Darbhanga, Oct. 17 -- Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday kicked off his election campaign for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) from Darbhanga and Samastipur, reminding people of the conditions that existed in the state before he came to power in 2005. Addressing a public rally in Darbhanga on the occasion of JD(U) candidates filing their nominations, Kumar highlighted his government's two-decade-long tenure. "Before November 24, 2005, Bihar was in a miserable state. People were afraid to step out of their homes after sunset. Law and order had completely collapsed," he said. "When I was at the Centre, I had to meet people indoors during visits to my constituency. There were frequent communal clashes, poor electricity supply, and roads were in terrible shape. Education and health facilities were almost non-existent," he added. Kumar said his administration focused on public welfare and development. "There is no longer any atmosphere of fear in the state. Today, Bihar stands for peace, harmony, and brotherhood," he asserted. The JD(U) is fighting the two-phase polls next month as part of the NDA and has announced its candidates for 101 out of 243 seats. Kumar is aiming for a fifth straight term. During his speech, the CM recalled the initiatives his government took to maintain communal harmony, including the fencing of graveyards in 2006 and temples in 2016 to prevent disputes and thefts. Focusing on education and health as priority sectors, Kumar said a large number of new schools were opened and teachers appointed. "We launched uniform and bicycle schemes to encourage students, especially girls, to continue their education. Recently, we recruited 2.58 lakh teachers through the Bihar Public Service Commission. In addition, 2.62 lakh contractual teachers have cleared competency exams, taking the total number of appointments to 5.2 lakh," he said. On health care, Kumar said Bihar's health infrastructure has witnessed remarkable improvement. "Earlier, government hospitals recorded only 39 patients per month. Now, the average has risen to 11,600. We started providing free medicines and treatment in government hospitals in 2006, which yielded great results," he said. He also highlighted the expansion of medical education in the state. "The number of medical colleges has increased from six to 12, and construction of new medical colleges is underway in 27 districts," he said. Kumar said that extensive road and bridge construction dramatically improved connectivity. "Earlier, it used to take over six hours to reach Patna from remote parts of the state. Now, the maximum travel time has reduced to about five hours," he said. Among those present at the rally were Bihar's social welfare minister and JD(U) candidate from Bahadurpur Madan Sahni, JD(U) candidate from Benipur Vinay Kumar Chaudhary, BJP's Darbhanga Urban candidate Sanjay Saraogi, Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Kumar Jha, and BJP MP Gopaljee Thakur, among others....