After weeks of absence, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has returned to Bihar's political landscape, launching a fierce broadside against Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the state gears up for the Assembly elections. Addressing rallies in Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga, Gandhi accused Modi of being solely driven by the pursuit of votes, alleging that the Prime Minister would go to any extent, even dancing on stage, to secure electoral gains.
Gandhi's return comes as the political temperature in Bihar rises, with the first phase of voting scheduled for November 6. The state is witnessing a direct contest between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Mahagathbandhan, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
The Congress leader didn't hold back in his criticism of PM Modi's economic policies, claiming they harmed small businesses through demonetization and GST. He further accused the BJP of controlling Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, asserting that the party opposes social justice and a caste census. "Nitish ji's face is being used. The remote control is in the hands of the BJP," Gandhi alleged.
Gandhi also took a swipe at PM Modi's recent statement on Chhath Puja observance on the banks of the Yamuna, calling it a "drama". "Modiji says 'Look I am bathing in the Yamuna'. But in reality, there was no Yamuna there. There's a pond. Modi took a dip in his swimming pool, the pond. He couldn't care less about the Yamuna or Chhath Puja. He only wants your votes," Gandhi said.
The BJP has retaliated strongly to Gandhi's remarks, with party spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari branding him a "local goon" and accusing him of "mocking voters" and "insulting" the poor. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also criticized Gandhi, stating that his remarks reflected his "hatred towards Sanatan culture" and exposed the Congress's "deep-seated resentment" against PM Modi.
During his rallies, Gandhi emphasized the need to support small and medium-scale industries in Bihar and expressed his desire to see "Made in Bihar" labels on products instead of "Made in China". He also reiterated his charge of "vote chori," accusing the BJP of subverting democracy and attempting to steal votes in Bihar, as he claimed they did in Maharashtra and Haryana.
The Congress is contesting the Bihar elections as part of the Mahagathbandhan, a coalition of the INDIA bloc. While there has been no official announcement of a seat-sharing arrangement, the RJD is contesting 143 of the 243 seats in Bihar, while the Congress is contesting 61 seats.
As the election campaign intensifies, top leaders from both the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan are holding rallies across the state. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing rallies in Darbhanga, Samastipur, and Begusarai, attacked the INDIA bloc, alleging that RJD supremo Lalu Prasad wants to make his son Tejashwi the Chief Minister of Bihar and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi her son Rahul the PM. He asserted that "both posts were not vacant".
The Bihar Assembly elections will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, with the results to be declared on November 14. The electoral battle is expected to be a close contest between the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan, with both alliances vying for the support of Bihar's 7.42 crore voters.
