State can’t risk re-electing Naxal backers: Modi to BJP workers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday unveiled the ruling National Democratic Alliance’s poll slogan for the upcoming Bihar elections and said the state could not re-elect people who fanned Naxalism when they were in power.

Ekjut NDA, ekjut Bihar, phir banegi sushasan sarkar was the slogan Modi gave in an hour-long virtual interaction with the BJP’s booth workers in the state. The interaction, the PM’s first, was part of the saffron party’s trademark pre-poll dialogue with booth managers under the programme called “Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot” (my booth the strongest).

Pitching NDA unity as a major poll factor in the face of uncertainties plaguing opposition Mahagathbandhan’s seat-sharing talks in the state, the PM said Bihar would celebrate the third Diwali (after the GST reduction festival and the October 20 festivities) on November 14 “to mark NDA’s election victory in Bihar”.

On the political front, the PM asked the BJP workers to remind the voters in general and youngsters in particular of the “jungle raaj days”.

His swipe was at Lalu Prasad-led RJD government of the past.

Noting that the BJP-led NDA dispensation at the Centre was on the verge of rooting out Naxalism, the PM said there were times when vast parts in Bihar were under the terror of Naxals, who could loot government property and destroy rail tracks at will.

“There were days when people could not venture out of their homes in Bihar. Today, Bihar is free of the reign of goons. But the state has seen times when its vast areas were Naxal-affected...There was an atmosphere of terror, no one could earn a living peacefully, development works were paralysed. But today the situation has changed. We are close to eliminating Naxalism. We are at a very momentous occasion in history and the people of Bihar cannot take the risk of re-electing those who would fan Naxalism again,” the PM said attacking the rival RJD, the lead partner of the Mahagathbandhan coalition comprising the Congress and the Left Front.

The PM told party leaders to ensure everyone in the state saw the special exhibition curated to mirror jungle raaj days of the past.

In another message, Modi described beneficiaries of government schemes as campaigners and asked the BJP workers to draw up their list, engage them on the range of financial benefits being received through government programmes and amplify their experiences.

“These beneficiaries are also your campaigners. Make a list of the beneficiaries, ask them how much benefit they are receiving from government schemes, record their videos and share those,” the PM said, asking women workers of the BJP to address him as a brother instead of sir.

The PM also hailed as a landmark the new NDA scheme under which 1.20 crore women of Bihar have received Rs 10,000 cash in their accounts to set up new business.

“This is the beginning. We will give more once women deploy seed amount well,” assured the PM, hoping to ride the women’s vote after similar positive experiences of cash benefits to women in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi.