BJP sets agenda for Bihar polls, law and order top priority

Patna, Jun 23: The BJP today revealed its agenda for the Bihar Assembly elections and said law and order was the party's top priority in the state.

"Law and order will be our first priority in the state because farmers, doctors, businessmen, contractors and others can work here if there is safety and security for them. We will ensure that," senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said.

Speaking at the Hindustan Samagam programme organised by a vernacular daily, Sushil said agriculture would be the next priority of the BJP as 80 per cent population of the state was dependent on it for livelihood.

He said if NDA came to power, it would focus on skill development to check migration of people to states like Punjab and Haryana to work as labourers.

"Education and technical education, health and infrastructure development will also be our priorities. We will build roads to connect every village. Highways have been built, but villages still remain unconnected. We will ensure 24-hour electricity supply, including eight hours for farming," the former deputy chief minister said.

The senior BJP leader said if their government came to power in the state, it would focus on the development of the weaker sections including the SC, ST, EBC, OBC, women and minorities and efforts would be made to ensure industrial development, including establishment of agro-based industries.

"These are our priorities and we are sure they will be more or less the same for any Chief Minister or government. Bihar can progress, but Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has put brakes on development here," Sushil said.

The BJP leader said his party would give tickets to maximum number of women possible in the Assembly elections as their success rate was around 99 per cent.

Pointing out that BJP was the first national party to provide 33 per cent reservation to women for party posts, the Leader of Opposition in Bihar Legislative Council said he wanted a constitutional amendment to ensure parties follow it.

Sushil also said the Centre would give a special package to Bihar very soon and all promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the state's development would be fulfilled.

PTI