Bihar polls: JD(U) alliance and rival BJP optimistic of victory

By PTI

Updated: Wednesday, September 9, 2015, 19:21 [IST]

New Delhi, Sep 9: Gearing up for Bihar polls starting October 12, both the JD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance and the BJP on Wednesday expressed confidence that they will emerge victorious and take the state to new levels of development.

BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said the EC's announcement of the schedule for the five-phased Bihar polls are "dates for the departure of Nitish Kumar" and it was virtually the announcement of the saffron party coming to power.

[Bihar to hold 5-phase assembly elections: Polls to begin from Oct 12, Results on Nov 8]

On the other hand, Kumar who is seeking a third term, was optimistic that people from all sections of the state will again vote for his government based on the work he has done in the last ten years.

[Bihar Assembly poll dates announced: All you need to know]

Kumar said he is confident that those who are happy with his government's performance will vote for the grand alliance.

"We are working day and night and people remember this very much. I am fully confident that people of all sections will vote for us," he said.

JD(U) President Sharad Yadav said,"we are fully confident that the grand alliance will win with massive majority."

[(Pics) Bihar Assembly Elections 2015: Know about heavyweight politicians of Bihar]

He said that the results of the Bihar election will decide the future direction of the country. RJD chief Lalu Prasad said that the alliance was fully prepared for the polls.

Though he welcomed the announcement, Prasad felt that the five-phased polls made it a long exercise and it would have been better had it been conducted in one phase.

Congress General Secretary C P Joshi welcomed the announcement hoping that the polls would be held in a free, fair and impartial manner.

He said that the Bihar polls is a tussle between a "hawabaaz" PM (PM resorting to empty talk) and "kamkazi" CM (competent CM).

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who also hails from Bihar, said BJP was happy that the results will be announced before Diwali as the people of the state can celebrate the festival with "promise" of good governance, which is poll plank of his party. A

bout the bickerings within the Janata Parviar, Prasad took potshots at Kumar, saying while the Bihar Chief Minister has sent DNA samples of people of the state to be examined in New Delhi, whether he had examined the DNA samples of his alliance partners to find out whether they match with each other or not.

PTI