Friday, August 5 2005 13:00 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Saharsa (Bihar): National Democratic Alliance (NDA) yesterday (August 4, 2005) said the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) rule in Bihar in 15 years further pushed the state to backwardness and sought a chance from the people to bring the state, now under President's rule, back on the path of development.

"The 15 years of Lalu-Rabri rule led to total ruination of Bihar on developmental front. Give NDA a chance to bring the state back to the path of the development," the coalition's Chief Ministerial candidate Nitish Kumar said addressing 'Nyay Yatra', the third phase of which started from here during the day.

"The RJD rule instead of taking any development programme, wasted time in creating caste tension in the society for political gains," he commented.

Kumar said he and other Union Ministers from Bihar in the Atal Bihari Vajpyaee cabinet had managed to bring a huge sum of money for the development of the state but, Lalu Prasad, who is considered to be a powerful minister in the Manmohan Singh's Government has achieved precious little for the state.

Senior Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Sharad Yadav said that the RJD supreme forced the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) to dance to his tune in Bihar on the strength of 24 MPs and his evil influence could be gauged from the recent transfer of 17 IPS officers leading to a stand-off between Governor Buta Singh and Chief Secretary G S Kang.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Syed Shahanawaz Hussain exhorted members of the minority community to consider NDA as their true friend and understand the real game plan of RJD, Congress and some other parties who were using them merely as a vote bank.

The third phase of the 'Nyay Yatra' will continue till August eight, covering neighbouring Madhepura, Purnea, Kishanganj and Araria districts in the state where assembly elections were in the offing.