Nitish Kumar is tired, cannot handle Bihar anymore: Tejashwi Yadav

RJD leader and the chief ministerial candidate of the Grand Alliance with Congress Tejashwi Yadav on Friday (October 23) took a dig at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar saying he was tired and will not be able to handle Bihar anymore. The Assembly elections this time will be fought over unemployment, he said.   

The “double-engine” government in Bihar under Kumar of the JD(U) has failed to ensure the state’s progress in 15 years. “The chief minister is tired, he cannot handle the state anymore. A new thought is needed to make a new Bihar,” he said addressing a public rally at Hisua in Nawada district.  

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He alleged that Nitish Kumar did not step out of his CM’s house for over three months due to the coronavirus but is now campaigning when he needs votes. 

“Nitish Kumar stayed in the CM house for 144 days. Now, however, he has stepped out of his house. Why? Tab bhi corona tha, ab bhi corona hai. But now he is out because he wants your vote,” Yadav said.

Continuing his attack on the chief minister, he said, “Kumar has failed to provide employment in 15 years, has not set up companies and has not abolished poverty.”  

He has been saying that companies cannot be set up in Bihar because it is a landlocked state and not near the sea. “But then are Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana landlocked? People from Bihar are forced to go to companies in these states for employment,” he said.  

“Prime Minister Modi should explain why Bihar has not got a special package, why there are no companies in the state,” he said. 

Modi addressed a rally in Bihar on Friday.    

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Yadav reiterated his promise of providing 10  lakh jobs in his first cabinet meeting if he is voted to power. “We will give government jobs to people. Later when there will be investments, tourism increases, companies are set up, there will be more employment in the private sector,” he said. 

Yadav said widow pension will be increased to Rs 1,000 from Rs 400.  

The elections in Bihar will be fought on over unemployment, he said. “On November 9, Laluji will get bail and he will be out of jail. November 9 is also my birthday. November 10 will be the farewell of Nitish Kumar,” he said.

The Assembly elections will be held in three phases from October 28. The counting will be  on November 10.

Yadav has made unemployment a major plank for the elections. He has said that his first decision as chief minister if the Grand Alliance were to win the elections will be to sanction 10 lakh government jobs.

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In response, the BJP has promised 19 lakh jobs and also free shots of the COVID vaccine as and when one is developed and approved.