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‘Face-saving exercise’: RJD after JD(U) cancels Nitish Kumar’s virtual rally
The JD(U) cited the flood situation and Covid-19 pandemic in the state as reasons for cancelling CM Nitish Kumar’s virtual rally.
The Janata Dal (United) on Friday deferred the virtual rally of its national president and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar scheduled for August 7, during which he was slated to roll out the party’s campaign for the assembly elections due in October-November.
Bashistha Narayan Singh, state JD(U) president and Rajya Sabha member, said, “In view of the flood situation and Covid-19 pandemic, the party has decided to postpone the proposed virtual rally of the chief minister.”
The announcement comes a day after the party completed its exercise of holding virtual conferences in all the 243 assembly segments, which began on July 18 as part of build-up for the mega event.
“Fresh date for the virtual rally will be decided later,” said the party’s national general secretary Ravindra Prasad Singh.
RJD spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwari said the JD(U)’s decision to postpone the proposed rally was prompted by fear of a repeat flop show.
“When the ‘actual’ rally of JD (U) at Gandhi Maidan proved to be a flop, how can their ‘virtual’ rally be a success under these circumstances when people are very angry? They are aware that numbers of participants can’t be fudged on a live social media programme,” he said. “The decision to call it off is just a face-saving exercise.”
Bihar continues to reel under floods, which has now engulfed 108 blocks of 14 districts, affecting 40 lakh people. It is also battling the surge in the Covid-19 cases.
The JD(U) has been under fire from the opposition for low testing rate for Covid-19 and also for aping the BJP in deciding to hold virtual rallies.
“The BJP started it. But their efforts led to the spread of coronavirus infecting 75 out of the 100 office bearers who were tested at the party office. Now, JD(U) has followed suit, but conditions are not favourable,” leader of opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav had said while pushing for postponement of polls.
While the JD(U)-BJP want polls as scheduled, NDA ally and LJP chief Chirag Paswan has also echoed Tejashwi’s concerns and cautioned the Election Commission to take a considered decision.
On July 17, the opposition parties jointly petitioned the EC, pointing out that Covid-19 cases were likely to touch 1 million mark by October-November and the election exercise could just turn into a “super spreader event”.
