Jiten Ram Manjhi questions PM Modi's Jharkhand visit during bypoll in Bihar

PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi today questioned the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in neighbouring Jharkhand when bypolls in 10 Assembly seats were taking place in Bihar. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is laying foundation of several projects and making speech in neighbouring Jharkhand when bypolls in 10 Assembly seats in Bihar is taking place ...this can influence voting in the by-elections," Manjhi told reporters.

He drew the attention of the Election Commission towards it.

The Bihar CM said that "Modi magic" was in the wane now. "By making false promises during parliamentary election and in the name of caste and religion, the BJP won the general election...but Modi magic will not work in future as people have seen the reality," Manjhi, who succeeded Nitish Kumar on the chair of Bihar CM, said.

People of Bihar would not be taken for a ride again by the BJP, he remarked.

Asked if stake is high for the secular alliance in the bypoll, the CM said JD(U), RJD and Congress are making an experiment of fighting poll together to stop division of votes.

"We realised that even after securing 45 per cent of votes in the general election we won a few seats only while the BJP and NDA on the basis of 40 per cent votes came out victorious in 31 seats out of 40 in Bihar. Considering this we have entered into alliance to check division of votes," he said.