Survival, changing pol alliances Bihar govt's only concern: Bihar Cong chief
Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Kumar highlights unemployment, migration, and a failing education system as key issues for the upcoming polls.
Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar lists unemployment, large-scale migration and deteriorating education system as the three key issues plaguing the poll-bound state. Edited excerpts of his interview to Saubhadra Chatterji:
What are the key issues for the Congress in the upcoming Bihar polls?
Our main issue is unemployment and the second issue is the migration of young people. The situation of unemployment is grave as there are no job opportunities. The government is only concerned about its survival, frequently changing political alliance… The second thing is large-scale migration. If you visit Bihar, especially north Bihar, you will find only women and children in the villages. The third point is the way education system has deteriorated and frauds increased, denting the state’s image further. Bihar has not been able to attract private investment and this government doesn’t even make efforts for it.
Many believe the BJP-led Centre’s caste census decision was taken keeping in mind the Bihar polls.
People are aware that caste census is the agenda of the Congress and the INDIA group. If you think the BJP will benefit from the decision, people of Bihar knows that the BJP never wanted to do a caste census. BJP only wants to do communal politics. It was Rahul Gandhi who fought for the caste census and forced the BJP to do it...
The Nitish Kumar government has also done a caste survey.
The Congress was supporting the Nitish Kumar government when the caste census was done in Bihar. Before it was done, we had prepared its blueprint and RJD, CPI(ML) and Congress were continuously demanding a caste census...But later, Nitish Kumar again changed his mind. The Nitish Kumar government does not intend to implement it right now.
Has Operation Sindoor tilted political atmosphere in favour of the ruling NDA?
I will leave it in the interest of the country. We don’t want to do politics. You have seen we stopped the Samvidhan Bachao Yatra during Operation Sindoor. But BJP is trying to reap political benefits. It has announced a yatra across the country. But poll issues will be different in Bihar this time.
Congress won only 19 of the 70 seats it contested in 2020. Many allies see your party as the weakest link and the RJD doesn’t want to give you so many seats this time.
This issue is being handled by the central leadership. One thing is certain, the INDIA bloc will give a tight fight to the NDA.
