NDA set to win over 200 seats: CM Nitish

PATNA::Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said on Sunday that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was firm in the state and that it “would win more than 200 seats” when elections to the 243-member assembly are held later this year.

Addressing the Janata Dal (United) workers’ meeting at Gandhi Maidan, Kumar also sought to allay speculations over fresh political alignments in the wake his recent meetings with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav. “We will contest the Bihar Assembly Elections in coalition with NDA (National Democratic Alliance) and win more than 200 seats,” Kumar said at the meeting.

The JD(U) leader said that people should not get carried away by what he called misconceptions about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, National Population Register (NPR) and National Register for Citizens (NRC).

“Don’t try to rake up the issue to create tension in the society. Some people are indulging in creating 1947-like situation, which would not be allowed to happen at any cost. The state legislature has already resolved not to implement the NRC in Bihar, while NPR would be conducted in 2010 pattern,” said Kumar.

Kumar, who is the national chief of the JD(U), also sought to reach out to minorities by citing various programmes initiative for their welfare and added that it was his government that nailed perpetrators of the 1989 Bhagalpur riots that claimed over 1,000 lives. “Victims of the riots were compensated and the rioters penalised, “he said.

Kumar reiterated the demand for caste-based census and said that it would help rationalise the data for reservation. “...In 2010, the caste-based census was done, but it was not released for want of authenticity,” said Kumar.

Taking a swipe at Tejashwi Yadav’ s ‘berojgari hatao yatra’, Kumar said those spearheading the campaign should know the condition of jobs in 2005 (during the RJD regime) and now.

“People were yearning for elusive jobs during that time. Everybody knows the jobs are available in abundance here now. People from Bihar are getting jobs outside the state after being trained here,” said the CM.

RJD legislator Bhola Yadav said communal harmony was restored during the RJD regime by penalising the trouble mongers.

“How can Nitish Kumar claim to be the sympathiser of minorities since he is backing the party that wants to push the country into the communal fire.”