With the campaign for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly election, scheduled for November 6, reaching its peak, Union Home Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Shah, along with Chief Minister and Janata Dal-United (JD-U) supremo Nitish Kumar—both allies in the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA)—issued strong warnings on Saturday about a potential return to ‘jungle raj’ if the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) were to come to power. In response, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, the Opposition Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial face, quickly pushed back against these allegations.
Due to inclement weather, Mr. Shah delivered two public addresses virtually from a hotel in Patna, while Mr. Kumar traveled by road to his public meetings and released a video, over three minutes long, directly addressing the people of the State. Mr. Kumar recalled a time when “being a Bihari was a matter of insult” but asserted that after coming to power in 2005, he had “served them with honesty and hard work,” ensuring that being a Bihari is now a matter of respect.
In his virtual address to the people gathered at Minj ground in Gopalganj, who braved a steady drizzle, Mr. Shah highlighted the crucial choice before voters. “This election is an opportunity to decide who should be entrusted with the future of Bihar. On one hand, there are those who ushered in ‘jungle raj’ in the State, while on the other, there is the duo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who have brought development into the State,” Mr. Shah stated.
Mr. Shah also specifically brought up the notorious reputation of Sadhu Yadav, brother-in-law of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, during the previous RJD regime. “The people of Gopalganj have never voted for the RJD for long, and I am sure they will maintain this trend. Nobody knows the misdeeds of Sadhu Yadav better than the people of Gopalganj,” Mr. Shah said in his approximately five-minute video address. He emphasized that in the earlier RJD government, Sadhu Yadav was synonymous with “terror” across the State.
Continuing his critique of RJD’s past governance, Mr. Shah cited specific instances of “lawlessness” and listed villages where caste-based massacres resulted in many fatalities. He then shifted focus to the NDA’s manifesto, released on October 31, emphasizing its commitment to women and farmers. “I want to reiterate that there are two major things in the manifesto — Nitish Kumar ji and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have recently deposited ₹10,000 into the accounts of ‘Jeevika Didis’ (a program for the socio-economic empowerment of women in rural areas). They will also send up to ₹2 lakh to all Jeevika Didis through various means. Second, we currently provide ₹6,000 annually to the 27 lakh farmers of Bihar, and now we will add ₹3,000 more to this, giving them ₹9,000,” Mr. Shah announced.
The Union Minister also pledged that “all defunct sugar mills of the State will be reopened in the next five years.” Later, he addressed another public meeting at Ujjiyarpur in Samastipur district via video, once again highlighting the “jungle raj” of the past.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar stressed the significant improvements his government had made in vital sectors such as education, health, roads, electricity, drinking water, agriculture, and opportunities for youth. “My dear brothers and sisters, you have given me the opportunity to serve you since 2005. I want to tell you that the situation in which you found Bihar at that time was not conducive. Being a Bihari was a matter of insult. But since then (2005), I have served you day and night with honesty and hard work. Being a Bihari is now a matter of respect, not insult,” declared Mr. Kumar, who is leading the NDA’s Bihar campaign.
Mr. Kumar affirmed his government’s work for all communities: “Whether you are a Hindu, Muslim, an upper caste, a Backward Class, Dalit or Mahadalit, we have worked for everyone. I have not done anything for my family,” he stated, in a thinly veiled reference to Mr. Lalu Prasad, who has designated his younger son, Mr. Tejashwi Yadav, as his political heir. “Give us one more chance, and even more work will be done, which will develop Bihar so much that it will be included among the top States,” Mr. Kumar urged voters.
Meanwhile, Tejashwi Yadav was also unable to fly his helicopter on Saturday due to adverse weather. Instead, he conveyed a phone message to the people of Sahebganj in Muzaffarpur and other locations, urging them to “support the Mahagathbandhan candidates as I have promised jobs, and a corruption-free Bihar.” Earlier in the day, Mr. Tejashwi Yadav directly challenged Mr. Modi over a recent surge in killings across Bihar. “You talk of ‘jungle raj,’ but what about the recent incidents of murders in the State, committed by criminals who are protected by those in power?” the RJD leader retorted.