"Vote for Mahaghatbandhan in Bihar": DCM DK Shivakumar appeals to Bihar community in Bengaluru

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], November 2 (ANI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday appealed to members of the Bihar community living in Bengaluru to travel home and support the Mahaghatbandhan alliance in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
Addressing members of the Bihar Association at Coffee Board Layout in North Bengaluru, Shivakumar said, "a three-day holiday would be facilitated for those travelling to Bihar to cast their vote. All of you have said that I deserve a bigger post. That is not important for me, I would be happier if you all vote for Mahaghatbandhan in Bihar. Nitish Kumar is at the fag end of his political career, Tejaswi Yadav has been declared as the CM candidate for Bihar."
Highlighting concerns over voter deletions in Bihar, he added, "Lakhs of voters have been removed from the voters' list in Bihar. We are trying to save your votes in Bihar. I appeal to all of you to go to Bihar and vote for Mahaghatbandhan. We will direct Credai, contractors and other organisations to declare a three-day holiday so that you all can go to Bihar to vote."
The Deputy Chief Minister also announced that the state government would allocate a site for the Karnataka Bihar Association.
"It would not have been possible to build buildings in Bengaluru without you. You are hard workers and work with diligence. We have decided to allocate a site for Bihar Association in Karnataka. We have never discriminated against you as outsiders. We had made arrangements to send you home by arranging buses during Covid when the bus fares shot up," he said.
During the event, when Shivakumar attempted to have his speech translated into Hindi, several attendees responded by saying, "We are not Biharis but Karnataka Biharis and we know Kannada," reflecting the community's deep integration with the state.
Responding to a question about his recent remarks on BJP MP Tejasvi Surya's criticism of the tunnel road project, Shivakumar clarified, "I haven't targeted anyone individually. His words are childish. Why are they not talking about tunnel projects in other cities? BJP is against Bengaluru's development."
Mahagathbandhan, led by Rashtriya Janata Dal, includes Congress party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI-ML) led by Deepankar Bhattacharya, the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), and Mukesh Sahani's Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP).
Voting for Bihar's 243-seat Assembly will take place in two phases on November 6 and 11. Counting of votes will take place on November 14. (ANI)