Prime Minister Narendra Modi intensified his criticism of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress alliance during election rallies across Bihar, accusing them of hindering the state’s progress and engaging in appeasement politics to benefit infiltrators.
Addressing gatherings in Saharsa, Katihar, Ara, and Nawada, Modi asserted that the Congress has effectively taken on the task of sinking the RJD, especially after being perceived as being forced to declare their Chief Ministerial candidate. He claimed both parties are out of touch with the ground realities and that the people of Bihar, having experienced development, will reject them.
Modi highlighted the alleged failure of the RJD-Congress to showcase their leaders, noting the diminished presence of Lalu Prasad Yadav in posters and questioning Tejashwi Yadav’s reluctance to feature his father prominently. He also pointed out the perceived disconnect between Congress members and RJD’s promises, suggesting a lack of faith in their own manifesto.
“They are pushing Bihar towards danger by taking the sides of infiltrators for votes. They are playing with the future of your children and daughters,” Modi stated, questioning the provision of free ration and medical aid to infiltrators. He contrasted the NDA’s development agenda with the RJD’s past focus on “jungle raj” and backwardness, citing improved connectivity in Purnea and Katihar under the NDA government.
Further elaborating on the RJD-Congress relationship, Modi remarked, “The Congress knows that if the RJD loses this time too, its political career will be over, and Congress will capture the RJD’s vote bank. This tussle to seize each other’s vote bank is now out in the open. You will see how, after the Bihar election defeat, their feud will take an ugly turn.”
Modi also criticized the alliance for being against women’s welfare. “NDA is identified with development, while RJD-Congress is identified with destruction,” he said, referencing the financial assistance provided to women under the Mahila Rozgaar Yojana. He urged women to be wary of the RJD-Congress, claiming they would seek to halt such aid.
The Prime Minister also touched upon religious sentiments, questioning why RJD and Congress leaders, despite traveling globally, avoided visiting the Ram Temple, and even the temples dedicated to Nishad Raj, Lord Valmiki, and Shabari Mata in Ayodhya.
Modi further alleged that the “insult to Chhath” in Saharsa and Katihar reflected the Congress’s strategy to undermine the RJD due to internal political tussles. He accused the Congress of deliberately insulting traditions to damage RJD’s prospects and make space for themselves.
Recalling the development of Nalanda University, Modi stated that while the Congress-RJD governments provided minimal funding, the NDA government had allocated over ₹2,000 crore, leading to a magnificent campus with students from 21 countries.
Citing the Kosi Rail Mahasetu project, Modi claimed that the Congress-led government, with RJD support, had stalled Bihar’s projects as revenge after the RJD’s political decline in the state. He highlighted that the NDA government completed the project in 2020.
Modi characterized the RJD and Congress’s vocabulary as being limited to “katta’ (country-made pistol), cruelty, bitterness, bad manners, bad governance, and corruption,” linking it to their “Jungle Raj” past where even protectors were unsafe, citing the example of a DSP’s killing. He credited Nitish Kumar’s government with ending this era and transforming Bihar with good governance, pointing to industrial development and electric vehicle production in Madhepura.
He also highlighted the Kosi-Mechi river link project as a potential game-changer for the Seemanchal region, promising prosperity through enhanced irrigation and flood protection measures.
The report also noted that while Modi held multiple rallies, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also addressed public meetings and held roadshows across Bihar as part of the campaigning efforts for the first phase of elections.