Lalu, Nitish trade charges as campaign picks up momomentum

Campaining for the prestigious Patna sahib and Patliputra parliamentary constituencies reached its crescendo on Friday with Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar embarking on canvassing support for their candiates engaging in diatribes against each other.

Campaining for the prestigious Patna sahib and Patliputra parliamentary constituencies reached its crescendo on Friday with both RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar embarking on canvassing support for their candiates engaging in diatribes against each other.

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While Railway minister Prasad is locked in a triangular contest with his friend-turned-foe and JD(U)'s Ranjan Prasad Yadav and Congress' Vijay Kumar Yadav in Patliputra, cine star-turned politician and BJP nominee Shatrughan Sinha is crossing swords with his film industry colleague and Congress rival Shekhar Suman and RJD's Vijay Kumar Sahu in Patna sahib.

Kumar, star campaigner of ruling NDA, visited most of the places where Lalu sought votes for himself and Sahu by choppers in these two constituencies.

Describing Lalu as "mismanagement guru", the Chief Minister, while addressing election meetings at Masaurhi, Naubatpur, Bikram, Bihta, Panal and Daniyawan in Fatua, said it would be unfortunate if the former was elected from Patliputra.

"What you need is to bolt the gates and keep him out if Bihar is to survive," Kumar said, alleging that the Lalu-Rabri regime which ruled the state for 15 years "virtually ruined the growth of the state."