In his first poll rally in Bihar, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday slammed the NDA and the Nitish Kumar Government, while promising moon to the youths and the poor of the country. He also counted poster achievements of the UPA Government and outlined all the party’s plans for the development of 70 crore poor people of the country.
“The priority of the Congress party is to put 70 crore poor people into the bracket of middle class and also to provide employment to 10 crore youths in the next five years,” promised Rahul Gandhi while addressing a moderate crowd at Aurangabad. Former Delhi Police chief and Kerala Governor Nikhil Kumar is the Congress candidate from Aurangabad lok Sabha constituency who is locked in straight fight against Shushil Kumar Singh of the BJP.
While attacking the NDA Government’s publicity blitzkrieg, Rahul said that in 2004 and 2009 parliamentary polls NDA’s India shining slogan burst and “this time they have changed it to Gujarat model but this bubble too would burst flat on their face”.
“Yes, their (NDA) marketing is good but we only work to prove our credentials,” he said while counting major milestones of the UPA Government like MNREGA, RTI and lokpal as their major achievements.
He also focused on welfare measures by the UPA Government for farmers of the country and declared that when the Congress party would come to power the irrigation system in Aurangabad region would be strengthened further.
“When we work for farmers’ welfare and for the upliftment of weaker sections the NDA leaders say we waste money,” he charged. While taking a dig at the Nitish Kumar Government in Bihar, the Congress vice-president asked the people, “How many of you got employmentIJ”
“In Bihar the poor people are under APl (Above Poverty line) while rich people come under BPl (Below Poverty line),” he pointed out while reminding them about thrashing the people from Bihar and UP got in Maharashtra.
“Shiv Sena is their ally in Maharashtra but when people from their ruling States go to Mumbai and other places in Maharashtra they get beaten up…this depicts their hypocrisy,” he charged. He also alleged that, despite their (NDA) alliance with the Akali Dal, Sikhs are being ousted in Gujarat.
The party vice-president reached the rally venue over an hour late as his chopper had developed some technical snag.
Meanwhile, the local people said that Aurangabad, known as Chhitiorgarh of East, is one of the few lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar where both the national parties — the BJP and the Congress — candidates are pitched against each other in a straight contest.
The Rajput caste-dominated constituency under Nikhil Kumar, whose family has been representing it for a long time now, is pitted against the BJP candidate Shushil Kumar Singh. Singh had won the last lok Sabha poll from Aurangabad on JD(U) ticket but he recently quit the party to join the BJP. Meanwhile, the JD(U) has put Bagi Prasad Verma as their candidate who is trying hard to make the battle triangular.
In all the last 15 lS elections, Aurangabad had sent very few Rajput candidates in Parliament. Besides, the upper caste Bhumihars too have their presence marked in the constituency. While Rajputs are heavily concentrated in the southern half, Bhumihars have a sizeable population in the north.
However, the prospect of BJP candidate appears rather oblique as for former party Minister and Bihar BJP leader Ramadhar Singh, a Rajput, has openly declared not to support his party candidate. Ramadhar Singh wanted to contest the lok Sabha polls himself and he reportedly also did not enjoy the political relations with Shushil Singh.
Shushil Singh is the son of Ram Naresh Singh alias lootan Singh who was formerly associated with the family of Anugrah Narain Singh and Satyendra Narain Singh--Nikhil Kumar’s father and grand-father--but later rebelled against the family and won as MP for the first time in 1989 on Janata Dal ticket. He won again in 1991.
Though Rajputs have a sizeable presence in Aurangabad but Yadav caste too has much significance and it was because of this the Congress president Nikhil Kumar before quitting his post from Kerala Governorship had a meeting with RJD chief lalu Prasad apparently to ensure his caste support. Besides, the constituency has also Koeri voters and keeping this profile in mind the ruling part JD-U has fielded Bagi Prasad Verma, a koeri by caste as its party candidate.