo voters.
The President of the Bihar Congress, Ms Mohan Jha, said that Kumar felt that he was going to lose and therefore made the announcement. He also claimed that it could be a tactic by Kumar to attract voters to his party.
JD (U) is contesting the 2020 Bihar elections in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha and the Vikassheel Insaan Party, led by Mukesh Sahni.
Voting for the third phase of the Bihar election will take place on November 7. The results of the Bihar election will be announced by the Electoral Commission on November 10.
BJP has repeatedly said that Kumar will be the CM if the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) wins a majority in the elections.
