RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav appealed to the people to make him the chief minister of Bihar, likening the Nitish Kumar government to a 20-year-old car that needs replacement.
Addressing a conclave of the 'Mushar-Bhuyan' community, said to be the most backward even among Dalits, Yadav on Tuesday said "the young should now get a chance".
"All those from the Musahar Bhuiyan community currently living on the roadside, in night shelters or in slums, will be significantly benefited once the Mahagathbandhan government led by RJD is formed... And with your blessings, I become the CM," he said.
"Once you make this son of yours the CM, he will eradicate your poverty. You will be provided with pucca houses. I need your support and love to fulfil this mission," he added.
Yadav, who was the CM candidate of the Mahagathbandhan in the last assembly polls, also drew a contrast between the government run by his father Lalu Prasad, the RJD president, decades ago and the one headed by Kumar, which he alleged was "indifferent, even hostile towards the poor".
"When our government is formed in the state, we will work for the betterment of the deprived, neglected, oppressed, Dalits and most backward classes in the state," he said.
"During the RJD rule under the leadership of respected Lalu ji, socially marginalised people were included in the mainstream of society with respect and justice. Leaders of the BJP and RSS never work for the benefit of the SCs/STs and Dalits. The Nitish Kumar government has become a 'khatara gari' (clunker), which is 20 years old, and it needs to be urgently replaced. The young should now get the chance," he said.
Yadav also criticised the BJP-led government at the Centre, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of making false promises for the state ahead of elections.
"Before every election, they say that they will make Bihar the number one state in the country. PM Modi has been in power for more than 10 years, but the fact remains that the BJP-Nitish government has made Bihar the most backward state of the country," he alleged.
The role of the voters belonging to the Musahar-Bhuiyan community is considered crucial in a large number of seats in the state.
The population of Mushar-Bhuiyan is 40.357 lakh, which is 3.087 per cent of the total population of the state, revealed the caste survey conducted in 2023.
