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Bihar Election Result 2020: Nitish gets Modi’s stamp of approval, set for fourth term
Modi hailed the BJP’s development agenda, criticised dynasty politics, and decried attacks on party workers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday publicly endorsed Nitish Kumar as the leader of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar, ending speculation that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would push for its own candidate for the state’s top job after eking out a narrow victory in the just-concluded assembly elections.
Addressing party workers at its headquarters in Delhi to celebrate the election victory, Modi hailed the BJP’s development agenda, criticised dynasty politics, and decried attacks on party workers. He also referred to the BJP’s victories in bypolls across 11 states, saying the party was “in every corner of India, in the heart of every person”.
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WATCH | ‘Women are BJP’s ‘silent voters’: PM Modi thanks people NDA win in Bihar
Laying the road map for the way forward in Bihar, Modi said: “Under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, the NDA and its workers will leave no stone unturned to fulfil the promises made to the people of Bihar.” The comment came a day after the NDA won 125 seats in the 243-member Bihar assembly, while the Opposition Grand Alliance won 110 seats in a fiercely fought election.
Speculation about the chief minister’s chair had swirled even as results poured in on Tuesday afternoon, when trends showed that the BJP was on track to emerge as the senior partner in the alliance for the first time in the Bihar. The BJP ended the night on 75 seats and the Janata Dal (United) on 43.
But on Wednesday, senior BJP leaders Sushil Kumar Modi and Bhupender Yadav also scotched the rumours and backed Kumar for a fourth consecutive term. “The BJP is a party that sticks to its word and commitment.”
Kumar also tweeted his gratitude to the PM who was seen as having buoyed the NDA’s poll prospects and undercut anti-incumbency sentiment with his 12 rallies in Bihar. “The people are our master. I salute people for the majority they have given to the NDA. I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his support,” Kumar tweeted.
In his speech, Modi said the citizenry had made themselves heard and will give a chance only to those who work honestly for development. “The secret to winning Bihar is sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwaas. It is a victory of the development works in Bihar,” the PM said.
Hitting out at Opposition parties, the PM said earlier elections in Bihar were followed by headlines about booth capturing and murders, but now the news focused on increased polling percentage and more women voters. “The results yesterday have proved that if you work, people will support you. If you dedicate yourself round the clock and think about the country and think of doing something out of the box, then you will get the results…Yesterday people have reinforced that in the 21st century the main focus of country’s politics is development.”
Modi also referred to the “silent vote” in Bihar.
“The BJP has a big constituency of silent voters that is repeatedly bringing it back to power; these silent voters are the women…The BJP gives women respect. It has given them bank accounts to bank loans, free medical care during pregnancy to maternity leave, from toilets to smoke free kitchens and water and power in all homes,” he said.
Modi said that the recently concluded elections across the country were unparalleled in the world because it was conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He also hailed the leadership of BJP chief JP Nadda, urging the hundreds-strong crowd to chant with him, “Nadda ji you lead, we are with you.”
Making a pointed attack at the Opposition without taking names, the PM said the youth recognised dynastic politics as the biggest threat to democracy. “Unfortunately, a national-level political party that was in power for decades is caught in the web of family politics,” he said.
The PM also touched upon the deaths of party workers, several of which have been reported in West Bengal, which goes to the polls early next year.
“Those who are not able to challenge us in a democratic way, they have taken up killing of BJP workers in some parts of the country. They think that by killing BJP workers they will be victorious. I want to tell them respectfully don’t challenge me because that work will be done by the people,” he said.
In his speech before Modi took the stage, Nadda credited the PM’s handling of the pandemic for the NDA’s victory in Bihar.
