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This story is from April 22, 2019

Nitish Kumar addresses 40 poll rallies in Seemanchal and Kosi in 10 days

Nitish Kumar addresses 40 poll rallies in Seemanchal and Kosi in 10 days
PATNA: Chief minister Nitish Kumar returned to Patna after his hectic tour of Seemanchal-Kosi region where he addressed more than 40 election rallies spread over six Lok Sabha constituencies in the last 10 days. Out of the six constituencies, JD(U) is contesting on five seats while one seat has gone to BJP’s kitty.
The RJD, however, described Nitish’s long stay in Seemanchal-Kosi region as his deliberate attempt to remain out of the media gloom owing to the controversy over former CM Lalu Prasad’s biopic ‘From Gopalganj to Raisania: My Political Journey’.

RJD national vice president Shivanand Tiwary said on Sunday, “This is Nitish’s old fashion to deal with controversy. He had adopted a similar method after the JD(U)’s drubbing in the 2014 parliamentary election. He had resigned from the chief minister’s post to pave the way for Jitan Ram Manjhi, a Mahadalit leader, becoming the chief minister.”
JD(U) spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan, however, didn’t agree with Tiwary. Rajiv said, “In the era of technology (read electronic media), one can be cornered any time, anywhere. Since the man (read Prashant Kishor) around whom the controversy surrounds, according to the biopic, has already replied through his tweets, the question of Nitish avoiding media on the issue doesn’t arise.”
Rajiv further explained that Nitish Kumar stayed at Madhepura as he wanted to devote more time to the workers of the party and also because it was easier to reach the venue of the election meetings through road or air from there.
Referring to Nitish’s election campaign, JD(U) spokesperson Nikhil Mandal said the CM addressed four election meetings on an average in the six constituencies in Seemanchal-Kosi region since April 9. While he shared stage with PM Narendra Modi at an election rally at Forbesganj in Araria, deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan were with him in most of the meetings, he added.

While Purnia and Katihar went to the polls in the second phase on April 18, Araria and Supual are among the five constituencies where polling will be held in the third phase on April 23. Araria is the only seat where the BJP has fielded Pradeep Kumar Singh as its candidate. Pradeep is pitted against Sarfaraz Alam of the RJD, who had won the by-election after the death of his father and sitting MP Mohammed Taslimuddin.
However, Nitish’s stay in Madhepura is being seen as an attempt to consolidate the EBC votes in favour of the party nominee Dinesh Chandra Yadav, who is locked in a triangular contest with Sharad Yadav, who is contesting on the RJD symbol and sitting MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, an independent candidate. Pappu had defeated Sharad in the 2014 general election. Sharad had contested then as a JD(U) nominee.
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