'I'm not afraid of Modi' says Rahul Gandhi in Purnia, takes aim at BJP over demonetisation, Chowkidar campaign

Patna: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday kick-started party's election campaign in Bihar with a rally in Purnia district. Coming out all guns blazing over the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul said that he was not afraid of Modi or the RSS. Calling upon the youth from the state, Congress scion said that they need to wake up and see how the BJP was 'stealing' their money. 

"Main Narendra Modi, BJP, aur RSS se nahi darta, mai sirf ek chiz se darta hun, main sirf sachhai ko marta hun. Main aapko sachhai bata raha hun. Bihar ke yuvaon jaag jao, har roz aap ke jeb se paisa loota ja raha hai," Rahul said. 

Raising questions over PM Modi's "Main Bhi Chowkidar" campaign, Congress president said that 'Modi only wanted to become Prime Minister and now for the elections' sake he's made everyone a Chowkidar." 

Rahul also accused the PM of failing to deliver every promise that the BJP made in 2014. Highlighting the loan waiver given by the Congress governments in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Rahul said that he was the one who's fulfiling promises.  

The rally has come a day after the grand alliance or the Mahagathbandhan announced its seat-sharing arrangement in the state. While the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) will fight on 20 seats, Congress will field candidates on 9 seats. The Upendra Kuswaha-led RLSP will contest on five seats. Jitan Ram Manjhi led Hindustani Awam Morcha and Mukesh Sahni-led Vikasheel Insaan Party will contest three seats each. Bihar has 40 Lok Sabha seats. 

Meanwhile, the ruling NDA alliance in the state announced candidates on 39 seats. Notably and quite predictably, BJP dropped actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha from his Patna Sahib seat and instead fielded Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in his place.

Interestingly, LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan will not contest from Hajipur seat, that is considered its bastion, instead, Paswan's younger brother Pashupati Kumar Paras, a Bihar Minister and state LJP president, will contest from the seat.

Paswan's son Chirag Paswan has again been fielded from  Samastipur seat that he won in 2014.