In a major development, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday announced that the Bihar Assembly election 2020 will be his last election. Addressing the people during an election rally in Purnia, he also said: "all's well that ends well".
The JD(U) chief said, "Remember, today is the last day of campaigning and day after tomorrow is the election...This is my last election...all's well that ends well."
CM Kumar on November 4 had slammed his ally BJP's star campaigner Yogi Adityanath for his recent vow of "throwing intruders out". Nitish dubbed the Uttar Pradesh CM's remark as "faltu baat" (non-sense) and asked 'Who talks like this?'.
"Some people are spreading propaganda. Who will get whom out of the country? No one has the power to throw anyone out as everyone belongs to India. We've always created an environment of harmony and tried to unite everyone," Kumar at an election rally in Kishanganj.
Nitish added that his effort is to "work for harmony, unity and brotherhood so there can be progress". "And these people only want to create divides; they have no other work," he added.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi had said at a rally in Kathihar assembly seat that if an intruder tries to enter India then the BJP-led government at the Centre would throw the intruder out of India.
"Modiji has found a solution for the infiltration issue... With the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act), he ensured the safety of the tortured minorities of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The centre also said any infiltrator who tries to breach the security of the country will be thrown out. We will not tolerate anyone who messes with the country's security and sovereignty," said Yogi Adityanath.
The Citizenship Amendment Act, which was enacted last December, led to massive protests across the country with many claiming that the CAA along with the National Register for Citizens (NRC) could be used by the government to target Muslims.
Campaigning for the third and final phase of Bihar assembly elections in which 2.35 crore voters will decide the electoral fate of more than 1,200 candidates, including the Speaker and some members of the state cabinet, ended on Thursday evening. The final phase of polling on Saturday will cover 78 constituencies spread across 19 north Bihar districts.
Leading from the front, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed rallies in remote districts of Araria and Saharsa for this phase of elections, exhorting the masses to retain their trust in the NDA. He asserted that the coalition headed in the state by Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar was looking forward to meet the "aspirations" of people in the decade to follow, having fulfilled their "needs" in the preceding one.
Altogether 12 rallies were addressed by the Prime Minister, on whom the NDA banks for performing well in the 243 assembly constituencies across the state.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumars rallies continued to be in the news for unsavoury happenings. At an election rally in Madhubani, stones and onions were hurled towards the dais, evoking an angry retort from the incumbent "phenko, aur phenko" (carry on with your mischief).
The BJP roped in many of its heavyweights for the assembly election campaign. Defence minister Rajnath Singh, party president Jagat Prakash Nadda and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were among those who repeatedly flew down to the state urging voters to support the NDA.
People also attended, in heavy numbers, rallies and road shows of LJP president Chirag Paswan who has created a buzz by virtue of his strident criticism of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the gumption to go solo despite repeated claims of loyalty towards the BJP.
