Monday, February 14 2005 11:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Ranchi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) yesterday (Feb 13, 2005) criticised Congress president Sonia Gandhi for allying with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) despite expressing her concern over the "deteriorating" law and order situation in Bihar.

''Sonia Gandhi has expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order in Bihar during her election campaigns there. But still she is depending on RJD to form Government,'' BJP's national general secretary Anant Kumar told a press conference in Ranchi.

Referring to the alleged misrule in Bihar, Kumar said, ''Sonia wants to govern Jharkhand on the Bihar model.''

Claiming that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) had emerged as the symbol of development, security and prosperity, he urged the people of Jharkhand to vote for development.

Taking on Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief and Union Coal Minister Sibu Soren, Kumar said, ''Soren has become a spent force. He has been made coal Minister to improve its production. But where is the result? Around 700 factories are affected due to insufficient coal production.''

If voted to power, he said, the Chief Minister would be selected by senior party leaders and new legislators.

The party's national vice-president Babulal Marandi alleged the 40 years of Congress rule and 11 years of RJD regime had left Jharkhand region backward.

''Soren had worked with the Congress and the RJD in tandem. It is ridiculous Soren now claiming credit for the creation of Jharkhand. The credit only goes to Atal Bihari Vajpayee during whose regime the State was created,'' Marandi said while addressing an election meeting in Ranchi.