Patna: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is playing the communal card on reservation, said RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Wednesday.

"Modi is playing the communal card on reservation. People in the country never expected such words from the prime minister," Lalu said.

He was referring to Modi's statement during his election rallies on Monday and Tuesday that it was not BJP-led NDA but Lalu-Nitish and Congress who are a threat to continuance of reservation in the future and they will provide reservation to a religious community.

Modi had said: "Leaders of the RJD, JD-U and the Congress are conspiring to snatch away 5 percent of SC/ST and OBC reservation and give it to a religious community (Muslim) for votes."

Lalu said it is a below the belt attack by Modi. "No one can change or snatch reservation of Dalits and OBCs in the country."

He said Modi and BJP leaders have been nervous after reports of their defeat in the polls and added that the grand alliance of JD-U, RJD and Congress is sweeping the ongoing Bihar assembly polls and would form the next government.

"It is not a question of the third phase or 50 assembly seats, the grand alliance is sweeping in all 243 assembly seats in all the five phases. We are comfortably placed. BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are worried and desperate," Lalu told media here after he cast his vote.

Lalu said the grand alliance is winning all the seats.

Around 12 percent polling was recorded on Wednesday in the third phase of Bihar's staggered assembly elections in 50 constituencies. No violence has been reported so far, officials said.

(IANS)