Final Day of Phase 1 Campaign in Bihar Sees Fierce Political Crossfire; Leaders Heat Up the Poll Battlefield
Patna: The political battleground in Bihar has reached a fever pitch as the campaign for the first phase of elections concluded with high-voltage rallies and fiery speeches. On the final day of campaigning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, MP Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma unleashed sharp attacks on the Opposition, branding the Mahagathbandhan as a “symbol of jungle raj’s return.”
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi hit back, calling Nitish Kumar a “remote-controlled Chief Minister” under BJP’s command.
At a rally in Darbhanga, Amit Shah thundered, “If there’s even the slightest mistake on November 6, Bihar will once again be identified with murder, loot, kidnapping, and extortion.” Appealing to voters, he urged them to “press the lotus button to stop the return of Lalu-Rabri’s jungle raj.” Shah also announced an investment package of ₹26,000 crore for the development of Mithilanchal, promising that “from flood control to irrigation through Kosi’s waters, Bihar will now become self-reliant.”
In Samastipur, Yogi Adityanath launched a direct attack on the Opposition, declaring, “Now the bulldozer will roll over mafias in Bihar too, and their properties will be distributed among the poor — that’s true justice.” He said the NDA government had “successfully balanced development with cultural heritage,” and emphasized the need to restore Bihar’s ancient reputation as the “land of knowledge.”
Addressing a rally in Vaishali, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised Nitish Kumar’s clean image, saying, “Not a single corruption charge has been proven against him. His honesty has become the hallmark of Bihar’s good governance.” Singh compared allocations under different regimes, noting that “during the UPA era, Bihar received just ₹2 lakh crore, while under the Modi government, ₹15 lakh crore has been allocated in the last decade.”
On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi, campaigning in Aurangabad, described Nitish Kumar as a “hostage” of the BJP, asserting, “Nitish ji will never form a government in Bihar again. Modi and Shah change the channel from Delhi, and Nitish follows their commands.” He accused the BJP of “planning to steal votes” and said, “To distract the youth from unemployment, Modi talks about reels and drugs.”
As Bihar heads into the crucial first phase of polling on November 6, the state stands at a decisive crossroads. On one side is the NDA’s mantra of “development, good governance, and faith,” and on the other is the Mahagathbandhan’s charge of “vote theft and remote control politics.”
The real test now lies in the hands of the voters — which button will Bihar press this time: the Lotus, or a return to the Grand Alliance?
