Bhagalpur, Bihar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched a fierce attack on the Opposition Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, alleging that the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) forcibly snatched the chief ministerial candidacy from Congress by putting a “katta” (country-made gun) to the party’s head. Addressing a rally in Bhagalpur during the first phase of Bihar Assembly elections, Modi accused Congress of claiming dominance within the alliance while portraying RJD as a minor partner, only for the RJD to assert control through intimidation.

Modi highlighted what he described as the RJD’s attempt to avenge its perceived marginalisation. “For the past few months, Congress leaders have been claiming that their party is the big one and RJD is just a small tag-along. But the RJD have challenged this arrogance of Congress, challenged the arrogance of their ‘Namdaar’ (an apparent reference to Rahul Gandhi) and by putting a ‘katta’ to Congress’s head, they’ve snatched away the candidacy for the CM position,” he said, according to ANI reports.

The Prime Minister accused Congress of seeking revenge against RJD for this perceived betrayal, adding that those who betray their own allies for political gain can never act in the best interests of Bihar. “Now, Congress folks are gearing up to take revenge on RJD. The Congress ‘Namdaar’ have been missing for quite some time. People say that he didn’t even want to come to Bihar; he was forcibly brought here. But now, they are instead causing harm to RJD itself. Those who can betray their own comrades for the sake of power’s interests can never be well-wishers of Bihar,” Modi stated.

Continuing his criticism of RJD, Modi linked the party’s rule in Bihar to what he termed a 15-year-long period of “jungle raj,” marked by crime, cruelty, corruption, and misgovernance. Using a series of pointed slogans, he said, “In the curriculum of RJD, a stands for ‘apharan’ (kidnapping), f for ‘firauti’ (ransom) and p for ‘parivarvaad’ (dynasty rule).” He also described the period as defined by ‘katta’ (country-made guns), ‘kroorta’ (cruelty), ‘katuta’ (bitterness), ‘kushasan’ (misgovernance), and corruption, framing it as a cautionary tale for Bihar’s electorate.

Modi also emphasised the enthusiastic participation of women voters in the ongoing elections. “Seeing the enthusiasm of voters for the first phase of voting paints a spectacular picture. Our mothers and sisters are voting with great enthusiasm. The daughters of Bihar are standing like a wall today to keep Bihar away from jungle raj, and they have formed a line at the voting booth like a fortress,” he said. He added that women’s safety had been ensured under the BJP-led administration, contrasting it with the previous Congress-RJD rule, which, he claimed, had ignored schemes like Jeevika Didi aimed at empowering women.

Polling for the first phase of Bihar assembly elections began on Thursday across several constituencies, with the second phase scheduled for November 11. Counting of votes and results are expected on November 14.

The Opposition INDIA bloc, led by RJD and Congress, has declared Tejashwi Prasad Yadav as its chief ministerial candidate, while the Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahani has been named as the deputy chief ministerial face for the elections. Modi’s speech in Bhagalpur appeared aimed at consolidating support for the NDA by portraying the Opposition alliance as internally fractured and historically misgoverning the state.

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