(MENAFN- AsiaNet News)

Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Saturday slammed the opposition, saying the NDA's manifesto made the RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and the Congress party "scared".

"The way Tejashwi Yadav and Congress people got scared, they jumped up as soon as they saw the NDA's manifesto. He (Tejashwi Yadav) gave empty promises," Giriraj Singh told ANI.

Singh asserted that the NDA's 'Sankalp Patra', which represents a promise for the next five years with a vision to make Bihar a developed state, outlines a roadmap for Bihar's development, focusing on employment, women's entrepreneurship, urban sanitation, and industrial growth. "In the coming days, through this manifesto of ours, there is employment for the youth... Youth will get employment, there is talk of women's entrepreneurship, cleaning of cities, increasing industries, this includes the roadmap for a developed Bihar," he added.

High-Stakes Battle in Begusarai

On Friday, Giriraj Singh addressed the Sahebpur Kamal Assembly constituency meeting, urging party workers to work towards a massive victory for NDA candidate Surendra Vivek. The Sahebpur Kamal constituency is located in the Begusarai district.

MP Giriraj Singh has held the Begusarai Lok Sabha constituency since 2014, serving as the Union Minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet.

With the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections just a week away, the Begusarai assembly constituency, one of the closely watched constituencies, is gearing up for a keenly contested fight between the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan, while the entry of Jan Suraaj adds a fresh dimension to the high-stakes Bihar battle.

Traditionally considered a BJP stronghold, dominated by upper-caste 'Bhumihaar' voters, Begusarai (Constituency 146) will witness the party's sitting MLA and a Bhumihaar leader, Kundan Kumar, seeking re-election. The Congress has once again fielded its former MLA Amita Bhushan, also a Bhumihaar face, while Jan Suraaj has entered the fray with Surendra Kumar Sahani as its candidate, adding a new dynamic to the battle.

According to Election Commission data, the constituency had 3,36,087 registered voters in 2020, though only 1,85,311 turned up to cast their votes.

Electoral History of Begusarai

In the 2015 Assembly elections, Congress's Amita Bhushan had won the elections and polled 83,521 votes, defeating BJP's Surendra Mehta, who secured 66,990 votes, with a voter turnout of 54.51 per cent.

The BJP has held the seat continuously since 2000, except in the 2015 Assembly elections, when Congress leader Amita Bhushan secured a victory. This time, with Jan Suraaj making its debut and both NDA and Mahagathbandhan deploying their full machinery, the Begusarai seat is poised for an intense contest that could set the tone for the rest of the election.

The area's demographics are crucial to understanding the factors that will influence election results, including caste. It is worth noting that the contest in Begusarai since 1962 has been between various political parties, but mainly between Bhumihaar candidates.

NDA's Manifesto Promises

On Friday, the NDA in the manifesto promised to provide over one crore government jobs and employment opportunities, conduct a skills census to offer skills-based employment, and establish mega skill centres in every district, thereby transforming Bihar into a 'Global Skilling Centre'.

The ruling alliance has also promised to provide women with financial assistance of up to Rs two lakh to promote prosperity and self-reliance through the 'Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana!. The NDA has promised to make a crore women 'Lakhpati Didi'.The manifesto also promises metro train services to be introduced in 4 more cities in Bihar besides Patna, the opening of ten new industrial parks and a promise to attract investments of Rs 50 lakh crore in 5 years.

Bihar Election Schedule

The voting for the 243-seat Bihar Assembly will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, whereas bye-elections for eight seats across seven states and Union Territories will be held on November 11. The results for both will be declared on November 14. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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