The opposition Mahagathbandhan will release its manifesto, Tejashwi Pran Patra, on Tuesday as the campaign for the assembly elections gathered steam in Bihar.
RJD leader and the alliance’s chief minister candidate, Tejashwi Yadav, said the document would provide a roadmap for how they plan to work over the next five years, if voted to power.
“We want the NDA to announce the name of their CM candidate. What schemes do they have? What is their vision, and how are they going to take Bihar forward?,” Tejashwi, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, asked.
“We have given a roadmap, a vision, and we are clear that we will make Bihar number one,” he added.
The announcement, however, drew a sarcastic jibe from Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief and Union minister Chirag Paswan, who accused the RJD leader of “lying without consequences”.
“If they don’t have to come to power, what’s the harm in making big promises?,” asked Paswan, whose party is the third major constituent of the ruling National Democratic Alliance after the JD(U) and the BJP.
Paswan also mocked the grand alliance’s promise of providing government jobs to at least one member in every household, saying around seven lakh crore rupees would be needed to provide jobs to nearly 2.5 crore families.
“What's the big deal in making announcements if you know that you are not going to be in power? Where will that budget come from?,” he asked.
Elections to the 243-member assembly will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, with the counting of votes scheduled for November 14.
Rahul to address rallies on Wednesday
The opposition alliance has, meanwhile, stepped up its campaign after the initial lull, with the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, scheduled to address his first rally on October 29.
Rahul and Tejashwi will hold joint rallies in Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga.
The Congress MP will hit the campaign trail amid questions being raised by the NDA parties over his long absence from the election scene.