The Bihar BJP on Friday got a big boost when its national president Amit Shah arrived here for the first time to energise party cadres in the election year and called upon them to work hard to win 185 seats in Bihar Assembly elections due in November and save the State from return of Jungle Raj. At a meeting here to commemorate the birth anniversary of veteran Socialist leader and three-time Chief Minister of Bihar Karpoori Thakur, Shah lashed out at former ally Nitish Kumar and accused him of walking out of the NDA to further his personal ambition of becoming the Prime Minister.
“The people gave a befitting reply to his ambitions in the lok Sabha election and gave BJP 31 of the 40 seats in the State. Now again, our vijay rath will roll in Bihar and voters will help the BJP form the Government here,” Shah thundered. Shah's maiden visit to the State was caught in a controversy when the State Government refused to allot a venue the BJP had sought for the meeting. The BJP initially wanted Miller School ground that is just across the party office, but the request was turned down. later, the party requested for the Veterinary College ground, but that too was not accepted. This prompted State BJP leaders to threaten that Shah's meeting would be held on the road. The administration finally allotted the Veterinary College ground for the meeting. The BJP leaders accused Nitish of ordering the State Government to refuse the venue.
Shah, who is on a two-day visit, during which he would hold meetings with party leaders and functionaries, also attacked RJD chief lalu Prasad. Incidentally, he chose Karpoori Thakur's birth anniversary celebrations to mount an attack on two disciples of the Socialist leader who are in the process of coming together under one umbrella to jointly fight the BJP. He even claimed the Jana Sangh and BJP had a role in making Thakur the CM.
"We treated Nitish like an elder brother and made him Chief Minister. But he did not realize the power and strength of the BJP. He violated the public mandate and stabbed us in the back. He had struggled against the Congress and the jungle raj of lalu but now he has joined them. Bihar in 2005 was brought out of the jungle raj not by Nitish but by the BJP which ensured that law and order situation was improved, migration of workers was stopped and good governance was established. But you (Nitish) broke the alliance because of your personal ambitions and now Bihar is going back to jungle raj. But we will not allow this to happen and will topple this Government," said Shah amid applause.
Paying tributes to Thakur, Shah said he dreamt of empowerment for the backwards and fought for their rights throughout his life. "The BJP, with the people's mandate has fulfilled his dream by making a backward caste Narendra Modi the Prime Minister. If 2014 was a historic year for the BJP on the national level, 2015 will be a historic year for Bihar when the party will form its Government to serve the people," he said.
During his 54-minute speech, Shah did not mention its Bihar allies lok Janashakti Party and Rashtriya lok Samata Party which are also part of the NDA government at the Centre and only spoke about the BJP calling upon the people to give 185 seats to BJP. Some Central ministers from the State as well as state leaders including Sushil Kumar Modi and Nand Kishore Yadav apart from a number of MPs and legislators were also present.
later, the JD(U) lashed out at Shah and said the BJP has no right to observe Karpoori's birth anniversary as it were BJP and Jana Sang whom had toppled him and opposed his policies. Party spokesman Sanjay Singh said, "Nitish emerged to Central minister and Bihar CM for his ability and acceptability. When Nitish was on peak of his popularity Shah was behind bars."
Another spokesman Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said Nitish severed ties with the BJP on some principles and not for any personal gain. "Nitish never had ambition to become PM and time and again he clarified his stand by saying that he belonged to a regional party and was never in the race," he said.