Bihar polls: 'Litti pe charcha' meets planned in over 100 American cities

PATNA: Move over 'chai pe charcha'. Taking a leaf out of PM Narendra Modi's successful Lok Sabha poll campaign centred around tea, non-resident Biharis (NRBs) are now planning 'litti pe charcha' meets in over 100 American cities and suburbs two days before the five-phase Bihar assembly election kicks off on October 12.

"The event on October 10 will help people from Bihar express their views on the state's past, present and future and share their thoughts about the election," Bihar Society co-founder Atul Kumar told TOI over phone from New Jersey on Thursday. The meets will be recorded and shared on social media platforms such as YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook and Google Hangout.

"The event will allow people from Bihar and those interested in the state to discuss their roots, their experiences and expectations from the upcoming election," Kumar, an IIM-Ahmedabad alumnus, added.

The NRBs also plan to organize focus groups that will call up friends, family and key stakeholders in cities across the world, encouraging them to cast their vote in favour of competent candidates.

The event is supported by various NGOs and volunteers from Bihar Society, OneBihar, Bihar Advisors and Bihar-Jharkhand Association of North America.

Conceived at the very first Bihar Society meeting held at Times Square in New York recently, the initiative is also supported by a team of global volunteers from Europe and Canada.

Many Bihar Society members feel that incumbent CM Nitish Kumar has done satisfactory work but the pace of development, according to them, has been less than impressive. Some others express their reservation about the incumbent CM joining hands with former CM and RJD chief Lalu Prasad.