NDA has released the Sankalp Patra under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the Bihar Elections 2025. In an exclusive interview with Organiser, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) from Maharajganj Constituency, Janardhan Singh Sigriwal decodes the NDA manifesto. Excerpts of the interview
What are the key priorities for NDA in Bihar Assembly Elections? What are the issues on which the alliance is approaching the electors?
Development and good governance are our (NDA’s) top priorities in the elections and we are approaching the electors with the same. We have carried out development works and the people have accepted it as well.
Migration and employment opportunities have been the key issues in Bihar. Opposition parties have also accused the government for failing to deliver on this and promised one job to each family. The NDA has promised 1 crore job and employment opportunities, how are you going to create employment on such a massive scale?
You must have seen that in our Sankalp Patra or manifesto we have promised to provide one crore employment opportunities for jobless people. We have also promised to setup industrial centres in each districts. The Prime Minister himself has announced that the youth of Bihar will no longer need to move outside of the state for jobs and people trust his words. We will surely work out and create opportunities for youths at district levels.
Do you think that the government would be able to stop migration from state for employment opportunities in the next five years?
Yes, we would surely fix it. The Prime Minister has said it clearly that once we form the government after November 14, we will work towards building a Viksit Bihar. When we will move towards a developed state, we will surely be creating service and employment opportunities. We have already laid down the foundation by building roads, providing electricity etc.
Law and order have been another burning issue in the election campaign, where while the NDA leaders are frequently referring about the state of law and order in the RJD’s tenure, the opposition leaders on the other hand have accused the incumbent government over failure to control crimes, how do you see these allegations?
See, one must re-visit the scenario when NDA government was formed in the state and Nitish Kumar was sworn-in as Chief Minister after Jungle Raj. What was the scenario then, people were feeling insecure be it the students, youth, businessmen, journalists, doctors or others? They were not sure what could happen to them. At that time, criminals were protected from state’s power galleries but today criminals are punished by the state. Crime has decreased sharply but even if it has taken place, we have succeeded in taking stringent action against the criminals. As far as Mahagathbandhan’s allegations are concerned they have no right to comment on this, given their record.
Opposition alleges that there is uncertainty over CM’s face in NDA, also why the BJP couldn’t develop its leadership in the state as alleged by many?
There is no substance in these allegations, ours CM candidate was already declared, there is a slogan that ‘2025 Fir se Nitish,’ our leaders have been frequently giving statements in public on this as well. But I feel what’s the opposition take on this, has everybody accepted a single leader, there are many contenders in the opposition camp. In NDA, it’s been declared that Nitish Kumar Ji will be the Chief Minister, this was already finalised by our top leadership in advance.
As far as state leadership is concerned, there is no shortage of leaders in BJP. You must have seen in the other states where BJP is in power. Chief Ministers are declared even before anyone has a guess about it. In Bihar, we have a government of our alliance. Our leader is Chief Minister Nitish Kumar under whom we are contesting the elections and he will become the CM as well.
Financial assistance and promises to Jeevika Didi’s are also in the center of this elections with opposition making significant announcement for them. Don’t you think providing financial assistance to them ahead of assembly polls are part of freebies culture?
We have been already running schemes like ‘Mukhyamantri Udhami Yojna’. I don’t consider this as election agenda, have schemes for women empowerment and Jeevika Didis come out all of a sudden today? Has ‘Beti Padhao Beti Bachao’ come up today, these have already been the priorities of our leaders. It’s part of our efforts to empower them and connect them to employment. There is 50 percent reservation for women in Bihar, we have been given an opportunity, and we are serving them, that’s all.
NDA had lost 7 out of the 10 seats in Saran division in 2020 assembly polls, where do you see NDA performance in the upcoming polls in Saran and in Bihar?
We are confident to win all the 10 seats in Saran and perform exceptionally well in all the 24 seats of the commissionaire. As far as state is concerned, we have set a target of winning 225 assembly seats and our party workers are tirelessly working towards achieving that goal.
