No vacancy for PM's or Bihar CM's posts: Shah backs Nitish

Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi backed Nitish Kumar as the face of the ruling NDA alliance in poll-bound Bihar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also made it clear today that the Bihar Chief Minister's post is not vacant.

Addressing election rallies in Bihar's Darbhanga, Samastipur and Begusarai, Shah launched a frontal attack on the opposition RJD and Congress for promoting politics of dynasties.

"RJD supremo Lalu Prasad wants his son Tejashwi to be the Chief Minister of Bihar. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi wants her son Rahul to be the Prime Minister. But neither of these posts is vacant," said Shah in remarks that are being viewed as the BJP's continued reliance on Nitish to retain power in Bihar.

In Darbhanga, Shah also raised the issue of law and order and national security asking whether the members of radical organisation Popular Front of India (PFI), arrested after the Centre banned the organisation, would remain incarcerated if the RJD- and Congress-led coalition came to power in Bihar.

"PFI operatives were active in Patna's Phulwari Sharif. Searches were conducted across the country and members of the organisation were jailed. Do you think PFI members will remain in jail if the RJD-Congress comes to power in Bihar?" Shah asked.

Contrasting Mahagathbandhan and the ruling NDA, Shah described the opposition alliance as "Thud-bandhan" and said the JDU-BJP coalition did not face any taint of corruption.

"Lalu Prasad is involved in fodder, bitumen and land-for-jobs scams. The Congress is involved in corruption cases worth Rs 12 lakh crore. There is not a single allegation of corruption against PM Modi and CM Nitish Kumar," said the Home Minister.

He also attacked Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi for their rally against Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in the state and said the duo were out to protect infiltrators and keen them in the voter lists.

The senior minister also said Bihar would vote to keep RJD's "jungle raj" at bay.