By Manoj Bhadra
Lucknow, Nov 12 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and co-in-charge of the Bihar elections, Keshav Prasad Maurya, on Wednesday exuded confidence that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will secure an absolute majority in the Bihar Assembly polls on November 14, and that Bihar’s “bright and energetic” leader Nitish Kumar will continue as Chief Minister.
Speaking in an interview with UNI, Maurya criticized the opposition for indulging in negative politics during the Bihar elections, noting that exit polls indicate the public has rejected them.
When asked whether Nitish Kumar would continue as Chief Minister after winning a majority in Bihar, or whether a new face would emerge, Maurya said, “In Bihar, the BJP contested the elections in alliance with its NDA partners. The NDA will win an absolute majority, in Bihar. As far as the Chief Minister is concerned, the NDA has contested the elections in alliance with Nitish Kumar. The people of Bihar have given the NDA their full support and Nitish Kumar will be the Chief Minister of the new government."
UP Deputy CM further claimed that the NDA has received overwhelming support from the people of Bihar and will achieve a bigger victory in 2025 than in 2020. He added that voters have rejected those who consistently misled the public, asserting that Tejashwi Yadav will not succeed in Bihar.
When the co-in-charge of Bihar was asked about Tejashwi Yadav questioning the impartiality of the Election Commission and saying, "The Election Commission is dead," he responded that Yadav is merely venting his anger, as the public has already rejected him.
"The Commission's impartiality existed before and will remain so in the future. Such statements are being used to create an atmosphere against the Commission," he added.
Maurya also criticized Akhilesh Yadav, former UP Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief, for his comments on the SIR issue and for threatening to approach the Supreme Court.
Maurya made a witty remark, saying, "After leading the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar, one of his colleagues jumped into a pond and fished during the elections. I fear that, following his example, Akhilesh might jump into a well while protesting against the SIR."
He emphasized that the SIR issue failed to gain traction in Bihar as voters saw through the opposition’s intentions. Maurya said that the public had deflated the opposition's SIR campaign. The people there understood their ill intentions, so the SIR did not become an issue there.
"You cannot mislead the public for long. The people of Bihar have showered the NDA with immense love and support in the elections. The policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar have been approved by the public. This pair will be both a hit and a fit in Bihar. The double-engine government will be formed again, and the process of writing a new saga of development will continue throughout Bihar," he claimed.
Maurya was in Gujarat on Wednesday to attend an event marking the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Speaking at the event, he said, “If Sardar Patel had not united the princely states to form a united India, we could have had 565 countries. His foresight kept the country united, unlike the policies of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, which could have ruined everything with his policies."
UNI MBD SAS AAB