It’s ‘Bihari’ vs ‘Bahri’, says Nitish

Chief minister Nitish Kumar tried to win over the youth and women, while raising the ‘Outsider vs Bihari’ (Bihari vs Bahri) issue, to seek people’s support for the Grand Alliance candidates in the forthcoming assembly elections.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday tried to win over the youth and women, while raising the ‘Outsider vs Bihari’ (Bihari vs Bahri) issue, to seek people’s support for the Grand Alliance (GA) candidates in the forthcoming assembly elections.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. (PTI photo)

Of nearly 26.17 lakh electorate in Samastipur comprising 10 assembly seats, about 35% are below the age of 30 years and may tilt the scale in favour of any candidate.

Addressing a well attended public meeting at Radha Krishna Mandal Govind Goswami inter college at Shivajinagar in Rosera for Congress candidate Ashok Kumar (Rosera seat) and JD(U)’s Ashok Kumar (Warisnagar seat), the chief minister asked the youth present in the crowd to raise hands and promised a slew of youth-centric measures in his next term.

“The BJP says youth are with them. Here they are not ready to fall into their trap once again,” he said, announcing Rs 4 lakh credit card, Rs 2 lakh assistance for self employment, Rs 500 venture fund for young entrepreneurs, Wi-Fi facility in all colleges and a lot more to win over the crucial segment that backed BJP overwhelmingly just a year ago.

“The BJP is asking for change. Beware! I added wings to the girls by giving them bicycles. When they move around on bicycles on the streets of villages in Samastipur, they embody the change. If this is not development, what else is? Now, will the BJP put them back into their homes for change?” he asked. Aware that many panchayats and villages in poverty-stricken Rosera and Warisnagar are not yet electrified and still devoid of basic amenities, Kumar sought time till December 2016 to cover all the villages and tolas not only with electricity, but also with roads connecting all habitations.

“Bihar will progress on its own, as it has done so far. Who will develop it — a Bihari or a Bahri (outsider)? You have to decide. The GA has a leader, but NDA has none. They are fighting in the name of Narendra Modi, but he is the prime minister and cannot be chief minister. The PM questioned my DNA, which is an abuse not just to me, but to Bihar. I am the son of a freedom fighter, and those who question my DNA have had none in their family participating in the freedom struggle,” he added, exhorting people to remember the contributions of son of the soil late Karpoori Thakur and keep his flag aloft.