Amit Shah to launch NDA’s election campaign in Bihar on June 9 with a virtual rally. (File pic)

Bihar Assembly Election 2020, Amit Shah Facebook Rally: Bharatiya Janata Party leader Amit Shah is expected to launch the ruling NDA’s election campaign in Bihar next week with a virtual rally. According to reports, Shah’s rally will be held on June 9 where he will address the people of the election bound state through video conference and Facebook live.

Shah’s rally will be the first public meeting by a NDA leader in Bihar where polls are scheduled for October-November. And it comes at a time when the Nitish Kumar government is facing criticism over its handling of the COVID-19 situation not just from the opposition, but even from sections within.

Although Shah and BJP president JP Nadda have already emphasised that CM Nitish Kumar will be the NDA’s face face for polls, the former BJP president’s rally is expected to put to rest all speculations on the alliance between the saffron party and Janata Dal (United) in the backdrop of several state unit saffron party leaders being vocal against the ruling dispensation.

If reports are to be believed, Shah will make an important announcement not only on continuing the alliance with Nitish Kumar but also re-emphasise that Nitish will be the face of the alliance of the three parties. The NDA in Bihar comprises Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), BJP and LJP of Ram Vilas Paswan.

According to Bihar BJP chief Sanjay Jaiswal, the party is aiming to rope in at least one lakh people across all the 243 assembly segments for Shah’s rally.

“The virtual rally can be verily called the commencement of our digital campaign for assembly elections in Bihar,” he said, adding that it will be followed by similar addresses by party’s national president JP Nadda.

Nadda is expected to address the people of Bihar in two phases covering north and south Bihar.

The BJP has been sharing power with Nitish Kumar in Bihar since 2005, barring a four-year gap from 2013-17. Bihar is slated to go to polls in October-November.

While the NDA under the leadership of Nitish will seek a fourth consecutive win, it will be a do or die battle for the RJD which heads a coalition comprising RLSP, HAM and Congress. Several grand alliance constituents have expressed reservations over Tejashwi’s leadership and called for a change at the helm of affairs as they believe that he can’t challenge Nitish’s popularity in the absence of Lalu Prasad Yadav. Lalu is serving jail terms in Ranchi for his involvement in multi-crore fodder scam in 90s. The grand alliance had won just 1 of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in last year’s general election under Tejashwi’s leadership.