By Suchitra Mukherjee

Patna (Bihar) [India], October 24 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi is gearing up to kickstart his election campaign in Bihar today, October 24, with a visit to Karpuri Gram, Samastipur, to pay floral tributes to Bharat Ratna Late Karpuri Thakur at 11 AM.

This marks a significant moment in the election campaign, as PM Modi will address public rallies in Bihar, starting with Samastipur at 12:15 PM and Begusarai at 2 PM.

The Prime Minister will start the election campaign from Samastipur, the birthplace of Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur, who served as Chief Minister of Bihar in the 1970s and was awarded the highest civilian honour this year.

Karpuri Thakur, a prominent socialist leader and former Chief Minister of Bihar, is remembered for his dedication to social justice and the upliftment of marginalised communities. His policies, including reservations for backward classes, have had a lasting impact on the state.

After paying tributes, PM Modi will address public rallies in Samastipur at 12:15 PM and in Begusarai at 2 PM. These rallies consist of significant events in the election campaign.

The NDA government has been highlighting its achievements in Bihar, with PM Modi launching a strong attack on the opposition during his virtual conversation with young workers in the state. The party is gearing up for a fierce battle, with Modi and other senior leaders, including Amit Shah, actively campaigning across the state.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with Bihar's young workers through the 'Mera Booth Sabse Majboot' program on Thursday. During the virtual conversation, PM Modi launched a strong attack on the opposition, calling their alliance a 'Lathbandhan', alleging that self-interest 'is paramount' for these oppositon parties, who 'don't care about the youth of Bihar'.

'Those who call themselves the 'Gathbandhan,' whom the people of Bihar call the 'Lathbandhan,' only know how to use the lathi and keep fighting. For the 'Lathbandhan,' their own self-interest is paramount. They don't care about the youth of Bihar. For decades, the youth of the country and Bihar suffered from Naxalism and Maoist terror. They even kept winning elections with the help of Maoist terror. Naxalism and Maoist terror played a huge role in the destruction of Bihar,' he said.

The Prime Minister said that the NDA government has brought Bihar out of the darkness of jungle raj and into the new light of development.

'This Maoist terror did not allow schools, colleges, or hospitals to open, and instead destroyed the already built ones. They did not allow industries to enter... It is taking a lot of effort to bring Bihar out of this. But we are doing it. We have worked very hard since 2014. The NDA has brought Bihar out of the darkness of jungle raj and into the new light of development. Today, we are scurrying towards eliminating Naxalism, Maoism, and terrorism in Bihar. It is our duty to secure the future of Bihar's youth, and we are working towards it with complete sincerity,' he said.

Samastipur has been a stronghold of RJD since 2010. Akhtarul Islam Shahin has won the seat consecutively for three terms. In 2020, Shahin defeated JD-U's Ashwamedh Devi by 4,714 votes. Begusarai is known for its industrial significance, earning it the nickname 'industrial capital of Bihar,' and is the birthplace of notable figures like poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar. (ANI)