High-voltage campaign for second phase ends

PATNA: The NDA and Mahagathbandhan went all out to sway voters for Round-II of the assembly election for which campaigning came to an end on Wednesday.
Seven Union ministers and chiefs of LJP, RLSP and HAM(S) campaigned for the NDA candidates in 32 constituencies which will go to polls on Friday. They included Ananth Kumar, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Ram Vilas Paswan, Giriraj Singh, Upendra Kushwaha and MP CM Shivraj Singh Chavan, who addressed 35 rallies on Wednesday.
HAM-S chief Jitan Ram Manjhi said Nitish has betrayed the verdict of people of Bihar by joining hands with Lalu. “People of Bihar should vote for a pro-development government and throw out of power an ‘arrogant’ Nitish,” said Manjhi.
Manjhi and RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha slammed RJD chief Lalu Prasad for his adverse comments against PM Narendra Modi after his reaction on Dadri lynching in an interview to a vernacular newspaper on Tuesday. “Maintenance of law and order is the responsibility of state government. In Dadri, the incident took place because of the failure of UP government. … Yet Mahagathbandhan leaders are raising the issue to give communal colour to election in Bihar,” said Kushwaha.
The NDA camp once again raised the issue of corruption. “The expose of excise and prohibition minister Awadhesh Prasad Kushwaha is just tip of the iceberg as many more ministers would be exposed in coming days,” said LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, adding, “Once Nitish is out of power, many more scams will surface and it will not be a surprise if he (Nitish) is found involved in them.”
On the other hand, Mahagathbandhan leaders addressed around 25 election meetings on Wednesday and attacked Modi for not acting against his cabinet colleague Giriraj Singh, from whose house about Rs 2 crore was recovered last year. State water resources minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said instead of raising finger on others, the PM should first take action against those involved in Vyapam and Lalit Modi case.
Coming down heavily on Modi for his ‘delayed reaction’ on Dadri lynching, JD(U) national president Sharad Yadav said, “Modi is quick to congratulate Indian cricket team on its victory but his reaction on Dadri lynching has come after a long delay.”
Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmad cautioned the people of Bihar against BJP and appealed to them to vote for a secular government. “There is a huge gap between the words and deeds of PM and no one should be misled by his words,” said Ahmad.