PM Narendra Modi sticks to reservation charge against Nitish, Lalu in his final poll pitch

PURNEA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his final poll pitch in Bihar on Monday, bringing to a close a vigorous round of 17 rallies in one week and effectively turning the crucial reservation debate in Bihar on its head.

“You floated a balloon of reservation thinking you will sail along with it in these elections. I have pricked your balloon. I have used your weapon to beat you and expose you,” Modi said at a huge rally in Forbesganj.

Coming at the fag end of the long campaign, the PM’s statement could be seen as an indicator of the BJP’s continued efforts to dissociate itself from RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s suggestion of a review of the reservation policy. Grand alliance leaders Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad had lapped up the reservation stick to beat the BJP with, even as both RSS and BJP were quick to clarify Bhagwat’s remarks and affirm their commitment to the reservation policy. Modi last week sought to turn the tables on the Grand Alliance over this issue, alleging that the JD(U)-RJD-Congress grouping was conspiring to steal part of the quota for Other Backward Classes and hand it over to a particular community, without mentioning Muslims.

Although the Prime Minister was criticised for allegedly communalising and polarising the election with such statements, he stuck to his charge at Forbesganj.