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Lok Sabha elections 2019: First in a decade, PM Modi, Nitish Kumar share stage at poll rally
In Patna, PM Modi hailed CM Nitish Kumar’s development agenda, called him an efficient leader and highlighted a slew of projects being carried out by the state’s coalition government. There were no less than six references to Kumar in the PM’s 45-minute speech.
Sharing the stage after nearly a decade, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar exhibited bonhomie and lauded each other on development issues during a political rally in Patna Sunday.
PM Modi hailed CM Kumar’s development agenda, called him an efficient leader and highlighted a slew of projects being carried out by the state’s coalition government. There were no less than six references to Kumar in the PM’s 45-minute speech.
Modi and Kumar last attended a rally in 2009, in Ludhiana. That came ahead of that year’s Parliamentary elections. In June 2013, Kumar dissociated himself from the National Democratic Alliance (the issue was Modi’s prime ministerial candidature in 2014) and formed a Grand Alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress before the 2015 Assembly elections. Kumar’s union with new alliance was short-lived and he rejoined NDA in July 2017.
Referring to Kumar as “my friend”, Modi lauded the CM’s resolve to provide toilets in each household in the state by October 2, 2019. “The way he is thinking about poor people, the way he has pulled out Bihar from the sorry state of affairs, and the manner in which the state has leaped forwarded on the path of progress ..., I must congratulate and felicitate him for this,” Modi said. “Having an NDA government at both the centre and the state has propelled development in Bihar. Nitishji has done a wonderful job in ensuring that electricity reaches every household in the state,” he added.
Kumar sat beside Modi during the event and was seen chatting with him. When it was his turn to speak, he returned the PM’s compliment, and started off by lauding his ability in dealing with the recent crisis involving an Indian pilot brought down over Pakistan, and, at a larger level, with the issue of cross border terror.
“I thank the PM and the central government for getting Wing Commander Abhinandan released. The entire country is with the PM on the issue of terrorism,” said Kumar.
Kumar went on to laud several schemes of the NDA, such as Ujwala Yojana, Ayushman Bharat Jan Arogya Yojana, PM Kissan Samman Yojana and clarified that he re-joined the NDA alliance in the “interest of Bihar.”
“The result is before you. We are getting all assistance from the Centre and this has helped immensely in infrastructure development of the state.”
At least twice during Kumar’s speech, the PM cheered the CM’s announcements with applause: the first time when he was detailing the state government’s scheme to provide tap water to every household, and the second when he listed some firsts by the state government including reservation for women in panchayats and local bodies.
Kumar also thanked the centre for the new medical colleges announced for Bihar. “We have been getting your (PM’s) support and despite being a backward state our growth rate has been 11.3%,” said Kumar. The Bihar chief minister also stressed that he is watchful of ensuring Bihar’s social harmony isn’t breached at any cost. “Social harmony exists in Bihar. Some people are hell bent to create a discord. We have to be alert with those persons,” he said. “The bonhomie and appreciation of each other became the talking point of the rally and that augurs well for the alliance,” said a senior JD (U) leader who asked not to be identified.
In 2014, the BJP had a vote share of 29.86% in Bihar in the Lok Sabha elections. Kumar’s JD(U), which contested separately, fought 38 seats but managed to win just two with a total vote share of 16.04%. In 2019, the BJP and the JD (U) have agreed to contest 17 seats each, with the other six going to the third partner in the alliance, the Lok Janshakti Party.
In 2014, the BJP won 22, JD(U) 2, LJP 6 and RLSP 3 seats. The RJD won 4, the Congress, 2, and the Nationalist Congress Party, 1. Bihar sends 40 representatives to Parliament, the most after Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and West Bengal.
