Har Ghar Dastak: Nitish to take feedback before polls

To spearhead his electoral campaign against the BJP, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will embark on his novel mass contact programme — Har Ghar Dastak (knocking at every house) — from July 2, which is seen as a prelude to his poll battle. The programme is linked to his already launched campaign Badh chala Bihar and Bihar@2025.

However, in a setback to Bihar CM, the Election Commission (EC) on Saturday stayed the high-tech Badh Chala Bihar campaign after a complaint by the BJP that it is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct enforced in the State for the biennial elections to the legislative Council.The election is scheduled for July 7 and the 24 seats are spanned over all 28 districts of Bihar.

The CM launched this  programme on June 9.It is not immediately known if the Har Ghar Dastak programme stands after the EC’s order for suspension, as  it is linked to Badh Chala Bihar.As per the programme scheduled for July 2 at 10.30 am, this campaign will start with Nitish knocking ten houses and simultaneously 10,000 houses will be knocked by partymen across the State. The inmates will be asked four questions and their feedback will be taken on the development and governance and what are their expectations.

Nitish’s media campaigner Prashant Kishor, who had been associated with Narendra Modi till May 2014 lok Sabha polls, is the man behind both these programmes. Kishor said Har Ghar Dastak will continue for ten days and each party worker will be required to knock at ten houses every day and seek and feedback from the masses. 

It has not be disclosed where Nitish will be knocking the doors. This programme is being launched to seek public feedback for documenting the Vision Bihar@2025 under the banner Badh Chala Bihar.Taking a dig at the BJP for attacking his Badh Chala Bihar campaign and alleging it was violation of Model Code of Conduct, Nitish dares BJP to have a public debate on this issue. “We have a model of development with justice. Is BJP has any modelIJ” he asked. JD(U) general secretary KC Tyagi said the students of eminent educational institutions impressed with Nitish model of development have decided to help the party’s campaign during election.