Bihar polls: Grand Alliance’s balloon has burst just after 1 phase, says PM Modi

Patna: After the record turnout in the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took a potshot at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, saying that the balloon of the Mahagathbandhan has burst.

Addressing a rally in Bhabua in Kaimur district, PM Modi said that when the elections began, RJD and Congress leaders were brimming with arrogance.

“They had reached the heights of overconfidence, but during the campaign, air started leaking out of their balloon, and after the first phase of voting, it completely burst,” he said.

“Now even the ecosystem of the RJD and Congress is saying – ‘Ek bar phir NDA sarkar’ (NDA government once again),” he added.

PM Modi said the alliance had tried to “mislead” young voters, but aware youth of Bihar “rejected” them.

“Whenever the prince of jungle raj is asked how he will fulfil the big lies he has told, he says ‘we have a plan’. But when asked what the plan is, he becomes speechless,” PM Modi said.

Referring to Dalmia Nagar in Rohtas district, PM Modi said the “misdeeds” of previous regimes were visible there.

“A flourishing industrial city was being built with decades of hard work, but then misgovernance came, jungle raj arrived – extortion, protection rackets, corruption, kickbacks, murder, kidnapping, strikes. In no time, jungle raj destroyed everything,” he said.

He claimed that “infighting” between Congress and the RJD had come to the forefront in this election.

“The Congress–RJD alliance has crumbled, and no matter how much plaster they put on this broken wall, the chasm is only getting deeper. Plastering won’t make any difference now,” he said.

PM Modi also accused Congress of insulting leaders whose stature was higher than the grand old party’s royal family.

“They destroyed the political career of Babasaheb Ambedkar. They did not tolerate Babu Jagjivan Ram either, and they did the same to Sitaram Kesri,” he said.

Calling himself the MP from Kashi (Varanasi), PM Modi said it was a matter of pride that the city was the birthplace of Sant Ravidas, and cited the development of infrastructure in the temple city in the last 10 years.

“These people travel all over the world, but they do not go to Ayodhya. They do not have faith in Lord Ram. They think if they visit Lord Ram, they will lose votes,” he said.

“They call the devotion to Chhathi Maiya a drama. This is an insult. Should they be punished? Now you have the opportunity – punish them with your one vote on November 11,” PM Modi said.

PM Modi said the first phase of voting saw a record turnout, around 65 per cent.

“This shows the people of Bihar themselves have taken the lead in ensuring the return of the NDA government. Get ready for celebrations after November 14th,” he said, claiming that Congress leaders had already started looking for reasons for their defeat.

IANS