Sunday, November 13 2005 15:20 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: With Bihar assembly elections entering its final phase, rivals Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) are virtually engaged in an 'advertisement war' to 'expose' each other for minority Muslim and extremely backward caste votes and reaffirming their commitment for them.

Giving the advertisement a color of 'open' discussion, the RJD, NDA and LJP through advertisements in local newspapers are trying to highlight their commitment to the welfare of the Muslims and EBCs and also to put the opponents on the mat for their alleged poor track record on this front.

In response to the Janata Dal (JD) United (U) advertisement accusing the RJD Government of giving the EBCS 'inadequate' share in power, the RJD came up with a large advertisement in today's (Nov 13, 2005) newspapers mentioning names of 71 leaders belonging to the section, both Hindus and Muslims, who were made governor, MPs and legislator in the past over one decade.

The advertisement-bearing photograph of Lalu Prasad issued by RJD's extremely backward caste campaign committee named Dhanik Lal Mandal (former governor), Mohammad Taslimuddin (union minister), late Gulam Sarvar (former Bihar assembly speaker) and many other past and present MPs, legislators and chairmen of different committees to buttress its claim of championing the cause of EBCs.

While listing its achievements, the RJD's advertisement questioned the credentials of 'teer wale veer' (the arrow bearing hero, referring to Nitish Kumar).

On the other hand, the JD (U) advertisement alleged 'lalten wale netaji' (lantern bearing leader, Lalu) of enriching himself and family at the cost of this deprived section.

The JD(U) ad, issued by the head of its EBCs cell Uday Narain Chaudhary, charged Lalu Prasad with giving a short shrift to the EBCs and distributing some 'alms' to the section in lieu of about 35 per cent vote of this section.

"You yourself are a Union minister, wife a former Chief Minister, one brother-in-law (Sadhu Yadav) a Lok Sabha member and other (Subhas Yadav) in the Rajya Sabha and others are in the queue," the ad said.

To further expose the RJD, the JD (U) ad highlighted that while the RJD alloted tickets to only eight EBC candidates in the current assembly poll the corresponding figure of the NDA was 22.

Likewise, the ad war is also in full swing to woo Muslims to their favour.

The NDA ads try to expose RJD's 'poor' track record in improving the economic and educational status of Muslims and allege that under RJD government Bihar was turned into a 'heaven' for Bangladeshi infiltrators and Pakistan-trained ultras.

Taking strong exception to dubbing a section of Bihar Muslims as Bangladeshi infiltrators and Pak-trained ultras, the RJD ad bearing photographs of Lalu and its state unit president Abdul Bari Siddiqui, RJD cautioned the people against those 'speaking the language of RSS while sporting a mask of secularism.'

While the RJD and NDA trade charges over their commitment to EBCs and Muslims, LJP too is not lagging behind. Several LJP advertisements highlight Paswan's commitment for making a Muslim chief minister of the state beside promising their 'genuine' welfare.