Nitish's credibility helping NDA: Jaitley-Oct 23, 2010,

Nitish's credibility helping NDA: Jaitley

Abhay Singh, TNN, Oct 23, 2010, 12.35am IST

(GOOD WISHES TO NITISHJI AND BIHAR'S VOTERS FOR 2ND PHASE OF ELECTIONS. I WISH EVEN URBAN PEOPLE COME OUT IN BIG NUMBERS TO CAST THEIR VOTES AND MAKE OUR DEMOCRACY A SUCCESS!!!...VIBHA!!!)

PATNA: Leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said on Friday the credibility factor of CM Nitish Kumar, NDA government and its overall leadership would help the ruling alliance return to power in Bihar with "bahut hi spashta (very, very clear)" majority.

The NDA had won 143 seats in the 2005 October-November elections. "After a very successful performance by the government over the last five years, the credibility of the NDA government and its leadership has come in the reckoning of people," Jaitley said, adding: "Whatever field reports we have got from BJP and JD(U) (on the first phase of polls) have been encouraging for us."

According to him, the campaigning for the 2005 assembly elections were held in a "negative atmosphere" as the people were fed up with the 15-year rule of Lalu Prasad. He said the present campaign was being conducted by the NDA leadership on a positive note.

"Aspirational politics of people is on our agenda," Jaitley said, adding that the NDA has created a "positive atmosphere" as it went ahead its development agenda, thereby, improving the image of the leadership.

Jaitley, who was here to make an assessment of the prospects of the NDA candidates in fray during the first phase of polls, said the alliance's advantage was that its government had performed well.

"Besides, we have changed the political agenda of Bihar," he said, adding:

"Every class of society has participated in the state's development process."

On the Congress's poll campaign in the state, he said, "It is typical example of a campaign without any agenda. Its leaders don't give lectures. They just read from texts. They have run out of ideas on all fronts __ on country's security affairs and the Kashmir situation."

Referring to the Congress's claim that the Centre had been providing assistance and pumping in money into the state, Jaitley said the "problem" with the Congress is that it considers state's share into taxes netted from tax-payers as "its private property".

Refusing to take note of the Congress in the state's poll fray, he said, "The Congress is a fringe party in Bihar. It stands in a corner and is only a tail of RJD in the state."