As the dust settles on the first phase of Bihar’s fiercely contested 2025 Assembly elections, political temperatures across the state have soared. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a high-octane rally in Sitamarhi on Saturday, November 8, launched a scathing attack on the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), accusing them of fostering a culture of violence and misgovernance. The Prime Minister’s remarks, amplified by a viral video and a backdrop of record voter turnout, have become the flashpoint of a campaign that pits the incumbent National Democratic Alliance (NDA) against a resurgent opposition.
According to News Arena India, Modi’s address was laced with sharp criticisms of the RJD, referencing a viral video in which a young boy, Keshav Kumar, brandished a flag adorned with Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav’s faces and declared his ambition to become a ‘rangdaar’—a street bully. The child, echoing the language of violence, said, “I want to be a street bully when I grow up. Will steal, kill.” This, Modi argued, epitomized the kind of future the RJD was encouraging for Bihar’s youth. The boy also took a swipe at the BJP government, accusing it of spreading ‘jungle raj’ in Bihar, a term loaded with memories of lawlessness from previous decades.
The Prime Minister didn’t mince words: “Bihar definitely does not want a government which has ‘katta’ (country-made firearm), ‘kushasan’ (misgovernance), ‘kroorta’ (cruelty) and corruption to offer.” He warned that a return to RJD rule would mean “putting ‘katta’ to their heads and ordering them to hold their hands up.” Instead, Modi insisted, “People do not want hands up, but start up, which the NDA will facilitate. The NDA shuns ‘katta’ and promotes school bags, computers, cricket bats and hockey sticks.”
Modi’s confidence was buoyed by the Election Commission’s announcement of a historic 64.66% voter turnout in the first phase—the highest in Bihar in 75 years. “You have given a 65-volt shock to the opposition. They are getting sleepless nights,” he exclaimed, suggesting the high turnout signaled overwhelming support for the NDA. The Prime Minister’s refrain, “We do not want a ‘katta sarkar’, we want an NDA sarkar again,” echoed across his campaign stops, as reported by News Arena India.
Development, heritage, and security formed the backbone of Modi’s pitch. He highlighted the NDA’s achievements in infrastructure, such as new roads, improved rail and air connectivity, and the reopening of the Riga Sugar Mill. Praising Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s leadership, Modi said, “The NDA government under Nitish Kumar’s leadership has restored Bihar’s lost trust. Investors are now eager to come to Bihar.” He contrasted this with the opposition’s record, accusing the RJD and Congress of closing factories and stifling industrial growth. “These RJD and Congress people don’t even know the ABCs of industry. They only know how to lock down industries,” he charged.
The Prime Minister also played the cultural card, referring to himself as a “brand ambassador” of Mithila’s heritage and mentioning the gifting of Madhubani paintings to foreign dignitaries. He didn’t miss the chance to mock Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent foray into a muddy pond in support of fishermen, quipping, “I hear some people are practising how to sink.”
But the opposition wasn’t silent. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, addressing a rally in Katihar, accused Modi of undermining the dignity of his office by using terms like ‘katta’. “On the one hand, the PM was hailing ‘Vande Mataram’, which stood for non-violence, and on the other, he was talking about ‘katta’ (country-made pistol),” she said, as reported by ANI. Priyanka Gandhi also alleged that the NDA was bribing women voters with cash and had failed to provide jobs to the youth, warning voters against succumbing to such tactics.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, too, weighed in, blaming Modi for delays in opposition rallies and criticizing the government’s record on development. “Over the past 20 years, there was hope that the people of the state would benefit from having a double-engine government, but the figures show that there has been no development in any sector. Whether it’s education, health, or industrial development, it has been zero; migration is increasing every day,” argued Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan.
The Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance), led by the RJD and Congress, is projecting optimism. Congress leader Akhilesh Prasad Singh predicted that the alliance would win more than 75 of the 121 seats contested in the first phase. “There is a wave of change in Bihar going on,” Singh told ANI. Meanwhile, the BJP’s Bihar state president, Dilip Jaiswal, voiced confidence in an NDA victory: “PM Modi’s development efforts are visible on the ground; people want the NDA government again in Bihar. We are confident of securing victory with a clear majority.”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah added fuel to the fire by accusing the Congress and RJD of sheltering infiltrators, vowing to remove them within five years. “Should infiltrators be allowed to stay in India? Should they not be driven back to the lands where they have come from? Who can ensure this? Not Modi, but the power of your one vote,” he told voters in Purnia, Katihar, and Supaul. Shah also promised to rid Bihar of illegal enterprises and boost the sugar industry, pledging 25 new sugar mills if the NDA returned to power.
The campaign rhetoric has been heated, with BJP leaders like Ravi Kishan and Manoj Tiwari lambasting the opposition for past ‘jungle raj’ and expressing confidence in an NDA landslide. “The opposition deserves such a resounding rebuke that their deposits are forfeited, for they have tarnished Bihar’s image and used the word ‘Bihari’ as an insult,” said Kishan. Tiwari recounted stories from constituents about the fear and lawlessness of the 1990s, warning, “Bihar does not want that ‘jungle raj’ again.”
Yet, the election has not been free of controversy. In Samastipur, VVPAT slips were found near a dispatch center, prompting an FIR and a departmental inquiry. District Magistrate Roshan Kushwaha assured the public that the slips were mock poll material and that poll integrity remained intact.
As the state braces for the second and final phase of voting on November 11, leaders from both sides are urging record turnout. The NDA, riding high on a historic first phase, is promising development, security, and a new Bihar. The opposition, meanwhile, is banking on a “wave of change” and is confident that voters are ready to turn the page on the NDA’s rule.
With both alliances interpreting the surge in voter enthusiasm to their advantage, the outcome of Bihar’s 2025 elections remains anyone’s guess. But one thing is certain: the people of Bihar are making their voices heard, and the nation is watching closely.
