Nitish is irrelevant; Lalu still carries ‘jungle raj’ taint: Top Bihar BJP leader (IANS Interview)

Patna, Aug 27 (SocialNews.XYZ) Senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Sinha completed one year as the leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly. During his tenure, he claimed that BJP did a commendable job taking the role of the principal opposition in Bihar and brought the ruling 'Mahagathbandhan' government to its knees by cornering it over several significant issues affecting the state.

Speaking exclusively to IANS, Sinha, known for his outspokenness, said that when asked about the politics of Bihar till 2025, said that Janata Dal-United President and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has become "irrelevant" for the politics of Bihar and people have not forgotten the "Jungle Raj" (lawlessness) prevalent when the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad's government was in power.

The Bihar Opposition leader said that the 'Mahagathbandhan' (Grand Alliance) government that is running today did not get the people's mandate. 

"Nitish Kumar has left National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in his thirst to become the Prime Minister of the country," he added.

Sinha said that criminal incidents have increased since the Mahagathbandhan-led RJD government came to power in Bihar. 

When asked about the promise of the Grand Alliance government to provide employment, the senior BJP leader said that the reality is that the appointment letters which have been distributed so far by the Nitish Kumar-led government were given during the previous NDA government in the state. The NDA government even gave appointment letters to those people who were already employed.

Regarding the teacher recruitment examination for filling the posts of 1.7 lakh teachers by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC), Sinha said: "first let the examination results be released."

He added that while Lalu Prasad wants to make his son Tejashwi Yadav, the next Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar too aspires to become the Prime Minister of the country. However, the people of Bihar remain neglected by them.

When IANS asked Sinha about the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A), he  said that former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) has exited the the formation of the Grand Alliance in Bihar.

The Grand Alliance that exists in Bihar today has taken the form of the Opposition-led INDIA alliance. The recent by-elections were held in Bihar in which the BJP contested alone and most of the results came in its favour.

He said that Nitish Kumar has become "irrelevant" in Bihar while people have not forgotten the "Jungle Raj" when Lalu Prasad-led RJD government was in power. The reality is that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government is only trying to cheat voters by changing its name.

When asked about the success of BJP as the principal Opposition party, he said: "Bihar Chief Minister, who used to talk about 'Jo piega so marega' (one who drinks alcohol will die) regarding the deaths due to spurious liquor, the Nitish Kumar-led government is now giving compensation to the families of the deceased victims."

The Grand Alliance government  has been forced to comment on the demand of employed teachers for the status of state employees. This has only been possible due to BJP cornering the Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar.

He said: "Today, the Mahagathbandhan government is on the backfoot regarding every significant issue affecting Bihar." 

"State BJP President Samrat Chaudhary and I attend the cooperation programme two days a week in the party's state office, where the problems of the common man are heard and efforts are made to resolve them at the earliest."

He said that BJP is trying to seek justice for the families of the victims killed by criminals. That's why in any such cases BJP leaders try to reach out to the family of the deceased victims.

The Bihar Opposition leader also said that the law and order situation has worsened in Bihar today. The police is also being attacked continuously and journalists are being killed. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav have no time to meet the kin of the deceased policemen and journalists.

When asked about the relationship with State BJP President Samrat Chaudhary, Sinha said that BJP is united in Bihar and there is no discord within the party's state unit.

When asked about the challenges in the coming days, Sinha bluntly said that there is no challenge posed by the Mahagathbandhan sarkar before BJP in Bihar. 

However, he did say that the upcoming Lok Sabha elections are near followed by the Bihar Assembly elections in 2025. The BJP is moving ahead with the aim of forming a government on its own by winning all 40 seats in the Lok Sabha elections and the Bihar Assembly elections.

Asked about whether the BJP will showcase the achievements of the Modi government at the Centre before the people during the 2024 Lok Sabha election and 2025 State Assembly election, Sinha said that he will present the achievements accomplished during the nine years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government at the Centre before the people to bless the party.

Source: IANS