Published 16:41 IST, September 7th 2020
Bihar polls: Sushant Rajput finds a mention in CM Nitish's rally, mourns actor's death
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launched his re-election campaign with a 'Nischay Samwaad' rally on Monday - where late actor Sushant Rajput found a mention
Sounding the poll bugle, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launched his re-election campaign with a 'Nischay Samwaad' rally on Monday - where deceased actor Sushant Singh Rajput found a mention. While Kumar spoke in length on state's COVID-19 preparations, his government's social schemes, he also stated that not just Bihar, entire India was saddened by actor Sushant Singh Rajput's demise. Rajput - who hailed from Patna - has become a poll issue with most Bihari politicians demanding a CBI investigation into his death, which was finally accepted by the Supreme Court.
Nitish Kumar: 'Bihar and India saddened by Rajput's death'
BJP releases 'Sushant posters'
On Sunday, BJP's cultural cell - Kala Sanskriti Manch released stickers and masks with the photo of Sushant and a message that read as 'Na bhoole hain, na bhulne denge' which means (we have neither forgotten nor will we let anyone forget). The body's State coordinator Varun Kumar Singh said that the culture wing has so far printed 30,000 stickers and posters and 30,000 face masks. While Opposition has slammed BJP's politicisation of Rajput's death, BJP says the movement was apolitical and that the body sought 'Justice for the artist'.
JD(U)'s virtual campaign
In his 'Nischay Samwaad', Kumar connected with 10 lakh people virtually on JDUlive.com and other social media portals. BJP has already held its two-day state executive committee meeting on August 22-23 through a virtual medium which was addressed by its national president J P Nadda, general secretary (organization) B L Santhosh, general secretary Bhupender Yadav. Currently, LJP is holding a party meet to decide whether it will remain in the NDA or split after party chief Chirag Paswan's constant tiff with CM Nitish Kumar.
Bihar assembly elections
Bihar will go to polls amid the COVID-19 pandemic in October-November, with the EC releasing guidelines for conducting polls. As BJP lost in Delhi, all eyes are set on former party chief Amit Shah and Nitish Kumar -led JDU. While Kumar faces strong anti-incumbency, RJD - Bihar's main opposition has lost the lustre it once had due to the absence of it's chief Lalu Prasad Yadav - with his son Tejashwi, most likely to be named as CM hopeful. Currently, the JDU-BJP combination rules the state with 131 seats, while the RJD-Congress opposition has 111 seats.
Updated 16:41 IST, September 7th 2020