New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday hit back at Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s claim that the NDA will win more than 160 seats in the Bihar Assembly elections, saying his prediction was an “illusion” and questioning the credibility of his political forecasts, calling him “fake Chanakya.”
Reacting sharply to HM Shah’s poll predictions, Congress leader Pawan Khera said the people of Bihar were giving a clear mandate in favour of the Opposition alliance.
He stated, “We are receiving a clear mandate for 72 seats. We can say this with confidence. As for those claiming to cross 400 seats, let them be, let them speak, let them chant slogans. Nothing will happen; the plan of the Home Minister won’t succeed. He is a fake Chanakya.”
Echoing similar criticism, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari questioned the BJP’s overconfidence in election predictions, pointing to the party’s decline in the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year.
He said, “I want to ask them, just a few days ago, you said you would win 400 seats in Parliament. But the result was that your count fell from 306 to 238. So what happened to your own assessment, which you made while speaking as the Home Minister?”
Earlier on Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had expressed strong confidence that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would secure a decisive victory in Bihar, saying the ruling coalition would win “more than 160 seats” and form the next government under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s leadership.
Meanwhile, addressing a rally in Purnea on Saturday, HM Shah reiterated the NDA’s development agenda while vowing to take firm action on security and illegal infiltration.
He said, “We have worked on this issue in many places, and I want to tell the people of Seemanchal and Bihar with full assurance that within the next five years we will rid Bihar of infiltrators. We will not only remove the infiltrators, but we will also provide alternative livelihoods to those involved in illegal trades and clear illegal encroachments. The BJP and the NDA government will carry out this work.”
The Congress, however, dismissed HM Shah’s assurances and claims as “political posturing” ahead of the polls, asserting that Bihar’s voters are more focussed on unemployment, inflation, and rural development than on rhetoric. With the second phase of voting scheduled for November 11, the exchange of sharp words between the BJP and Congress has further intensified the political battle in Bihar.
(IANS)
