The verdict of the Bihar Assembly polls, due in October, could not only affect the ability of the Narendra Modi-led central government to deliver on its promised economic agenda, but also the internal dynamics of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). That the PM is keen to score a resounding victory in the Bihar elections was evident when he inaugurated a slew of projects on Saturday and promised a special package of more than Rs 50,000 crore for the state.

At a huge public rally in north Bihar’s Muzzafarpur, Modi tore into his rivals, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, accusing them of halting the development of Bihar.

Earlier in the day, Kumar and Modi had shared the stage at an official function, where the two took subtle jibes at each other after the PM inaugurated the Daniawan-Bihar Sharif railway line, flagging off the Rajgir-Bihar Sharif-Daniawan-Fatuha passenger train and the Patna-Mumbai AC Suvidha Express. He also inaugurated the Indian Institute of Technology campus at Patna, laid the foundation stone for the Incubation Centre for Medical Electronics and inaugurated the first phase of the Jagdishpur-Haldia gas pipeline and two power projects of 250 Mw each at Barauni.

The PM also launched the Deendayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana, promising 24x7 power supply to the electricity-starved state.

At the rally, his first in the run-up to the state polls, Modi accused Kumar of strangling development in Bihar because of personal vendetta against the PM. “I can understand some people don’t like other people’s faces. I can understand political differences. But if I was so bad, you should have come and slapped me, even strangled me. But you throttled the development of Bihar because of your problems with one man,” Modi said, referring to Kumar.

He also vowed to fulfil his 2014 Lok Sabha election promise of a special package to the state, along with incentives for industrial growth. The PM committed a special package of “more than Rs 50,000 crore”. “I cannot tell you the exact number because Parliament is in session, but I will come back to you after the session is over,” Modi said. He also announced a 15 per cent special investment incentive and a special depreciation allowance of 15 per cent for new investors.

The PM also launched a scathing attack on Kumar’s ally, Lalu Prasad. He said Prasad’s party, the RJD, was nothing but the “Rojana jungleraj ka darr” party. He attacked Kumar for keeping him away from election campaigning in Bihar when the Janata Dal (United) was part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). “Don’t worry, I am here now,” he said to roars of approval from an estimated crowd of 150,000 at the Chakkar Maidan in Muzzafarpur.

The PM recalled a luncheon meeting of the NDA in 2010, which Kumar had cancelled. “He invited us for lunch, but later took away our plates. Who does that? I didn’t say anything, but was moved when former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi was mistreated and all his wealth was taken away. They don’t believe in democracy. There is some problem with his DNA. What happened to those who worked with him, to George Fernandes and to our Sushil Modi, who had once worked shoulder-to-shoulder with him?” the PM asked.

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