Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi today promised to give adequate representation to the business community in the forthcoming Bihar Assembly poll, criticising Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for not doing the same in his government.
Taking a dim view of the chief minster according Extremely Backward Caste status to the Teli community last month, Modi said Kumar's belated move would not succeed in weaning away the business community from BJP in Bihar.
The former deputy chief minister said business community had played a crucial role in socio-economic and political activities for centuries and it was keeping in view of the crucial role played by this community that a special census was done for it in 1931.
With an eye on the poll, Modi said that all those traders with an annual turnover at Rs 10 lakh would be waived from mandatory registration with the commercial tax department in the event of the NDA government coming to power after the hustings.
Speaking on the occasion, Leader of Opposition in legislative Assembly Nandkishore Yadav recalled that business activities in Bihar had come to a grinding halt during the days of 'jungle raj' under the RJD-led government for 15 years.
Thousands of traders from Bihar had migrated to elsewhere in the country as they had got sick of extortion demands and kidnapping by the actors of 'jungle raj' during the RJD rule, alleged Yadav.
Stating that the business community had rallied behind the NDA in ousting the RJD from power in November 2005, the LOP slammed Kumar for betraying the mandate as well as the large business community for shaking hands with RJD supremo Lalu Prasad for survival of his fragile government.
The 'Teli Sahu Sammelan', though apolitical event, was attended by the BJP MPs, MLAs from Chhatisgarh, Assam and Bihar, besides Bhakt Lal Sah, an MP from Nepal with all delegates giving a call to the business community to remain united to pursue their socio-economic and political aspirations.
