JD(U) to celebrate 15 years of Nitish rule today

PATNA: The JD(U) is all set to organise mega events at 40 locations across the state on Wednesday to mark the completion of 15 years of CM Nitish Kumar at the helm of affairs in the state. The ministers in charge of the districts and senior functionaries of the party will present a report card on the 15-year performance of Nitish-led government in the state.

The JD(U) office on Beerchand Patel Marg here has been decked up for the mega celebration. The tag line of the celebration is ‘Samdarshi Netritva, Samaveshi Vikas: 15 Saal Bemisaal’. JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh and state president Umesh Kushwaha will attend the function at the party office here.

JD(U) parliamentary board chairperson and former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha will attend the celebration in Muzaffarpur and water resources department minister Sanjay Jha in Supaul. Education minister

Vijay Kumar Choudhary

will attend the function in Nalanda and two other ministers – Madan Sahni and

Sheela Mandal

– in Khagaria and Lakhisarai, respectively.

JD(U) spokesperson Ajay Nishad said ministers in charge would be the main speakers at the functions in the districts. “The preparations are complete in all the 40 districts, including two police districts — Bagaha and Naugachhia,” he added.

Ajay Alok of the JD(U) said Nitish had dreamt to set the state's development on the right track in 2005 and that happened during the 15-year governance. “The works speak for themselves,” he added.

Sources said senior JD(U) functionaries would draw a parallel between 15-year-rule of RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi and that of Nitish. “The people will judge which one is better,” said a JD(U) MP.

The celebrations are, however, being viewed as the JD(U)’s attempt to project Nitish at the national level. The JD(U)’s national council had passed a unanimous proposal in August this year, describing Nitish as a “Prime Minister material”.

The JD(U)’s celebrations, however, have not gone down well with the opposition circles. The RJD and Congress took a swipe at the JD(U)’s celebratory events. RJD spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwari said, “The state has been pushed back in the last 15 years. More than 70 scams, corruption and plundering of public funds marked Nitish’s rule. Unemployment and migration have assumed alarming proportions,” he alleged.

Congress spokesperson Asit Nath Tiwri said, “Celebrations for what? Law and order is fast deteriorating in the state. Corruption is at its peak. Scores of people have died after consuming spurious liquor. Issues like unemployment and migration still exist.”