New Delhi: Hours after the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for Bihar Assembly polls, Union Minister Raj Kumar Singh on Friday expressed confidence that the NDA will return to power by at least three-fourth majority.
The BJP MP from Arrah, Bihar said that the Opposition is unable to keep its flock together and there is no consensus over Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav.
“We will win by at least 3/4th majority. There is no doubt. People are with us. The Opposition is not together anymore. First, Manjhi left and now Upendra Kushwaha is leaving. A number of their MLAs and MLCs left and joined JDU. Nobody is agreeing on projecting Tejashwi as the chief ministerial candidate,” Singh told ANI.
“People will vote for us because we have delivered. They believe that we can give development, upright governance, and administration. We will contest the election based on the works we have done. We have addressed the old issues of Bihar. We have worked in the interest of the poor,” he said.
The Bihar Assembly elections will be held in three phases with polling to take place on October 28, and November 3 and 7, with the counting of votes to take place on November 10.
In the 2015 Assembly polls, JDU, RJD, and Congress had fought the elections together under the Mahagathbandhan banner. On the other hand, the BJP-led NDA had fought the elections with Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and other allies.
RJD with 80 seats had emerged as the single largest party in the elections, followed by JDU (71), and BJP (53). However, BJP got the largest vote share (24.42 per cent), followed by RJD with 18.35 per cent and JDU (16.83 per cent).
After the polls, however, a rift emerged between JDU and the RJD in 2017, leading to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar snapping ties and rejoining ties with the BJP-led NDA to retain power in Bihar.
Singh said that the Farm Bills passed by Parliament will empower farmers and give them the freedom to sell their produce anywhere.
“Farmers are not against it. Opposition parties are planning to mobilise farmers on this issue. We have empowered farmers and gave them the freedom to sell their produce anywhere. They can get more price. Why were they forcing farmers to sell produce at a particular place and pay 6-8 per cent tax?” he asked.
Singh also spoke about Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case.
“The issue around Sushant Singh Rajput was not related to the Bihar election and it was a national issue. The death was mysterious and the matter was being brushed under the carpet,” the minister concluded.