No CM vacancy: Amit Shah clears air on top post

Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said there was “no seat vacant", asserting that Nitish Kumar is the Chief Minister in Bihar while Narendra Modi will continue to be the Prime Minister at the Centre.

"There is no vacancy for either the post of CM or PM. Vikas Purush Nitish Kumar is sitting in Bihar and PM Modi in Delhi," Amit Shah said at a rally in Begusarai district, hinting that Nitish was the CM face in the state.

The BJP on Wednesday intensified its campaign with a galaxy of leaders and political heavyweights descending on various places in Bihar to address public meetings in favour of NDA candidates.

Besides Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and UP CM Yogi Adityanath also addressed rallies in the state.

Taking a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, he said, "Almost two months ago he had come to Bihar to launch an agitation to protect the infiltrators. Today he has returned to bring back 'jungle raj' again." Accusing the RJD and the Congress of opposing the construction of the Ram Mandir and the removal of Article 370 from the Constitution, Shah recalled that his government had banned the radical front PFI for the safety of the country. "If RJD and Congress leaders are elected, then PFI members now in jail will be released," he told the gathering while asking them to be careful of the return of "jungle raj" in the state.

In Darbhanga, Shah batted for Maithli Thakur, the famous folk singer who is contesting on a BJP ticket from the Alinagar Assembly seat. "We have given a ticket to Maithli despite the fact that she has no political background. It is not possible in any other party. She is the daughter of Mithila and will create a name for this region if she is elected," Shah remarked.

He also highlighted developmental work done for Mithilanchal during the Modi regime.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took a dig at RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav for stating that the Waqf Amendment Act would be shredded to pieces if the Mahagathbandhan comes to power. "They always tell lies about the Act and try to confuse the people. It is an Act passed by Parliament and cannot be abolished by a state," Rajnath said in his speech at Barh in Patna district.

"The PM did not differentiate between Muslims and Hindus when he distributed Rs 10,000 each to women," he said, accusing the Mahagathbandhan of trying to divert attention from key issues.

"The main issue is if Bihar wants to return to the days of the RJD raj. Do you not feel ashamed when a person who has served as CM has to go to jail on account of corruption?" he said at Hayaghat in Darbhanga.

Rajnath said during the RJD-Congress rule, development had come to a halt in Bihar. "You should opt for development over jungle raj," he said.

Speaking about Operation Sindoor, the Defence Minister said, "We showed restraint in our attacks on Pakistan to prevent civilian casualties."

Also addressing a rally in the state, UP CM Yogi Adityanath targeted Osama Shahab, the RJD candidate from the Raghunathpur seat in Siwan district. Osama is the son of the late dreaded criminal-turned-politician Md Shahabuddin, who was MP of Siwan four times before he died in police custody in Delhi.

Incidentally, a bulldozer had been placed at the meeting venue to welcome Adityanath, who said, "In UP, I use bulldozers to roll across over mafias."

He expressed surprise over the RJD selecting a candidate who had links with a person who was known internationally for his criminal activities.

Adityanath said under the Nitish regime, Bihar had witnessed development. "Today Bihar has everything — good roads and hospitals. The keyword is not migration but development," he said. He accused the RJD and Congress of promoting the dynastic rule.

On Thursday, PM Narendra Modi is scheduled to address two meetings in Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga. He will hold a roadshow in Patna on November 2. BJP sources indicated that the PM might be in Bihar on November 6, the day of the first round of voting. On the day, he might address meetings at places where voting is on November 11.