NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday claimed that a rift was brewing between the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), saying the alliance partners would “tear each other’s hair out” after the Bihar Assembly elections. Speaking at an election rally in Araria, PM Modi also accused the opposition parties of protecting infiltrators and misleading the public for political gain.
“A very major challenge stands before these efforts of ours. That challenge is of the infiltrators. The NDA government is engaged with complete honesty in identifying each and every infiltrator and deporting them from the country. But these RJD and Congress people are busy protecting the infiltrators. They spread all sorts of lies to save these infiltrators, and take out political tours to mislead the people,” PM Modi said.
He said the Congress-RJD alliance was bound to implode under the weight of internal differences. “The Congress and RJD will soon be fighting each other; they will tear each other’s hair out. Such is their partnership — made for convenience, not conviction,” he remarked, drawing sharp reactions from opposition supporters present at the venue.
Highlighting the NDA government’s development record, PM Modi credited chief minister Nitish Kumar for transforming Bihar’s progress trajectory. “In the NDA government, Nitish ji has worked tirelessly to pull Bihar out of jungle raj. After the double-engine government was formed in 2014, Bihar's development has gained new momentum. IIT has opened in Patna, IIM has opened in Bodh Gaya, AIIMS has opened in Patna, the work on AIIMS Darbhanga is progressing rapidly, now Bihar also has a National Law University, IIIT is also there in Bhagalpur, and 4 central universities have also been established in Bihar,” he said.
Reiterating his “jungleraj” jibe, PM Modi said the RJD’s 15-year rule from 1990 to 2005 had brought “zero” progress to the state. “The report card of development that took place in Bihar during the Jungle Raj era is zero. From 1990 to 2005, for 15 years, this Jungle Raj destroyed Bihar. In the name of running the government back then, you were simply looted. That is why I say, remember the figure zero. The number of expressways, flyovers built in the 15 years of Jungle Raj in Bihar is zero,” he said.
He added that those in power during that time considered themselves rulers, while the people were subservient. “Those who presided over the Jungle Raj used to call themselves your mai-baap and thought of themselves as emperors. But Modi is different — for me, the people are my mai-baap, my guiding force. You are my masters, you hold the remote control,” he said.
Praising the strong voter turnout in the first phase of polling, the Prime Minister commended the enthusiasm of citizens. “Today marks the first phase of voting to make Bihar a developed state. Beautiful pictures are pouring in from across Bihar on social media. From early morning, long queues have formed at polling booths. Mothers, sisters, and daughters are casting their votes in large numbers. The youth of Bihar, too, are showing unprecedented enthusiasm. I congratulate all voters and appeal to everyone to come out and exercise their franchise,” PM Modi said.
Reflecting on Bihar’s political evolution, PM Modi urged people to safeguard the state’s progress. “Today, I am telling you about the power of your vote. Your grandparents, maternal grandparents' one vote had made Bihar the land of social justice. But then, the 90s decade came, and RJD's jungle raj attacked Bihar. Jungle Raj means pistol, cruelty, corruption and misgovernance. These became the identity of jungle raj, and this became Bihar's misfortune. Your parents' dreams were crushed,” he said.
Expressing confidence in the NDA’s victory, PM Modi said the state was echoing one slogan: “Phir ek baar NDA sarkaar, phir ek baar sushasan ki sarkaar.” “Behind this sentiment lie the hopes of mothers and sisters and the dreams of the youth. Remember this Modi's guarantee is that your dream is Modi's resolve,” he said.
According to Election Commission data, Bihar recorded a voter turnout of 27.65% in the first four hours of polling. Begusarai reported the highest turnout at 30.37%, while Patna saw 23.71% till 11 am. Other districts, including Lakhisarai (30.32%), Gopalganj (30.04%), and Saharsa (29.68%), also reported strong participation.
After addressing the rally in Araria, PM Modi was scheduled to hold another public meeting in Bhagalpur later in the day.
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