Nitish Kumar blows poll bugle with JD(U) `Sankalp` rally

Blowing the bugle for 2014 Parliamentary elections, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday hit out at Congress-led UPA government for dilly dallying on granting special category status to the state and at the BJP for coronating a leader(Narendra Modi) representing forces that targeted people from Bihar in Mumbai and other places.

Changhara: Blowing the bugle for 2014 Parliamentary elections, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday hit out at Congress-led UPA government for dilly dallying on granting special category status to the state and at the BJP for coronating a leader(Narendra Modi) representing forces that targeted people from Bihar in Mumbai and other places.

Kumar virtually launched campaign for polls by starting series of "Sankalp rally" JD(U) has planned across the state to press for its demand of special category status and caution people against "divisive" forces led by BJP.

The series of 12 Sankalp rallies planned by JD(U) across Bihar till February next year started from East Champaran as party leaders said Mahatama Gandhi had launched his satyagraha against British government from here.

Keeping distance with Congress which was seen reaching out to Nitish Kumar after his parting company with BJP, the chief minister criticised the UPA government for not taking decision on special category status for Bihar.

"There is every possibility to grant special category status to Bihar after report of Raghuram Rajan committee giving fresh definition of backwardness but the government sitting in Delhi is not taking a decision," Kumar said at Changhara village on Indo-Nepal borders in East Champaran.

Kumar has said on numerous occasions that special category status demand would be JD(U) main poll agenda in 2014 Parliamentary elections and he would seek strength from voters to achieve this.

"I and my party leaders have come to take a `sankalp` (pledge) that we will continue our struggle to achieve special category status for boosting the growth in Bihar," he said.

Noted filmmaker Prakash Jha shared dais with Kumar. Jha
had unsuccessfully contested last Lok Sabha elections from Bettiah on LJP ticket.

Kumar also took potshots at the Centre for not adequately compensating Bihar after carving out Jharkhand from it. He demanded special package for Bihar to compensate the loss of mines and minerals and other natural resources needed for economic development.

Kumar, who is driving force of JD(U), took an apparent dig at his rival and BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

"He (Narendra Modi) was accorded status of state guest in Mumbai where people from Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh have been attacked on numerous times," he said.

He took potshots at BJP leaders from Bihar for rushing to "coronate" their leader known for spreading communal hatred in society.

"Nowadays they feel ashamed to praise good things happening in their own state (Bihar) and rushing to coronate the leader who has a track record of spreading communal hatred in the society," he said.

Kumar appealed to the people to provide strength to him for continuation of Hindu-Muslim unity and unhampered growth of Bihar.

Bihar JD(U) President Bashitha Narayan Singh said Bihar has made a rapid growth under Nitish Kumar and appealed to the people not to give a break to this.

Senior ministers Vijay Chaudhary and Awdesh Kushwaha pointed to growing clout of Bihar in the country due to good work which has changed image of the state.

Noted filmmaker Prakash Jha hailed improvement in law and order situation and a number of pioneering initiative taken by Kumar for empowerment of women.

"Now I do not get script to make a films like `Apahran`," Jha said in local Bhojpuri dialect.

`Apahran` starring Ajay Devgn and Nana Patekar portrayed about the kidnapping industries which allegedly had flourished during RJD rule.

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