Why Modi is sparing Lalu, not Nitish Kumar in Bihar rallies
When the Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Bihar on Tuesday - his third visit to the state since July 25 - he appeared in a much mellowed avatar for Lalu Prasad, whom he did not pick for an acerbic swipe even once; although he did not spare the BJP's other opponent Nitish Kumar on whom he landed all his punches and digs.
In fact, barring a few fleeting references to jungle raj, Modi did not even talk about the RJD chief Lalu Prasad when he addressed a massive public meeting at Saharsa. The PM neither took Lalu's name; nor discussed his governance - or the lack of it during his speeches, both in the government functions in Ara and at the BJP rally in Saharsa later in the day.
Modi's hands off on Lalu surprised many, as just a day before the prime minister's visit, the Supreme Court had sought Lalu Prasad's response to a CBI appeal against a Jharkhand High Court order quashing certain charges against him in a fodder scam case, which is separate from the one in which he has already been convicted.
Many expected Modi to utilise the legal development, which seem loaded with the possibility to embarrass Lalu in the run-up to Bihar Assembly polls. Though the development can further marginalise the RJD chief, the prime minister just steered clear of the fodder issues and the person both. It was very unlike Modi, who in his last two Bihar election meetings had specifically targeted Lalu for imposing jungle raj in Bihar.
Political observers, however, see a purpose behind Modi's deliberate skipping to mention Lalu Prasad. "Even a hint of some outside trouble to Lalu may make Yadavs empathise with him. We are already sure to take a good chunk of young Yadav voters. But, Lalu Prasad is also capable of rallying the Yadavs behind him. A complete consolidation of the Yadavs along with the Muslims can make things difficult for the BJP, which is why the PM refused to laugh at RJD supremo's legal miseries," says a senior BJP leader.
Modi may have deliberately missed mentioning Lalu and appeared less aggressive and more matter-of-fact in his approach, but he did not spare Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, describing him as arrogant and conceited. In Ara, Modi blamed Nitish for compromising the self-respect of Bihar and its citizens by hobnobbing with Congress after he snapped ties with BJP in Bihar. In Saharsa, the PM took digs at Nitish for returning five crore rupees that the Gujarat government had sent for Kosi flood victims.
Earlier in Ara, Modi announced a special package of Rs 1.25 lakh crore for Bihar, aiming to assert his development oriented credentials and to dwarf Nitish Kumar's development poll plank. This special package will be in addition to the various development projects involving central funds of over Rs 40,000 crore already approved in Bihar.
Prime Minister's Bihar Package 2015 - Rs 1,25,003 crore:
| Sectors | Amount (in rupees) | Highlights |
| Farmer's Welfare | 3,094 crore | 1. Upgradation of Rajendra Prasad Agriculture University to Central University, creation of new research centre. 2. Development of fisheries, farm water management, storage capacity, farm mechanisation, seed production systems. 3. Construction of new godowns for foodgrains.
|
| Education | 1,000 crore | 1. Central University near Bhagalpur. 2. IIM at Bodhgaya. |
| Skill Development | 1,550 crore | 1. Establishment of mega skill university. 2. Training of 1 lakh youth. |
| Health | 500 crore | Upgradation of 3 medical colleges at Patna, Bhagalpur, Gaya. |
| Electricity | 16,130 crore | 1. 1,300 MW new power plant at Buxor. 2. Electrification of villages under Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Vidyut Yojana (sufficient for farms, uninterrupted for homes). 3. Electrification of towns-cities under Integrated Power Development Scheme. |
| Rural Roads | 13,820 crore | 22,500km of rural roads. |
| Highways | 54,713 crore | 1. 2,775km of National Highways (four-laning & widening. 2. Construction of bridges (across Ganga, Sone, Kosi).3. Construction of 12 Rail overbridges. |
| Airports | 2,700 crore | 1. Construction of new airport at Patna. 2. Development of airports at Gaya, Raxaul, Purnea. |
| Digital Bihar | 449 crore | 1. Software technology parks, rural BPOs, training centres. 2. 1,000 new mobile towers to increase coverage and quality. 3. 30 WiFi hotspots across prominent tourist places. 4. Common service centres to be scaled up from 8,800 to 26,000. |
| Petroleum & Gas | 21,476 crore | 1. Expansion of Barauni Refinery plus new petrochemical plant. 2. Construction of gas pipelines, new LPG plants and massive expansion in domestic LPG connections. 3. Petrol-Diesel pipeline from Raxaul to Nepal. |
| Tourism | 600 crore | Development of seven tourist circuits. |
| Total | 1,25,003 crore |
Other investments:
| Category | Amount (in rupees) |
| Unspent amount of 2013 Package (of Rs 12,000 cr) | 8,282 crore |
| Ongoing works of National Highways | 12,375 crore |
| UMPP (Ultra Mega Power Project) in Banka under PPP | 20,000 crore |
| Total | 40,657 crore |
| Tax relief on new capital investment for galvanising industrial development. |
| Prime Minister's Bihar Package over and above on-going national social sector schemes: Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana, Sukanya Samruddhi Yojana, MUDRA, Free LPG connections to BPL, Swachh Vidyalaya Abhiyan and so on. |
Modi also unleashed his political master stroke at Saharsa where he invoked Jayaprakash Narayan's legacy and slammed his opponents for stitching a deal with the Congress that sent JP to jail, which led to the decline of the freedom fighter's health, leading to his demise. Though Modi did not take names of his opponents, he raised a valid argument, which seems almost unanswerable for both Lalu and Nitish, who owe their political careers to their participation in the total revolution movement launched by JP.
Modi has thrice visited Bihar in less than a month. In his third visit on Tuesday, Modi seemed more mellowed. The changed stance is being attributed to his strategy against overdoing his attacks against the two opponents. It's a tactical shift, as Modi knows how crucial a victory in Bihar is for his party. It can give a massive boost to the BJP's confidence, which has drooped a bit ever after the party's massive defeat in the Delhi election. Modi will once again visit Bihar on September 1, a day after Lalu and Nitish address their Swabhiman Rally in Patna. It will be another day; and Modi is sure to unleash something else from his quiver.