Tuesday, November 8 2005 14:29 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Sasarsa (Bihar): Seeking to put the blame for Bihar's backwardness at the door of erstwhile National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today (Nov 08, 2005) accused it of having neglected the state during its rule and reaffirmed the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's commitment to bring it back on the path of progress and prosperity.

Addressing his maiden election rally in Bihar, the Prime Minister termed communal harmony as crucial to state's development and urged the electorate to inflict a resounding defeat on communal forces out to divide the state.

"The need of the hour is to install a government of the secular democratic front in Bihar which could work in complete harmony and synchronization with the UPA regime at the Centre. This is very important to give a fresh impetus to development of the state which has been grossly neglected by the erstwhile NDA government," he said.

Noting that recurring floods was the bane of Bihar, the Prime Minister said the government was in constant touch with Nepal to find a lasting solution to the problem over the next three to four years.

Describing Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Laloo Prasad as a seasoned politician, Manmohan Singh lauded his role in bringing a turnaround in the railways and expressed the hope that he would be able to bring a similar transformation in Bihar if the SDF comprising the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI-M) was voted to power in the state.