The opposition has countered by accusing the current government of corruption and failing to maintain law and order. (Image: X/ Social Media)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) poll campaign in Bihar with back-to-back rallies, framing the election as a direct choice between "good governance" and the return of "Jungle Raj." In sharp speeches in Samastipur and Begusarai, he likened the Opposition INDIA bloc to a coalition of thugs led by “people out on bail” and predicted a record-breaking victory for the ruling NDA, which he stated was firmly united under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
The Prime Minister's central theme is a stark warning against reverting to the past. He repeatedly invoked the term "Jungle Raj," a phrase used by political opponents to describe the 15-year rule of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) between 1990 and 2005, characterized by allegations of poor law and order. “The candidates fielded by ‘lathbandhan’ clearly indicate their desire to bring back the old days. Listen to their campaigning and you’ll be reminded of Jungle Raj,” he said in Samastipur. He argued that development and the RJD's rule cannot coexist, crediting Nitish Kumar with pulling Bihar out of that "dark age" and establishing the rule of law.
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In a significant outreach, PM Modi directly tasked young voters with securing Bihar's future. “It was in October 2005 that your parents had brought Jungle Raj to an end. Exactly 20 years later, you have a big responsibility on your shoulders, to facilitate prosperity (samriddhi) by voting in favour of good governance (sushasan),” he declared. He also made a pointed effort to quell speculation about leadership changes, emphatically stating that the NDA was fighting the polls “under the leadership of Nitish Kumar.” This served as a strong rebuttal to opposition claims of internal friction and a pledge of stability.
PM Modi leveled a series of serious allegations against the RJD and Congress. He blamed the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre for intentionally stalling Bihar's development between 2005 and 2014. He accused the RJD of destroying Begusarai's industrial corridor and presiding over an era of "extortion, murder, ransom, and kidnapping." Further, he cited controversial campaign songs from the opposition, claiming they threatened people with “Katta (country made pistol), chharra (pellets), dunali (double barrel guns).” He concluded by calling the RJD's first family "the most corrupt in the state" and the Congress first family "the most corrupt in the country."
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The opposition has hit back with equal force. Tejashwi Yadav, the opposition's chief ministerial face, countered the PM's "Jungle Raj" allegations by pointing the finger at the current NDA government. “The Prime Minister had earlier himself recounted 55 scams of the Nitish Kumar government. What action has he taken? ‘Jungle raj’ is where no appropriate action is taken against scams, and where criminals roam free,” he stated. This sets the stage for a fiercely contested election where both sides will battle to define the narrative of governance and corruption.
