Bihar polls: Modi promises sarees, TVs, laptops; police lodges FIR

Patna: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushil Kumar Modi has landed in trouble for promising colour televisions to Dalits and Mahadalits if NDA forms the next government in Bihar.

An FIR was also lodged against the BJP leader in Bihar's Bhabua area in this connection. The police have maintained that Modi promised voters with sarees, TVs and laptops, which violates the Model Code of Conduct.

Meanwhile, defending himself, Modi today said there is nothing wrong in stating what benefits would be meted out to the people if his side is able to form a government.

The BJP leader and former Bihar deputy chief minister had said that if NDA gets a majority in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, besides giving colour TVs, 50,000 laptops will be distributed amongst the students.

Assembly elections in Bihar will be fought in five phases between October 12 and November 5 in a high-stakes battle that is seen as a major popularity test for NDA spearhead Prime Minister Narendra Modi and incumbent Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is in alliance with RJD and Congress.

Counting of votes will be held on November 8, just three days before Diwali and the locally significant Chhath puja that follows the festival of lights.

Polls to the 243-seat Assembly will be held on October 12, 16, 28, November 1 and 5. The term of the current Assembly expires on November 29.

The battle for power in Bihar assumes significance in the context of Modi leading the NDA charge after BJP's debacle in the Delhi assembly polls early this year. Recently Modi announced a Rs 1.65 lakh crore package for Bihar in his bid to end the two-decade reign of Lalu-Nitish combine.

The BJP and the ruling JD(U) ended the alliance after eight years in power when Nitish Kumar parted ways over Modi being anointed the campaign chief of BJP in 2013 for the Lok Sabha elections.