Upsurge in voter turnout in Bihar is Modi effect: M J Akbar

Patna: Crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for upsurge in voters' turnout in Bihar Assembly polls, the BJP national spokesperson M J Akbar on Tuesday expressed confidence that the NDA will romp home to power and usher in 'Kamal kranti' (Lotus revolution) in the state over next five years.

"There has clearly been an upsurge in voters' turn out in first phase of Bihar Assembly polls on 49 seats due to Modi's fervant call to the people to exercise their franchise...it portends well for the BJP-led NDA which is all set to get a decisive mandate and usher in 'Kamal kranti' in the state over the next five years," he told reporters.

The 57 per cent turnout of the voters reflect yearning of the people of Bihar for change of guard to reap in fruits of development, the BJP Rajya Sabha member from Jharkhand said, adding that heavy polling in the Naxal bastion bodes well for everyone as the Maoists have taken Modi's appeal to shun violence and join mainstream.

The BJP leader said that the youth and women have shown tremendous enthusiasm to turn up at polling booths in large number to vote for change and expressed confidence that the upsurge in polling percentage will only get better in remaining four phases of Bihar Assembly polls.

Akbar also trained guns at the Grand Alliance describing it as 'corrupt alliance' amid resignation of the former minister Awadesh Prasad Kushwaha after being purportedly caught taking Rs four lakh as bribe in a sting operation for favour in the event of return of secular alliance to power.

"There is rumour doing rounds that at least five ministers of the JD(U) government have been trapped in sting operations taking bribe which speaks volume of corruption under the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's rule in Bihar," he said, and pitched for a CBI probe saying that the state agencies were incapable of handling the corruption slur on the outgoing government.