Prime Minister Narendra Modi mounted a blistering offensive against the opposition Mahagathbandhan on Friday, accusing the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) of looting Bihar and taking a veiled dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, as he rallied support for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the poll-bound state.
Addressing a spirited election rally in Samastipur, the Prime Minister left no room for ambiguity in his critique of the RJD-Congress alliance, framing the upcoming election as a battle between "development and jungle raj."
"Out on Bail, Habit of Stealing"
In his most direct attack, PM Modi targeted the Lalu Prasad Yadav family, asserting that they had "looted Bihar over the years" but were now "out on bail in scams worth thousands of crores."
"Those who are out on bail are out on bail in theft cases. Now their habit of stealing is such that they are engaged in stealing the title of Karpoori Thakur," PM Modi said, alluding to the opposition's attempts to claim the legacy of the late socialist leader. He emphatically stated that the people of Bihar would "never tolerate this insult to Karpoori Thakur."
The Prime Minister also questioned the very foundation of the RJD-Congress alliance, alleging a history of obstructing Bihar's progress. He claimed that between 2004 and 2014, the RJD routinely threatened the Congress-led government at the Centre, pressuring it not to assist the then NDA government led by Nitish Kumar in Bihar.
"The RJD and the Congress left no stone unturned to halt the development in Bihar," he alleged, positioning the NDA as the sole guardian of the state's interests.
A Veiled Dig at Rahul Gandhi
Without naming him, PM Modi also took a swipe at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who is currently leading a 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in the state. The Prime Minister mocked the attempt to project a new image, suggesting it was an inauthentic bid to become a 'jan nayak' (people's leader).
NDA's "Biggest Ever Mandate" with Nitish at Helm
Shifting from attack to affirmation, PM Modi wholeheartedly endorsed incumbent Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as the NDA's chief ministerial face. Lauding the JD(U) leader, he projected a massive victory for the ruling coalition.
"The NDA will break all its previous records of victory in the state. Bihar will give NDA its biggest ever mandate," the Prime Minister declared to a cheering crowd.
He assured that the pace of development would "speed up to a new level" once the NDA is voted back to power. The alliance, which also includes Chirag Paswan's LJP (Ram Vilas), Jitan Ram Manjhi's HAM(S), and Upendra Kushwaha's RLM, represents a formidable combination of caste and political forces in Bihar.
"Reject the Lantern, Embrace Development"
In a powerful visual metaphor, PM Modi asked the people to reject the RJD's election symbol, the lantern ('lalten').
"When there is so much light... then do we need 'lalten'? Bihar ko 'lalten' (RJD) aur uske saathi nahi chahiye (Bihar does not need the lantern and its allies)," he proclaimed, urging the crowd to switch on the torches on their mobile phones, symbolically bathing the rally in light.
The message was clear: the election is a choice between the "darkness" of the RJD's alleged "jungle raj" and the "light" of the NDA's "good governance."
The voting for the 243-member Bihar Legislative Assembly will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, with the results set to be declared on November 14.
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