Patna: With the first phase of Bihar assembly elections just days away, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while addressing virtual rallies in Samastipur and Gopalganj, described the opposition’s “grand alliance” as a cauldron of infighting and anarchy and compared it with the “Pandava-like” unity of the NDA and 20 years of development under Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attacked the NDA manifesto in Begusarai and expressed confidence over the Bharat alliance’s victory while questioning the feasibility of the job promises.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and India Bloc’s chief ministerial face Tejashwi Prasad Yadav rallied supporters in Siwan and his home turf Raghopur, condemned the decline in law and order under the NDA and promised one government job per family within 20 months if it comes to power in the state.
With voting scheduled for 6 and 11 November on 243 seats, these campaigns underlined a polarized battle between fears of a “jungle raj” revival and aspirations for jobs, women empowerment and industrial revival.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra fired up the Congress with a spirited rally in Bachhwara, Begusarai, and slammed the NDA manifesto as “fake propaganda” divorced from ground reality. “BJP leaders keep talking about the past or the future, ignoring the present miseries of the people of Bihar,” he said, questioning how the alliance would provide 1.5 crore jobs when previous numbers were less. Showing optimism, Priyanka declared India Bloc’s victory inevitable, and criticized the SIR exercise as a ploy to disenfranchise voters. His address, which attracted a huge crowd despite drizzle, emphasized on women empowerment and youth employment, which was in line with Tejashwi’s vision of broadening the block’s appeal in East Bihar.
Vadra called on Bihar voters not to fall prey to the “hollow promises” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and accused them of a decade-long betrayal on jobs, women empowerment and development. Addressing a packed rally in Bachhwada amid drizzling rain after a last-minute road trip from Patna due to helicopter services disrupted by the cyclone, Vadra painted a grim picture of a state “pushed into poverty, unemployment and migration” by the ruling NDA, even as he drummed up support for Congress candidate Shiv Prakash Garib Das in a high-stakes triangular contest.
“This land of yours is a very beautiful land. It runs along the banks of Mother Ganga; it is a sacred land,” Vadra began, referring to Bihar’s past heritage to contrast it with Bihar’s current problems. “It is from this land that Gandhiji started his movement against the British. This country has given a lot – great officers, leaders, patriots, poets – yet it is not developing properly.” He defined the freedom struggle as the fight for the Constitution, which provided “freedom, development, rights” and above all “the greatest right: the vote”. It made you a citizen of the country.
Amit Shah’s virtual addresses from Patna have set the tone for the NDA’s aggressive outreach, with helicopters being grounded due to incessant rains that have disrupted statewide programmes. In Samastipur, the Union Home Minister apologized for his absence but did not hold back and urged voters to reject the opposition’s 15-year “jungle raj” in favor of the NDA’s proven governance track record. “For 20 years, with Nitish Babu and 11 years with PM Narendra Modi, we left no stone unturned for the development of Bihar,” Shah declared, comparing BJP, JDU, LJP (Ram Vilas), HAM (Secular) and RLM to five Pandavas united in fight.
He mocked the grand alliance comprising RJD, Congress, CPI (ML), CPI, CPM and VIP, saying it is full of internal strife, where leaders fight among themselves more than in the NDA. Shah also hit out at Congress’s Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of shielding infiltrators through recent visits and reaffirmed the NDA’s commitment to a nationwide special intensive revision (SIR) of voter lists to weed them out. Highlighting cultural initiatives, he promised to fulfill Rs 85 crore Punaura Dham project in Sitamarhi, the birthplace of Goddess Sita, within two years.
After shifting to Gopalganj, the birthplace of RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad, Shah’s rhetoric intensified, evoking local memories of the alleged highhandedness of Lalu’s brother-in-law Sadhu Yadav during the “Jungle Raj” of the 1990s. Referring to infamous incidents like the car showroom raid during Misa Bharti’s wedding in 1999 and the Shilpi Jain murder case, Shah warned that RJD’s return would lead to anarchy. “The people of Gopalganj have not voted for RJD since 2002; keep that trend alive,” he urged, listing the massacre-hit villages of the era of Naxalite-landlord feud as grim memories.
To counter opposition statements, Shah reiterates NDA’s freshly unveiled resolution letter Assistance of Rs. 2 Lakhs for Jeevika Women Self Help Groups – Recently Following Transfer of Rs 10,000 to 1.41 crore beneficiaries and increase in annual farmer assistance from 6,000 Rs 9,000 for 27 lakh tiller. He promised to reopen all closed sugar mills within five years, including three mills in the district along with ethanol, rice and dairy plants. Infrastructure wins, like 2,200 crore Dumariya Ghat-Patna Expressway, The Rs 340-crore Hathua LPG plant and upcoming flight services at Sabeya airport fulfilled his demand for a “developed Bihar” under Modi and Nitish.
NDA allies increased aggression elsewhere. BJP president JP Nadda, addressing Siwan virtually, described the nomination of Shahabuddin’s son by the RJD as evidence of their intention to revive “Jungle Raj”, and referred to the kidnapping epidemic and extortion rackets under the Lalu-Rabri regime. While praising the Modi-Nitish development path, he warned, “RJD means extortion, jungle raj and bullying – don’t vote for bail-jumpers like Lalu, Rabri, Tejashwi or Misa.” In Maner, LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan unveiled the roadmap to the resolution, promising district-wise industries, a skills census and mega training centers to make Bihar a “global skills hub”. Describing Tejashwi’s job pledge as baseless speculation, Paswan stressed on public resolve for the NDA’s comeback, echoed by PM Modi’s ex post while praising the manifesto’s focus on self-reliant Bihar.
On the India front, Tejashwi Yadav emerged as the group’s energetic counterpoint, mixing emotional family appeals with sharp criticisms of the NDA’s law enforcement shortcomings. In Siwan’s Raghunathpur – where the RJD has fielded the son of late stalwart Mohammad Shahabuddin – he highlighted the killing of opposition leader Dularchand Yadav in Mokama on October 30 and alleged that accused JDU candidate Anant Singh, named in the FIR, roams freely with armed convoys. “Killings in broad daylight, cash distributed 10,000 per voter – where is the Election Commission? Their law applies only to the opposition,” Yadav thundered, vowing to “uproot” the NDA to protect the criminals.
Earlier, addressing Goriyakothi virtually due to weather conditions, he promised to create a “New Bihar” with industries to curb migration, restore education and health infrastructure neglected for 20 years of the NDA. Calling the NDA’s promise of 1 crore jobs hollow, he assured, “I am young, but I stand by my word – jobs for every unemployed family within 20 months.” At an emotional rally in Raghopur, Tejashwi campaigned with sisters Ragini and Rohini Acharya, who made an emotional appeal for unity across all castes to eliminate corruption and crime. The event dispelled rumors of family differences, with Tejashwi urging voters to support India for inclusive progress.
Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav launched a scathing attack on the BJP and NDA during an election rally in Bahadurpur constituency of Darbhanga on Saturday.
Addressing the gathering in support of RJD candidate Bhola Yadav, Akhilesh described Nitish Kumar as the “poll groom”, saying, “The one who has been projected as the face of the election knows very well that he will not be garlanded this time. Even he knows that he is not going to become the chief minister again.”
Accusing the BJP of political opportunism, Akhilesh called it an “exploitative party” that “uses people and then ruins them.” He described the ongoing assembly elections as a contest between “employment and BJP”. He said, “On one hand people are looking for work with baskets on their heads, while on the other hand Tejashwi Yadav has promised to give them respectable jobs.”
Predicting BJP’s defeat, Akhilesh said that “BJP’s departure from Bihar is inevitable.” Questioning the saffron party’s record on migration, he commented, “Those who talk about migration should first answer why people are forced to leave Bihar. It is because of the policies of the BJP. But this time, the people of Bihar will ensure that the BJP itself moves out of the state.”
BJP campaigner Bhojpuri star Pawan Singh, supporting NDA’s Rakesh Ranjan Ojha, electrified Karnamepur High School ground in Shahpur. “We should not let Jungle Raj return – under the double engine of Modi-Nitish, development flows like a river,” he said, comparing the difficulties of the bicycle era with today’s four-wheelers. As the crowd danced to his hit “Hum Bihari Hain”, Singh predicted an overwhelming majority for the NDA in Shahabad, urging women to vote for Kamal for industries that would end migration. While felicitated by local leaders, he exuded Bihari pride, vowing prosperity under the Nitish regime.
With rains affecting helicopter flights and forecasts looking bleak, leaders relied on virtual bystanders and local surrogates, but the message was clear: Bihar’s future depends on rejecting chaos for accountable progress. As the dawn of November 6 dawns, voters – hurt by the divisions of the past, yet hopeful for jobs and justice – hold the key. The results on November 14 can reshape the political map of the state.
(With inputs from Bishnu K Jha and Prashant Ranjan)
