By IANS,
New Delhi: Asserting that Bihar had witnessed societal transformation in the last five years, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said Saturday that he will fight the assembly elections later this year on his government’s performance.
Talking to reporters at the Indian Women’s Press Corps here, he said that Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will fight the assembly elections together but it had not yet been decided if there will be a joint manifesto.
“We (the two parties) had decided upon an agenda for governance after coming to power. We will decide if it is to be decided before or after the elections,” he said.
He said the government had worked for every section of society and it should be judged by its work. Asked about the possibility of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi campaigning in the state for the BJP during the assembly elections, Kumar said that the state BJP leaders were capable of taking their message to the people.
Kumar said his first priority after taking over as chief minister was to improve governance.
“There was lack of governance. My biggest priority was to improve law and order and governance. People feel secure now and do not have a sense of fear. Women have been provided 50 percent reservation in local bodies. They (women) travel in large numbers in both urban and rural areas. There has been a transformation in society,” he said.
Kumar said his government had improved infrastructure in the state by building roads and bridges.
Admitting that the state suffered from power shortages, Kumar said when he assumed office, Bihar did not generate any electricity. “We have repaired power units that were lying closed. We have also signed an agreement with the NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation),” he said.
He said there was complete harmony in the state and several initiatives had been taken for the welfare of the minorities.