BJP takes development route in North Bihar | Economic Times

New Delhi: The BJP is trying to increase its presence in the Kosi region of North Bihar with big announcements from the Centre, after the party performed badly there in the 2015 state elections. The BJP-led central government has announced an All India Institute of Medical Science in Darbhanga and promised operationalisation of the Darbhanga airport by next month. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is now set to inaugurate the Kosi Rail Bridge at Supaul and lay the foundation stone for a road bridge over the river at Phulaut.“These infrastructure projects will change the face of this region in North Bihar and address the long-standing complaint from the region that the Centre has ignored it and not given projects here,” a BJP leader in Bihar told ET. The region is ravaged by floods every year. According to the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the position of chief minister Nitish Kumar’s JDU is shaky there, after opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav toured the region during floods this year.In 2015, the JDU and RJD, which were allies at the time, had won most of the seats in the region.The BJP and JDU are on the same side this time. By announcing the AIIMS and starting of the airport in Darbhanga just before the elections, the BJP is trying to capture the lost ground as well as contribute to the NDA alliance.