NDA allies are like Pandavas united in the battle: Amit Shah in Bihar
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slammed the NDA’s Bihar poll manifesto as ‘fake propaganda’ detached from ground realities
PATNA: As the first phase of the high-stake Bihar assembly election is just days away, Union home minister Amit Shah, addressing virtual rallies in Samastipur and Gopalganj, lambasted the opposition’s “Mahathugbandhan” as a cauldron of infighting and chaos, contrasting it with the NDA’s “Pandava-like” unity and 20 years of development under Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra fired salvos at the NDA’s manifesto in Begusarai, exuding confidence in the INDIA alliance’s victory while questioning the feasibility of their job pledges.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, the INDIA bloc’s chief ministerial face, rallied supporters in Siwan and his home turf of Raghopur, decrying a collapse in law and order under the NDA and vowing one government job per household within 20 months if the bloc is voted to power in the state.
With voting set for November 6 and 11 across 243 seats, these campaigns underscored a polarised battle between “jungle raj” revival fears and aspirations for jobs, women’s empowerment and industrial revival.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra injected Congress fervour into the fray with a spirited rally in Bachhwara, Begusarai, slamming the NDA’s manifesto as “fake propaganda” detached from ground realities. “BJP leaders drone on about the past or future, ignoring the present miseries of Bihar’s people,” she said, questioning how the alliance would deliver 1.5 crore jobs when past tallies fell short. Exuding optimism, Priyanka declared the INDIA bloc’s victory inevitable, criticising the SIR exercise as a ploy to disenfranchise voters. Her address, drawing massive crowds despite drizzles, emphasised women’s empowerment and youth employment, aligning with Tejashwi’s vision while broadening the bloc’s appeal in eastern Bihar.
Vadra exhorted Bihar’s voters not to fall for “hollow promises” from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Nitish Kumar, accusing them of a decade-long betrayal on jobs, women’s empowerment and development. Addressing a packed rally in Bachhwara amid drizzling rains—after a last-minute road journey from Patna due to cyclone-disrupted helicopter services—Vadra painted a grim picture of a state “pushed into poverty, unemployment and migration” by the ruling NDA, even as she rallied support for Congress candidate Shiv Prakash Garib Das in a high-stakes triangular contest.
“This land of yours is a very beautiful land. It walks alongside Mother Ganga; it’s a sacred land,” Vadra began, invoking Bihar’s storied legacy to contrast it with its present woes. “From this very land, Gandhiji started his movement against the British. This country has given a lot—great officials, leaders, patriots, poets—yet its development isn’t happening properly.” She framed the freedom struggle as a battle for the Constitution, which bestowed “freedom, development, rights,” above all, “the greatest right: the vote. It made you citizens of the country.”
Amit Shah’s virtual addresses from Patna set the tone for the NDA’s aggressive outreach, adapting swiftly to helicopter groundings caused by relentless rains that have disrupted schedules statewide. In Samastipur, the Union home minister apologised for his absence but didn’t hold back, urging voters to reject the 15-year “jungle raj” of the opposition in favour of the NDA’s proven governance track record. “For 20 years, Nitish babu, and since 11 years with PM Narendra Modi, we left no stone unturned for Bihar’s development,” Shah declared, likening the BJP, JD(U), LJP (Ram Vilas), HAM (Secular) and RLM to the five Pandavas united in battle.
He mocked the Mahagathbandhan—comprising RJD, Congress, CPI(ML), CPI, CPM and VIP—as riddled with internal strife, where leaders squabble more among themselves than against the NDA. Shah also took aim at Congress’s Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of shielding infiltrators through recent yatras and reaffirming the NDA’s commitment to the nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to weed them out. Highlighting cultural initiatives, he promised completion of the ₹85 crore Punaura Dham project in Sitamarhi—the birthplace of Goddess Sita—within two years.
Shifting to Gopalganj, the birthplace of RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad, Shah’s rhetoric sharpened, evoking local memories of alleged high-handedness by Lalu’s brother-in-law Sadhu Yadav during the 1990s “jungle raj.” Referencing infamous incidents like the 1999 car showroom raid during Misa Bharti’s wedding and the Shilpi Jain murder case, Shah warned that an RJD return would unleash anarchy. “The people of Gopalganj haven’t voted for RJD since 2002; keep that trend alive,” he implored, listing massacre-plagued villages from the Naxal-landlord feud era as grim reminders.
To counter opposition narratives, Shah spotlighted the NDA’s freshly unveiled Sankalp Patra, reiterating ₹2 lakh aid for Jeevika women self-help groups—following a recent ₹10,000 transfer to 1.41 crore beneficiaries—and hiking annual farmer support from ₹6,000 to ₹9,000 for 27 lakh tillers. He pledged reopening all defunct sugar mills within five years, including three in the district alongside ethanol, rice, and dairy plants. Infrastructure wins, like the ₹2,200 crore Dumaria Ghat-Patna expressway, ₹340 crore Hathua LPG plant, and upcoming flight services at Sabeya airport, rounded out his pitch for a “developed Bihar” under Modi and Nitish.
NDA allies amplified the offensive elsewhere. BJP president JP Nadda, addressing Siwan virtually, branded RJD’s nomination of Shahabuddin’s son as proof of their “jungle raj” revival intent, recounting kidnapping epidemics and extortion rackets under Lalu-Rabri rule. “RJD stands for Rangdari, Jungle Raj, and Dadagiri—don’t vote for bail-jumpers like Lalu, Rabri, Tejashwi, or Misa,” he cautioned, praising Modi-Nitish’s growth trajectory. In Maner, LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan unveiled the Sankalp Patra’s roadmap, promising district-wise industries, a skills census, and mega training centres to make Bihar a “global skill hub.” Jibing at Tejashwi’s job vows as uncalculated fantasies, Paswan asserted public resolve for NDA’s return, echoed by PM Modi’s X post hailing the manifesto’s focus on self-reliant Bihar.
On the INDIA front, Tejashwi Yadav emerged as the bloc’s energetic counterpunch, blending emotional family appeals with scathing critiques of NDA’s law enforcement lapses. In Raghunathpur, Siwan—where RJD has fielded the son of late strongman Mohammad Shahabuddin—he spotlighted the October 30 murder of opposition leader Dularchand Yadav in Mokama, alleging the accused JD(U) nominee Anant Singh roams freely with an armed convoy despite named FIRs. “Murders in broad daylight, cash handouts of ₹10,000 per voter—where is the Election Commission? Their law only applies to the opposition,” thundered Yadav, vowing to “uproot” the NDA for shielding criminals.
Earlier, addressing Goriakothi virtually due to weather woes, he promised a “new Bihar” with industries to curb migration, restoring education and health infrastructure neglected over 20 NDA years. “I’m young, but true to my word—jobs for every jobless household within 20 months,” he assured, countering NDA’s 1 crore job pledge as hollow. In a heartfelt Raghopur rally, Tejashwi campaigned alongside sisters Ragini and Rohini Acharya, who made emotional pleas for unity across castes to oust corruption and crime. The event dispelled family rift rumors, with Tejashwi urging voters to back INDIA for inclusive progress.
Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday mounted a sharp attack on the BJP and NDA bandwagon during an election rally in the Bahadurpur constituency of Darbhanga.
Addressing the gathering in support of RJD candidate Bhola Yadav, Akhilesh described Nitish Kumar as a “poll groom”, saying, “The one projected as the face of the election knows very well that this time he won’t be garlanded. Even he knows he is not going to be the chief minister again.”
Accusing the BJP of political opportunism, Akhilesh termed it an “exploitative party” that “uses people and then ruins them.” He framed the ongoing assembly polls as a contest between “employment and BJP.” “On one hand, people are carrying baskets on their heads looking for work, while on the other, Tejashwi Yadav has promised them dignified jobs,” he said.
Predicting a defeat for the BJP, Akhilesh asserted that “BJP’s departure from Bihar is inevitable.” He questioned the saffron party’s record on migration, remarking, “Those who talk about migration should first answer why people are forced to leave Bihar. It is because of the BJP’s policies. But this time, the people of Bihar will ensure the BJP itself migrates out of the state.”
Bhojpuri star Pawan Singh, a BJP campaigner, electrified Shahpur’s Karnamepur High School ground, backing NDA’s Rakesh Ranjan Ojha. “We must not let jungle raj return—under Modi-Nitish’s double-engine, development flows like a river,” he boomed, contrasting bicycle-era hardships with today’s four-wheelers. As crowds danced to his hit “Hum Bihari Hai,” Singh predicted an NDA landslide in Shahabad, urging women to vote the lotus for industries that end migration. Honoured by local leaders, he puffed Bihari pride, vowing prosperity under the Nitish regime.
With rains scuttling chopper hops and forecasts gloomy, leaders leaned on virtual savvy and local surrogates, but the message was clear: Bihar’s future hinges on rejecting anarchy for accountable progress. As November 6 dawns, the electorate—scarred by past divides yet hopeful for jobs and justice—holds the key. Results on November 14 could reshape the state’s political map.
(with inputs from Bishnu K Jha and Prashant Ranjan)
