Bihar poll campaigning picks up; PM Modi to hold 3 rallies, Rahul Gandhi to address 2

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi are all set to address their first physical election rallies in poll-bound Bihar. Days ahead of the first phase of the Bihar assembly elections, Prime Minister Modi will hold three rallies on Friday - at Dehri-on Sone, Gaya and Bhagalpur. Rahul Gandhi, on the other hand, will address two rallies - at Hisua in Nawada and Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district.

As PM Modi will seek votes for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the alliance's Chief Ministerial candidate and incumbent CM Nitish Kumar is expected to join the PM at the rallies in Dehri and Bhagalpur. Similarly as Rahul Gandhi will be joined by the Mahagathbandhan's CM-pick Tejashwi Yadav at the Hisua rally. 

In a tweet ahead of the rallies, PM Modi said, "Will have the opportunity to be in the midst of brothers and sisters of Bihar tomorrow. Will address rallies in Sasaram, Gaya and Bhagalpur. Will present the NDA's development agenda before people and seek their blessings for the alliance." Prime Minister Modi will hold 12 election rallies in total for the Bihar polls. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi urged the Bihari viters to be present at his rally with an aim to end 'rule of lies'.

PM Modi's schedule

• Rally 1: 10.30AM at Viada Suara Maidan, Dehri, Rohtas

• Rally 2: 12.20PM at Gandhi Maidan, Gaya

• Rally 3: 2.40PM at Hawai Adda Maidan, Bhagalpur

Rahul Gandhi's schedule

• Rally 1: 11:15AM at Inter College Ground, Hisua, District Nawada

• Rally 2: 14:15PM at S.S.V. Ground, Kahalgaon, District Bhagalpur

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Even before the Prime Minister's speech, RJD leader and CM face Tejashwi Yadav has already targeted him and said, "Hope the Prime Minister will tell the people of Bihar today that in areas like education, health, jobs, employment, agriculture, industry, why Bihar is at the lowest level of national average despite the JDU-BJP government for 15 years? Bihar gave 39 MPs out of 40 but what did the NDA give to Bihar, except unemployment?"

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Infra push ahead of polls 

Before the Election Commission announced the dates for the elections and the Model Code of Conduct came into effect, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a blitzkrieg of projects worth ₹16,000 crore in Bihar. It includes the four-lane Gandhi Setu road project, costing approximately 2,956 crore, a rail project worth Rs 2,500 crore, a fishery project worth Rs 1,600 crore under the Matsya Sampada Yojana, Patna Ring Road project worth Rs 863 crore, the Arrah-Mohaniya road project worth Rs 1,231 crore, the Rajauli-Bakhtiyarpur project worth Rs 2,733 crore and the Narenpur-Purnia project worth Rs 1,324 crore.

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Bihar Elections 2020

Bihar Assembly Elections will be held in three phases - on October 28, November 3 and November 7 - and counting of votes will be held on November 10. Nitish Kumar is seeking reelection and is the CM face for the NDA. Mahagathbandhan has chosen Tejashwi Yadav as their CM face. The BJP is contesting on a seat-sharing formula of 121-122 seats with the JDU and Mukesh Sahni of Vikasheel Insaan party and Jitan Ram Manjhi of HAM(S) is contesting on BJP's share. Mahagathbandhan comprising of Congress and three left parties have are contesting on seat-sharing formula of 144-70-29 seats respectively. 

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