RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav is the Mahagathbandhanchief ministerial candidate
Patna:
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, highlighted as Mahagathbandhan – an alliance of opposition parties in Bihar led by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress – launched its electoral manifesto today, with a focus on special category status for the state, providing 10 lakh of government jobs and repealing controversial agricultural laws passed by the central government last month.
“(Chief Minister) Nitish Kumar has ruled the state for the past 15 years, but he has not yet been granted special category status. US President Donald Trump will not come to agree to that,” said the RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, the alliance’s chief minister. candidate – he told reporters, referring to the lavish visit of the US president in February.
Revealing the manifesto, which he described as “prann hamara sankalp sbadlav ka (our determination to bring about change) – Mr. Yadav attacked the ruling JDU-BJP alliance and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s bid for re-election based on his “15 years of development” campaign.
“JDU-BJP has stabbed Bihar in the back,” said the RJD leader, claiming crime and unemployment had risen and promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015, including that he would drink sugar tea from the still-closed Motihari mill. – was left unfulfilled.
“You can see that Bihar’s sugar, jute and paper mills are all closed. No food processing units have been established,” Yadav said, attacking the “twin-engine” government, referring to the head of the BJP, JP Nadda. the state was as safe under Nitish Kumar as India under Prime Minister Modi.
“Modi hain a mumkin hain aur Nitish hain a sambhav hai (Modi, Nitish make it possible), “Nadda said last week, in a riff of the 2019 BJP catchphrase hailing Prime Minister Modi.
The demand for a special status for Bihar has been made frequently since Nitish Kumar came to power in 2005 and, more recently, in February this year.
At the launch of today’s manifesto, Tejashwi said that the people of Bihar had been angry at such a lack of development and reiterated his claim that if they voted him for power, it would provide 10 lakh of government jobs in the first meeting. of the cabinet.
“I am a pure Bihari. My DNA is pure. If we come to power, we will employ 10 lakh young people at the first cabinet meeting,” Yadav said, describing unemployment as “the most important factor.”
Among other promises that were made, the administration would cover the travel expenses of candidates who attend examinations for government positions. Twelve percent of the state budget would be spent on education and each panchayat will have a doctor and nurse on duty, according to the manifesto.
Controversial farm laws, which have sparked protests across the country, were also mentioned, and Congressional Leader Randeep Singh Surjewala (who was at the launch of the manifesto) declared that his government would repeal the laws if he came to power.
“If we form the government, under the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav, we will pass a bill in the first Vidhan Sabha session to remove the three anti-farm laws,” Surjewala said, demanding that Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar respond to the state farmers for the loss of MSP (minimum support price).
The RJD, Congress, CPI and CPM are among those that are part of the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar. The RJD will contest 144 of the 243 seats for the elections, Congress will contest 70 and the left parties will obtain 29 tickets.
The ruling JDU-BJP alliance has reached a 122-121 seat sharing agreement, with Nitish Kumar’s party winning the majority. Chirag Paswan’s LJP, which is part of the BJP-led NDA in the center, will contest these elections separately, he said earlier this month, triggering a showdown between the BJP and the LJP that resulted in a stern warning. of the largest party. .
The elections to the Assembly in Bihar will be divided into three phases from 28 October.
Results are due November 10.
With contributions from ANI
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