'Loot, lies, legacy corruption': BJP on Tejashwi Yadav's election promises

New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS) Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday launched a sharp attack on RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and his family, accusing them of running a “family enterprise of corruption” and misleading the people of Bihar with false promises.

Addressing a press conference in Patna, Prasad said that those who “built their politics on scams” are now making hollow assurances of good governance and employment.

Taking a dig at Tejashwi Yadav’s recent claims of providing jobs to every household, Prasad said, “Bihar has 2.60 crore households. To give one job per home, you need Rs 12 lakh crore. The state budget is just Rs 3 lakh crore. Where will the money come from?” He warned the people not to fall for such “deceptive promises”.

Highlighting the corruption cases against the RJD family, Prasad said former CM Lalu Prasad Yadav has already been convicted in four cases, serving a total sentence of 32.5 years.

He added that Tejashwi Yadav himself faces serious charges in the ‘Land-for-Hotel’ and ‘Land-for-Jobs’ scams.

“The Delhi High Court has ordered the trial from October 27. When Lalu was Rail Minister, two hotels were handed over to an ineligible Patna hotelier in exchange for 3.5 acres of land worth Rs 95 crore,” he said.

“Tejashwi Yadav talks of zero tolerance for corruption, but should we believe his father’s, mother’s or his own record?” Prasad remarked. He accused the RJD of following a “tested model” -- ‘hotel do, zameen lo; naukri lo, zameen do' -- and said the people of Bihar must remain vigilant.

Defending the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government, Prasad said, “NDA delivers what it promises. Roads, bridges, and women empowerment under the Jeevika scheme show real progress, not slogans.” He asserted that under NDA, Bihar has seen genuine development, while RJD’s record stands for “loot, lies, and legacy corruption”.

Earlier in the day, after weeks of intense infighting and uncertainty, the Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) in Bihar finally declared RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav as its Chief Ministerial face for the upcoming Bihar Assembly election.

The name of Tejashwi Yadav as a Chief Ministerial face was declared during the joint press conference of the alliance in Hotel Maurya, Patna. The announcement was made by former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in the presence of leaders of the alliance constituent partners.

--IANS

sas/dpb