The political climate in Bihar has intensified with former Chief Minister Rabri Devi leveling serious allegations against Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary. During the concluding session of the 17th Bihar Assembly, Rabri Devi accused Choudhary of past misconduct, claiming he "used to harass girls". These accusations were made while speaking to reporters outside the House.
Rabri Devi stated that Choudhary, during his younger days, was known for troubling women on Boring Road in Patna. "He used to tease girls and act like a goon. Now he accuses others of hooliganism," she said, questioning the Deputy CM's moral authority. She added, "I have known him since childhood... he used to do hooliganism at Boring Road... He used to harass girls there".
These allegations surfaced amidst heated exchanges between the opposition and ruling party leaders during the assembly's monsoon session. The accusations came after Choudhary made a personal attack on Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi's husband, during a debate in the assembly regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. Choudhary referred to Lalu Prasad Yadav as a criminal. This led to an uproar in the assembly, although Chief Minister Nitish Kumar remained silent.
Rabri Devi didn't limit her criticism to Choudhary alone. She also targeted the Modi-Nitish governments, holding them responsible for scams, voter disenfranchisement, and threats to her son, Tejashwi Yadav. She alleged that the central government has not accounted for the expenditure of Rs 71,000 crore, referencing a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report. "Since Narendra Modi came to power at the Centre and Nitish Kumar in Bihar, scams have become routine," she claimed. She also accused the central government of selling national assets and said that since 2014, Modi has "mortgaged the country".
Furthermore, Rabri Devi raised concerns about the removal of over 60 lakh voters' names from Bihar's electoral roll, calling it an attack on democracy. "More than 4 crore people are out of the list. How will they vote? This is BJP's way of snatching voting rights," she asserted. She also alleged a conspiracy by the ruling JD(U)-BJP combine to "murder" her son, Tejashwi Yadav, ahead of the assembly polls. She claimed that attempts have been made on his life in the past.
In response to the allegations against Samrat Choudhary, BJP leaders have described him as an "energetic mass leader". When questioned about Rabri Devi's accusations, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha dismissed them, accusing the RJD of spreading fear and maintaining a "jungle raaj" mentality. He assured that adequate security is in place for Tejashwi Yadav and urged not to tarnish the state's image. Another JD(U) leader and minister, Ashok Choudhary, expressed that Rabri Devi should be ashamed of using such foul language and prayed that she gets some good sense. Vijay Kumar Sinha also commented that the RJD is identified with "jungle raj" and therefore has "good knowledge of who is a goon and who is not".
Samrat Choudhary, who previously served as the party president of BJP Bihar State unit, has had a long and varied political career. He has been a member of the Bihar Legislative Council and has held ministerial positions in both RJD and BJP governments.
The allegations and counter-allegations have significantly raised the political temperature in Bihar, especially with the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 drawing closer.
