• Source:JND
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Bihar Elections: With the conclusion of the Chhath Puja, a fresh round of political activity is set to begin in election-bound Bihar on Tuesday. The Opposition, the INDIA bloc, is likely to release its manifesto today, a day before Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to kick off his election campaign.

Taking a brief break from the intense poll campaign, the top leaders, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, and Union Minister Chirag Paswan, spent the day at home with their families, celebrating the state's most popular festival, Chhath Puja.

Politics On Chhath Puja

However, Yadav, who has been projected as the INDIA bloc's chief ministerial candidate, went live on Facebook late in the evening on Monday, accusing the Modi government of lying to the people by claiming that 12,000 trains would be run to accommodate the festival crowds.

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Showing videos of overcrowded trains and stations on his laptop, Yadav said, "We have never seen such chaos before. So, where are those 12,000 trains? I would urge my brothers who have returned home from far-off places to celebrate Chhath not to go back after enjoying the thekua (a sweet made of flour and jaggery). Stay here until election day and vote for change."

Will Mahagathbandhan Announce Muslim Deputy CM Face?

There is speculation that some other political announcements might also be made during the manifesto release, such as the possibility of appointing a deputy chief minister from the minority community if the RJD, Congress, and Left alliance wins the election.

Earlier, when Yadav was projected as the chief ministerial candidate, the grand alliance also announced that VIP chief Mukesh Sahani would be its deputy chief minister face. This move was reportedly aimed at wooing the Nishad community, an Extremely Backward (EBC) to which Sahani belongs.

However, the move has been criticised by some sections, including the ruling NDA and AIMIM, led by Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, which is contesting several seats in Bihar.

Muslims Are Ignored: Owaisi

Owaisi said, "They have nominated a Yadav and a Nishad, but ignored the Muslims, whose population is more than both communities combined." The INDIA bloc may include several of Yadav's recent promises in its manifesto, including a law to ensure that at least one member of every family has a government job.

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 While the proposal has been ridiculed by the ruling NDA and Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor, the RJD leader has insisted that his team has conducted a "scientific study" to make this promise a reality.

Promises For EBC

Other promises that people will be eyeing include several measures for Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) announced in the "Ati Pichhda Sankalp," which was released last month in the presence of Rahul Gandhi.

Reservation Based On Caste Survey: RJD

These promises included a law along the lines of the SC/ST Act, which would protect EBCs from atrocities, as well as reservations in government contracts up to Rs 25 crore for deprived castes. Yadav was the Deputy CM when the Nitish Kumar government announced an increase in reservations for deprived castes, which was later struck down by the Patna High Court. While petitions challenging this order are pending in the Supreme Court, the RJD leader is claiming that if they come to power, they will bring in a new law announcing an increase in reservations according to the results of the caste survey conducted in the state.

Yadav has also promised to implement this and urge the Centre to place this law in the Ninth Schedule so that, like the Tamil Nadu reservation laws, it is protected from judicial review.

Meanwhile, workers of the different constituents of the INDIA bloc, especially the RJD and Congress, who were disillusioned after the delay in seat-sharing arrangements, are hoping that unity will prevail in the coming days, as Gandhi is expected to share the stage with Yadav on Wednesday when they address rallies in Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga districts.
(With Jagran.com Inputs)

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