PM begins Bihar LS poll campaign today with Jamui rally

In the 2019 LS polls too, Modi had launched his campaign from Jamui, which was won by Chirag Paswan for a second time.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will kick off his Lok Sabha poll campaign in Bihar on Thursday with a rally at Jamui, where BJP ally Chirag Paswan has fielded his brother-in-law Arun Bharti as his party LJP(R) candidate.

BJP MP Ravishankar Prasad addresses a press conference in Patna on Wednesday. (HT photo)

In the 2019 LS polls too, Modi had launched his campaign from Jamui, which was won by Chirag Paswan for a second time.

“It is a matter of pride for Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and the people of Jamui that the Prime Minister has agreed to launch his campaign in Bihar from the constituency. We are committed to helping him achieve the target of 400 plus seats for NDA, including all the 40 in Bihar,” said Paswan.

Modi will address another rally on April 7 at Nawada. “PM Modi will address a rally at Nawada on April 7 before noon,” said BJP’s Nawada candidate Vivek Thakur, who is the son of senior BJP leader and former union minister C P Thakur.

On the same day, union home minister Amit Shah would also address a rally at Aurangabad, said a senior BJP office-bearer.

Of the four seats going to vote in the first phase on April 19, BJP is contesting on two – Aurangabad and Nawada. Former chief minister and HAM-S founder Jitan Ram Manjhi is in the fray from Gaya from the NDA.

Of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state, BJP and JD (U) are contesting on 17 and 16 seats, respectively, while LJP (R) is contesting on five, HAM-S and Rashtriya Lok Morcha on one each.

The Nawada Lok Sabha seat was with the other faction of LJP led by Pashupati Paras.

PM Modi had addressed a rally at Aurangabad a week before the Election Commission announced the Lok Sabha polls.

Meanwhile, RJD took a swipe at the BJP, wondering if the PM would also speak on dynastic politics in Jamui and Nawada.

“We would wait if he speaks on dynastic politics,” said RJD leader Shakti Yadav.

Former deputy chief minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said, “Be it the Prime Minister or any other leader, they will be on the campaign trail during polls. But the people of Bihar want to know what have they got in return for the enormous support they gave to NDA five years ago.”

“In the last Lok Sabha polls, 39 out of the 40 seats in Bihar went to the NDA. But now the people feel they have been taken for a ride,” alleged Yadav.

However, senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad hit back, saying, “In his speech in Jamui tomorrow, the PM will enlist his achievements and share his vision for the future. On the other hand, the opposition has nothing to offer so it is busy heaping insults on Modi.”