Early Lok Sabha polls can’t be ruled out: Nitish

Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday asserted that the possibility of early Lok Sabha polls could not be ruled out.

He made the remark at the chief minister’s residence where, in the presence of his deputy Tejashwi Yadav and others, he launched 5,061 projects, worth a total of Rs 6,680.67 crore, of the rural works department.

Addressing engineers and other department officials via video conferencing, Kumar said, “I have been told pending works will be complete by January, 2024. I would say, try completing these before that. You never know when elections may be announced.”

“Elections may not necessarily take place next year. These could be held earlier,” said Kumar, the JD(U)’s chief, whose efforts to forge opposition unity have resulted in leaders opposed to the BJP agreeing to visit Patna next week and chalk out a common strategy.

Indirectly targeting the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, Kumar said, “The Centre in 2015 reduced its share in expenditure on Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, to 60 per cent, leaving 40 per cent for the states to bear.”

The rural roads scheme was launched by the government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2000, when the Centre was bearing entire expenses, said Kumar, the longest-serving CM of Bihar, who has fond memories of his earlier stint as a cabinet minister in the Vajpayee government.

“Nowadays, nobody remembers the good work done by Vajpayee,” said Kumar in yet another remark indirectly aimed at the current regime at the Centre.

“Hopefully the good work done by us will not be forgotten,” he added.