)
It is election season in Bihar and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is leaving no stone unturned to win the hearts and votes of the people. On Thursday, with folded hands and a big smile, he literally knocked on doors for votes.
The initiative by the ruling Janata Dal (United), Har Ghar Dastak, saw the chief minister knocking on doors of almost 100 houses in the Patna Sahib constituency, represented by senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and leader of the opposition in the state assembly Nand Kishore Yadav. The area is dominated by the other backward castes and Muslims, the two vote-banks Kumar is trying to win over.
Moving from one house to another, the chief minister asked the people what they thought of his rule and sought suggestions on governance. Kumar was out on the streets for over an hour and walked 3 km. As narrow bylanes and the extreme humidity made it difficult to breathe, people stood at their gates and rooftops to catch a glimpse of their chief minister. Kumar's security personnel tried to keep the crowd at bay, yet some women managed to click selfies with the chief minister. Residents were excited to find Kumar knocking on their door. Some complained, others promised to support him in the coming elections.
Kumar first went to the house of Krishna Prasad Sahoo, who has recently joined the JD(U). As soon Kumar knocked, Sahoo's wife Urmila opened the door. She was speechless for a few moments but regained her composure. She called her sister-in-law Malini Gupta and invited Kumar in. Kumar enquired what she thought of his rule and whether she would give him another chance. She said she would and offered him a glass of water. Kumar thanked the lady and moved to another house. Vijay Singh has a poster of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his walls. Before Singh could respond to Kumar's questions on his governance, his wife Kunti told the chief minister he was doing good work and they would vote for him. In another house, Sulekha Kumari complained she had passed the teachers' eligibility test but had no job. Kumar assured her his government would look into the matter if it came back to power.
Shanti Devi was thrilled to find Kumar at her doorstep. "It was the first time any big leader came to our area. He is such a gentleman. Of course, I will vote for him," she said.
