Published 18:28 IST, September 11th 2020
Fadnavis addresses Patna poll rally; says "Sushant not an election issue" but vows justice
Addressing his first Bihar poll rally in Patna, ex-Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis on Friday, affirmed that actor Sushant Rajput's death is not a poll issue
Addressing his first Bihar poll rally in Patna, ex-Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis on Friday, affirmed that actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death is not a poll issue. But Fadnavis also said that BJP will not rest till Rajput gets justice, stating that Rajput was 'Bihar's son'. Lashing out at his state's government, Fadnavis alleged that the MVA govt was busy fighting with Kangana instead of Corona - referring to the faceoff between the BMC and the actress.
Fadnavis: 'Sushant not a poll issue'
"The way Sushant's case was going on, no one thought of justice. But after media came into the picture, many things came out. This is not an election issue, this is a common man's issue. But justice will be done, the Bharatiya Janata Party will not remain silent until justice is done," he said.
Lauding the NDA govt in Bihar, he added, "NDA Govt in Bihar working well for the people. Both Nitish ji and Modi ji government have worked for the upliftment of Bihar. Fadnavis, who was touted to lead BJP's Bihar campaign has been attending several meetings of Bihar BJP but was not mentioned in any of the election campaign committee lists released by BJP.
Nitish Kumar: 'Bihar and India saddened by Rajput's death'
Similarly, 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 the 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. 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). 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.
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 18:28 IST, September 11th 2020