RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government, accusing the ruling JD(U) party of misusing government funds and engaging in widespread financial irregularities to fuel their campaign for the upcoming Assembly elections.
Speaking at a press conference at the RJD headquarters in Patna, Tejashwi claimed that the ruling party, sensing a potential defeat in the upcoming elections, was resorting to "looting the government treasury."
He alleged that ministers in the state government were demanding commissions of up to 30 per cent on government projects, with tenders being rushed through to cover the costs of their electoral campaign. Tejashwi further accused the government of sidelining local contractors and favouring outsiders, all for the purpose of securing hefty commissions.
Tejashwi condemned these actions, referring to them as a "loot of the treasury" and accusing the ruling alliance of prioritising political interests over the development of Bihar. He stressed that the people of Bihar would deliver a strong response to such misuse of public money when they go to the polls later this year.
The RJD leader also claimed that government funds were being siphoned off through schemes like 'Mahila Samvad', which he alleged were being used for political propaganda under the guise of social welfare initiatives.
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Earlier this week, after the first meeting of the Bihar Mahagathbandhan, Tejashwi had voiced his concerns about the state government's handling of crucial issues like poverty, unemployment, and migration. He described Bihar as a state plagued by "crime and corruption" rather than the "double engine" of development that the state government had been touting.
He said, "The real double engine in Bihar is crime and corruption. Bihar is number one in crime, unemployment, and migration of labour. There is no law and order in the state." Tejashwi also challenged Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, asking them to account for the state's deteriorating condition during their visits to Bihar.
Leaders from the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation and other opposition parties joined the meeting at the RJD office, where discussions focused on seat-sharing and the formulation of a Common Minimum Programme for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
With the Bihar Assembly elections scheduled for later this year, a fiercely contested political battle is expected. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which includes Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), will face off against the Mahagathbandhan, consisting of the Congress, RJD, and Left parties.
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