Nitish’s Bihar@2025 campaign stayed

Patna: The Bihar Election Commission on Saturday put a temporary stay on Nitish Kumar government's 'Bihar@2025' campaign, aimed at informing people about work done in the last decade and preparing a vision document of development for next 10 years in consultation with the people.

"We have put a temporary stay on 'Bihar@2025' campaign till further orders from Central Election Commission," Bihar Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ajay V Naik said.

BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi and Opposition leader Nand Kishore Yadav had on Thursday met Naik and submitted a memorandum alleging that the state government had violated the model code of conduct by launching 'Bihar@2025' campaign in the wake of Legislative Council polls on 24 seats on July 7.

The campaign, being run by Bihar's Information and Public Relations Department, aims at reaching out to four crore people, engaging more than 10,000 government and civil society members for next 8 to 10 weeks.

The stay has come as a jolt to Nitish Kumar government.

Earlier in the day, senior ministers Vijay Chaudhary and Bijendra Yadav had stoutly defended 'Bihar@2025' campaign which was launched on June 9 by Kumar.

"The campaign in no case violates model code in view of Legislative Council polls as there is no announcement of a scheme or any of government's policy that could influence voters," Chaudhary told reporters.

"The Bihar@2025 campaign merely wishes to inform people about works done under Nitish Kumar rule in past 10 years and seek their opinion to prepare vision document of development for next 10 years. There is no announcement of any new policy in it," Chaudhary, who is considered number two in the Nitish Kumar Cabinet, said.