Mumbai, Oct 8 (IANS) Following the announcement of the Bihar poll schedule and the ongoing tussle within the Mahagathbandhan over the Chief Ministerial face, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam on Wednesday said the Congress party is only concerned about its own future and is attempting to weaken its allies in various states by using them as political crutches.

Speaking to IANS, Sanjay Nirupam said, “The Congress party is only focused on securing its own political future. It uses its allies merely as support systems, only to weaken them later. In Bihar, the Congress has ignored Lalu Yadav’s party and is avoiding declaring Tejashwi Yadav as the Chief Ministerial candidate. While a Mahagathbandhan government may be formed in Bihar, recent surveys suggest that the people remain satisfied with Nitish Kumar’s leadership over the past years, giving the NDA a clear pro-incumbency advantage.”

Reacting to the Supreme Court’s directive to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to furnish details of excluded voters during the Special Intensive Revision exercise in Bihar by October 9, Nirupam said:

“As part of the voter list revision, fake voters have been identified and removed. Those who no longer live in the area, had their names registered in multiple locations, or were foreign nationals. It has been reported that around 40–50 lakh, or about 700,000 names, have been removed. A list of new voters, those who have turned 18 or were previously unregistered, should also be released. I congratulate these new voters on participating in the grand festival of democracy. I also commend the double-engine government of Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bihar for their commitment to electoral transparency,” he told IANS.

Commenting on Prime Minister Modi’s two-day visit to Mumbai on October 8 and 9, Nirupam said:

“All of Mumbai is beautifully decorated to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The inauguration of Maharashtra’s second international airport and first greenfield private airport in Navi Mumbai is a historic achievement. Many infrastructure projects have been built in India, but for the first time, both the groundbreaking and the inauguration of an airport are taking place simultaneously. This reflects the Prime Minister’s working style and his constant monitoring. It marks a new milestone in the development of Mumbai and Maharashtra,” he told IANS.

He also spoke on Prime Minister Modi completing 24 years as head of government and entering his 25th year, having been sworn in as Chief Minister of Gujarat on October 7, 2001.

“Prime Minister Modi has been consistently serving the people for 25 years—first as the Chief Minister of Gujarat for 12 years, and now as the Prime Minister of India. Such a long, uninterrupted, and dedicated career in public service is rare among politicians. His deep connection with the people, commitment to social development, and strong work ethic are the reasons behind his enduring popularity. I extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Prime Minister Modi on this significant occasion,” Nirupam said.

–IANS

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