Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that people of Bihar would never forget the “Jungle Raj” that once prevailed in the state, asserting that no attempt by the Opposition could conceal its past misdeeds. His remarks came hours after the Opposition alliance, INDIA bloc, declared Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial face for the upcoming Assembly polls.
The Prime Minister was addressing BJP workers from Bihar through the Mera Booth Sabse Majboot programme, where he urged party members to remind the youth about the state’s past era of misrule.
‘People of Bihar Will Not Allow Jungle Raj to Return’: PM Modi
Addressing BJP workers, PM Modi said, “Amidst the festive fervour, preparations for the worship of Chhathi Maiya are also in full swing. Alongside all this, Bihar is also celebrating the grand festival of democracy. This is an election to write a new chapter of Bihar’s prosperity. The youth of Bihar have a very significant role in this.”
Urging BJP workers to engage the elderly in spreading awareness among younger voters, he added, “I would ask all the youth at every booth to gather together and invite elderly people from their localities to share their old experiences — those disturbing memories — so that the new generation can learn about the past.”
Calling every vote a “powerful instrument”, Modi said, “All this power is the power of one vote. That vote has created such a situation that today the Ram Mandir has been built. Operation Sindoor has also been carried out, and the country is moving forward rapidly towards freedom from Naxalism. So this is the power of the vote… after removing Jungle Raj, today, the people of Bihar under no circumstances want to allow Jungle Raj to come back, so this is the power of the conscious citizens of Bihar.”
“People will not forget for another 100 years ‘Jungle Raj’ in Bihar, no matter how much the Opposition tries to hide their misdeeds,” he remarked.
The Prime Minister also said, “When there’s stability, development accelerates. This is the strength of Bihar’s NDA government, and that’s why every young person in Bihar is enthusiastically saying, ‘Raftaar pakad chuka Bihar, Phir se NDA Sarkar.’”
Lalu Yadav Declared Tejashwi As CM Face Through Hooliganism, Torturing Congress: Samrat Choudhary
Reacting sharply to Tejashwi Yadav’s announcement as the Opposition’s chief ministerial face, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary alleged that RJD chief Lalu Prasad had “tortured” the Congress and other INDIA bloc allies by fielding candidates against them.
“It is a black day for democracy, as the son of a registered criminal has been announced as the CM candidate,” Choudhary said during a press conference, as quoted by news agency ANI. The BJP leader further accused the RJD of overseeing “15 years of misrule in Bihar characterised by loot, fear and corruption.”
He added, “Lalu Yadav declared the CM face of Mahagathbandhan through hooliganism torturing Congress and other parties, just the way they spread Jungle Raj in Bihar… Now, his son, a registered criminal, is envisioning himself as the CM, and this is a shameful day for democracy.”
The Bihar Assembly elections will take place in two phases on November 6 and November 11, with vote counting scheduled for November 14.
Congress Emphasises Unity in INDIA Bloc
Following Tejashwi Yadav’s announcement, the Congress underscored that the INDIA bloc was not driven by a single individual but was a “people’s alliance” rooted in inclusivity and collective decision-making, PTI reported.
At a joint press conference in Patna, senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said that the decision had the approval of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi. Gehlot also announced that Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP) chief Mukesh Sahni and other leaders from various communities would serve as deputy chief ministers if the bloc comes to power, reflecting the “complex social structure of Bihar.”
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, who was also present at the event, said on X, “Those hoping to stoke divisions within the INDIA bloc must be disappointed. Tejashwi Yadav has been unanimously declared the CM face for Bihar. Mukesh Sahni will serve as one of the Deputy CM candidates, alongside others representing communities that have long been denied a share in institutional power under the NDA regime. INDIA is not a one-man show. It is a people’s alliance — built on mutual respect, inclusive representation, and the principle of shared power.”
Khera further added that the Opposition had “taken the lead by announcing our face”, urging the NDA to “stop equivocating” and declare its own chief ministerial candidate.