NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Saturday exuded confidence about the national democratic alliance’s (NDA) performance in the ongoing Bihar Assembly elections, asserting that the alliance led by chief minister Nitish Kumar will return to power with a “massive majority.”Speaking to reporters on the Bihar polls, Maurya said, “The first phase was very good, and the second will be even better. The Mahagathbandhan in Bihar has been shattered, and its veil has been removed. Once the results are announced on the 14th, the NDA will form the government with a massive majority under Nitish Kumar’s leadership and will aim to develop Bihar further, and will solve the real issues of the state.”He added that the people of Bihar “trust the duo of PM Modi and CM Nitish,” likening the NDA alliance to “five Pandavas” moving toward victory.Referring to the opposition’s criticism, Maurya dismissed the allegations by Congress leader and Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi about vote theft. “Rahul Gandhi is mentally unstable, and Tejashwi Yadav also struggles to handle himself. They will make baseless allegations. Vote theft is not a concern for Bihar or the country,” he said.Taking a swipe at the opposition, Maurya further added, “By opposing something that should be appreciated, they commit a grave sin and a crime. It’s undemocratic. This is not the issue of vote theft, it is about the greed of power, they have been thrown out of power hence they can’t digest the fact how PM Narendra Modi became PM and how Nitish Kumar is CM for so long. The real issue is that. They aim to turn infiltrators into voters and protect them. However, they will not succeed.”Maurya’s remarks come as the Bihar elections enter a crucial phase, with counting scheduled for November 14. Both the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan are engaged in an intense campaign to secure power in the politically significant state. Second phase of Bihar Assembly polls are slated for Novermber 11, while the results will be out on November 14.
