Bihar Leaders Back Traders' Plea to Postpone INDIA Bloc Rally
Political statements from Bihar have grown sharper ahead of the Legislative Council (MLC) polls and the INDIA bloc's proposed rally on November 1 at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi. Leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (United) have expressed faith in an NDA victory. They have also stood by traders who want the Delhi rally postponed, while directing criticism at the Congress and Rahul Gandhi.
Bihar BJP state president Sanjay Saravgi, in an interview with the news agency, asserted that the NDA would perform strongly in the MLC elections. He said the alliance is fully convinced it will win all eight seats. The NDA has already won three of them. With the support of an independent candidate, that number would rise to four.
The alliance, he said, anticipates a very good result. Should the NDA win all eight seats, he added, nobody should be surprised. Saravgi further pointed out that teachers and graduate voters hold a decisive position in these polls. The alliance, he said, has worked with complete honesty to resolve their problems and worries.
JD(U) national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan also voiced confidence in the NDA's success. He stated that the alliance has done well in all constituencies and is getting ample backing from voters.
Ranjan said that over the last 20 years, voters have given the NDA credit for the work and accomplishments of Nitish Kumar, JD(U) national president and former Bihar Chief Minister. He attributed the positive environment to the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and to the work carried out in a short time by the state government under Samrat Choudhary.
On the INDIA bloc rally scheduled for November 1 at Ramlila Maidan, Bihar leaders have also responded. Saravgi supported the appeal of the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI), which wrote to Rahul Gandhi seeking that the rally be stopped or deferred.
According to him, the worries of traders deserve serious attention. He said the chaos at Jantar Mantar had already caused heavy losses to traders. During the festive season, traders expect to recover what they lost over the whole year. A rally at Ramlila Maidan at this time could affect business worth roughly Rs 10,000 crore.
JD(U) national general secretary Shyam Rajak said every political party, worker and citizen has the right to hold rallies, dharnas and protests. But all such events, he said, must be held within fixed time limits and inside the law. It is equally important to make sure ordinary people do not face difficulties.
Rajak said November is significant for festivals, and shopkeepers and traders depend heavily on business during this period. CTI has requested that the rally be postponed for a few days to avoid any possible hit to trade. He noted that people generally avoid going to places where rallies or protests are taking place.
Rajak also targeted RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. He claimed that no serious leader regards Tejashwi as credible. According to Rajak, Tejashwi is not seen as active in the assembly, on roads, on public causes or among party workers. He said the leader remains distant from public life and appears only occasionally.