As Bihar goes to the polls in the first phase on Thursday, the tone of campaigning has become ugly with AIMIM candidate Tauseef Alam threatening to “cut off the tongue and gouge the eyes” of Tejashwi Yadav. An FIR has been lodged against him and Tejashwi’s Rashtriya Janata Dal has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission.
In Mokama, an FIR has been lodged against Union Minister and Janata Dal(U) leader Lalan Singh after a video emerged in which he was shown telling his supporters to confine rival to their homes and do not allow them to come and vote.
In a sudden development, Mahagathbandhan ally VIP leader Mukesh Sahani announced that his brother Santosh Sahani has withdrawn from Gaura Bauram seat in favour of RJD candidate Afzal Ali. RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav had given the ticket to Afzal despite the seat given to VIP during seat-sharing.
Tejashwi pleaded with Afzal to withdraw and promised to give him an MLC seat, but the latter refused. Tejashwi had almost decided to expel Afzal Ali and had issued a video message to voters to get Santosh Sahani elected, but seven hours later Mukesh Sahni announced his brother was dropping out from the race.
However, this last-minute change can cause confusion among voters on Thursday because Santosh Sahani’s name and party symbol are there on the EVMs.
One must understand why Tejashwi took the risk. The day Tejashwi announced Mukesh Sahani as the Deputy CM face, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi started telling voters that Tejashwi has cheated Muslims by not projecting any Muslim leader for Deputy CM post.
Owaisi has been telling Muslims, why “3 per cent wallah should be the Deputy CM and 17 percent wallah (Muslims) Abdul should spread the dari (carpet) for leaders”. Muslim voters are listening to his logic and Tejashwi fears Muslim votes may be divided this time. This has helped Afzal Ali at the last minute.
On the other hand, the language used by AIMIM candidate Tauseef Alam against Tejashwi Yadav is condemnable. No one should use such crude words in a civilized, democratic society. Action must be taken against Tauseef Alam for using such language. Owaisi, who was sitting on the dais, should have stopped his candidate.
In Mokama, NDA leaders are silent on what JD(U) leader Lalan Singh told voters. He had asked his men to prevent rivals from coming out of their homes on polling day. Lalan Singh has taken charge of campaigning after local don Anant Singh, the candidate, was sent to jail in the Dularchand Yadav murder case.
The Election Commission took prompt action and FIR was filed against the Union Minister after the authenticity of the video was checked. In today’s age, nothing can remain secret because people carry cellphones which have cameras. However, his remarks may not affect polling. Lalan Singh has stationed himself in Mokama to ensure that Anant Singh’s supporters come out and vote on polling day.
UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath has become the star campaigner of BJP in Bihar. On Tuesday, he took out a road show in Darbhanga. Bulldozers were used to welcome him with flower petals by his supporters.
Addressing rallies in Samastipur, Lakhisarai and Gopalganj, Yogi spoke about his ‘bantenge toh katenge’ slogan. Without naming Akhilesh Yadav, Yogi said, “this leader from UP has come to campaign for mafia leaders in Bihar, but he must know that he will spend the rest of his life offering fateha (prayers) at the graves of mafia leaders.”
Yogi’s rallies are attracting huge crowds in Bihar. He is concentrating more on those localities where Muslims are predominant. His USP is the action that his government had taken against mafia in UP. Naturally, his supporters come out with bulldozers at his meetings.
Yogi is telling supporters that UP has come out of ‘mafia raj’, and Bihar will soon follow. He promised that the illegal properties acquired by criminals in Bihar will be bulldozed.

Yogi’s unique plan : Building homes for poor on ‘mafia plots’

In Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath’s government has built 72 flats for the weaker sections on land that have been seized from mafia don Mukhtar Ansari in Lucknow’s posh Dalibagh colony. Keys to these flats were distributed to those from economically weaker sections on Wednesday.
The society named after Sardar Patel provides clean drinking water, security and parking for two-wheelers. Roads and a park have been developed near this society.
Mukhtar Ansari’s sons had a huge bungalow on this land but it was bulldozed three years ago. Mukhtar’s sons went to High Court and Supreme Court, but the courts ruled in favour of Lucknow Development Authority. On Yogi’s orders, flats for EWS people were built.
Building homes for the poor on land illegally acquired by mafia gangsters is a good idea. Dons like Mukhtar Ansari had forcibly occupied government land and had built huge bungalows and markets. People living in these localities had accepted it as their fate, but Yogi Adityanath has now turned the tables. This will send the right message to society.
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