Chirag Paswan thanked Prime Minister Modi for sending a central team to Bihar. (FILE)
Patna:
Lok Janshakti Party Leader Chirag Paswan welcomed the Centre’s decision to send a team to examine the situation of COVID-19 in Bihar, even as his alliance partner and the face of the NDA in power in the ‘State, Nitish Kumar, have faced criticism regarding its handling of the pandemic. The timing of Paswan’s statement could annoy the chief minister, who has been severely criticized for insisting on electing the assembly in Bihar on time, even though the state is grappling with an increasing number of cases.
“The spiral of coronavirus cases in Bihar could soon lead to an explosive situation and has become a matter of concern for the people of the state. Given the circumstances, the central government has decided to send a team to Bihar to the situation could, “tweeted Paswan.
In another tweet, he thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for sending the core team to help Bihar amid the pandemic.
“I thank the Prime Minister for deciding to send a team to Bihar to bring the cases of coronavirus under control,” he read in his tweet.
Tweets from young LJP national president arrived just hours after opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav called the central team’s visit as evidence that the “Nitish Kumar government is manipulating COVID-19 figures” in the State.
The BJP-led alliance is struggling to maintain a growing rift in Bihar between two key allies ahead of national elections scheduled for later this year.
The cracks between the two regional party leaders were recently highlighted when Mr. Paswan echoed Tejashwi Yadav’s views on holding polls in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and urged the Election Commission to consider the danger to voters.
A few days ago, electoral strategist Prashant Kishor also denounced his former party leader Nitish Kumar, saying that the deteriorating situation of COVID-19 state was “not the time to fight the elections” but the virus.
The JD (U), however, rejected the accusation that it insisted that elections be held on time “at the cost of people’s lives”, saying that holding elections in a timely manner is a constitutional obligation and that the Election Commission must take “an independent appeal”.
