Bihar leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav has attacked chief minister Nitish Kumar and questioned whether the NDA wants to conduct poll on heaps of bodies of coronavirus victims in the state.

Tejashwi alleged that Nitish has failed to stop the spread of coronavirus pandemic in the state, and was now trying to divert public attention to Assembly elections slated later this year at a time when he should be focusing on tackling the disease.

“Will Nitish and the BJP conduct elections on the heaps of the dead bodies of coronavirus victims? The government is not paying attention to the pandemic, which is spreading fast in the state and the number of infected persons is increasing rapidly. It is focusing on the assembly elections,” Tejashwi said on Monday while talking to media persons at his party Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) state headquarters in Patna.

Tejashwi, who currently leads the RJD in the absence of his incarcerated father Lalu Prasad, pointed out that “only 1.23 lakh tests have been conducted in the past 100 days in a state that has an estimated population of around 12.5 crore. Bihar is the state where coronavirus tests are being conducted at the slowest pace in the country.”

Tejashwi Prasad Yadav (PTI)

The RJD leader sought to know the number of ventilators in the state that has the second largest population in the country.

He also questioned why Nitish did not venture out for almost three months to take stock of the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the state, as well as, facilities to tackle it. “Today is the 91st day of Nitish’s hiding behind the boundary walls of his luxurious residence. He will not take stock of the situation on the ground. He will not venture among people, the poor, labourers, and patients. He will not visit hospitals, but will talk of elections. Our party will beat drums across the village in Bihar when the chief minister completes 100 days of staying away from the public,” Tejashwi said.

The RJD leader also unveiled posters questioning Nitish’s absence from the public during the pandemic.

Nitish, who is also the national president of the Janata Dal United (JDU) and heads the NDA government formed with allies BJP and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). He has been conducting video-conferences with party workers for over a week, and with eyes set on the forthcoming elections in the state, has been asking them to publicise the good work done by his government. Union home minister and BJP leader Amit Shah has also addressed a virtual or digital rally in Bihar to sound the poll bugle.

All this is happening at a time when coronavirus cases have jumped almost seven times in the past 45 days in Bihar. The state health department figures show that 6,581 people were infected till Monday and the death toll stood at 38. Over 1.27 lakh Covid-19 tests have been conducted so far.