Aim for 220 plus tally for NDA in assembly polls: Nitish tells JD(U)

Patna, Oct 5 (PTI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday asked his Janata Dal (United) to strive for a record-breaking tally of more than 200 seats, for the NDA, in the state assembly polls due next year.

This was disclosed by the party’s working president Sanjay Kumar Jha who briefed journalists about the nearly “45 minutes long speech” delivered by the supreme leader at the JD(U)’s state executive meeting.

“The chief minister exhorted party workers to reach out to the people and highlight good works done by the government. He reminded them that the NDA had won 206 seats out of 243 in 2010 and gave them a target of 2020 for the year 2025”, said Jha.

Notably, the JD(U) had won 115 seats in 2010 assembly polls while the BJP, which remained under Kumar’s shadow until Narendra Modi’s arrival on the national stage, had notched up 91, marking the best ever performances by both parties.

Jha also said Kumar was buoyed by NDA’s performance in recent Lok Sabha polls, which saw the BJP-led coalition grabbing 30 out of 40 seats in the state.

“The CM also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda for the special financial status that the state had been seeking if the grant of special category status was not possible”, said the Rajya Sabha member.

Jha, who hails from the flood-prone Mithila region and had held water resources development in state cabinet for many years, showered encomium on his mentor for relief work being undertaken in areas inundated following the release of lakhs of cusecs of water by Nepal recently.

“Community kitchens have been set up where flood-hit people were getting cooked rice, lentils and vegetables. Such a major improvement since the days when they had to remain content with jaggery and flattened rice”, said Jha.

The JD(U) working president was also asked about posters demanding Bharat Ratna for Kumar.

He replied “I don’t know about these. But if such an honour is bestowed upon our leader, it will be a matter of pride for Bihar. It is thanks to him that the word Bihari is no longer seen as a form of abuse. Looking at him we get an inkling of what great historical figures like Chandra Gupt Maurya might have been like”.