Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Opposition’s chief ministerial face Tejashwi Yadav on Friday launched a scathing attack on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, asserting that the Janata Dal (United) leader had been “hijacked” by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and would not be reinstated as chief minister even if the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) returned to power in the upcoming assembly elections. Addressing a massive rally in Saharsa district, Yadav accused the ruling alliance of reducing Bihar to one of the poorest states in the country despite being in power for two decades. He vowed to provide a “clean, transparent, and pro-people government” if his alliance was elected, promising development, jobs, and social justice for the people of Bihar.
Tejashwi launches sharp attack on Nitish Kumar and the BJP
Speaking at the Saharsa rally, Tejashwi Yadav took direct aim at Nitish Kumar and his alliance with the BJP, calling it a betrayal of Bihar’s political mandate. “Amit Shah has already said that elected legislators will choose the next chief minister after the elections. This means Nitish Kumar will not be made CM even if the NDA comes back to power. Our ‘chacha’ (uncle) Nitish is no longer in control. He has been completely hijacked by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, who are running Bihar’s politics from Delhi,” Yadav said amid loud cheers from supporters.
He accused the BJP leadership of treating Bihar as a pawn in their national political strategy and urged voters to “choose a Bihari, not a bahri (outsider)” in the upcoming elections. His remark was seen as a direct appeal to regional identity and self-respect, a recurring theme in RJD’s campaign narrative.
The Opposition Grand Alliance, known as the INDIA bloc in Bihar, on Thursday had declared Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial candidate and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) leader Mukesh Sahani as the deputy chief ministerial face. The announcement came after several rounds of seat-sharing discussions and internal negotiations among alliance partners.
In his speech, Yadav accused the Nitish Kumar-led NDA of failing Bihar despite 20 years in power. “It pains me to see the current state of Bihar. After two decades of NDA rule, our state still tops the list of poverty, unemployment, and migration. The per capita income of Bihar remains the lowest in India. Farmers are struggling, industries are stagnant, and corruption has become a way of governance,” he said.
He further alleged that Bihar’s administrative machinery has collapsed under the weight of nepotism, inefficiency, and fear. “Today, there is a sense of impunity among criminals because the system has failed to hold anyone accountable. Corruption is rampant at every level, and the common man feels unheard,” he added.
Tejashwi Yadav claimed that the NDA government had failed to deliver on even basic governance promises, including roads, education, and healthcare. He said the ruling coalition’s only success was in “spreading propaganda” and “misleading voters with false promises.” In contrast, Yadav promised a government that would listen to the people and deliver results within a clear timeline. “What they couldn’t do in 20 years, I will achieve in 20 months,” he declared.
RJD promises ‘clean governance’ and pro-people reforms
Tejashwi Yadav’s campaign speech went beyond criticism of the ruling alliance, laying out a vision for what he described as a “new Bihar.” He promised that under his leadership, the state would witness administrative reform, youth empowerment, and social justice at the core of policy-making. “Our government will be clean, transparent, and accountable to the people. We will focus on job creation, better healthcare, and education for all,” he said.
If voted to power, Yadav announced that the INDIA bloc would bring down the price of LPG cylinders from around ₹1,000 to ₹500, increase old-age pensions from ₹1,100 to ₹1,500, and regularise the services of contractual workers, teachers, and community mobilisers. He also pledged that his government would ensure at least one government job in every household in Bihar. “We will make employment a fundamental right for every Bihari family. My aim is to make Bihar the employment capital of India,” he said, promising to “set a world record in providing jobs” once elected.
The former deputy chief minister also criticised the NDA’s handling of agriculture, claiming that farmers in Bihar continue to suffer due to poor infrastructure and lack of support. He said that while the state boasts of fertile land and hardworking people, successive governments had failed to harness this potential. “Despite 11 years of NDA rule at the Centre and 20 years in the state, Bihar’s farmers are among the poorest in the country. They don’t get fair prices for their produce and lack access to irrigation, cold storage, and modern agricultural tools,” he said.
Addressing another rally in Muzaffarpur, Yadav invoked local pride, saying, “Muzaffarpur is known across the world for its delicious litchis, yet the NDA government has done nothing to promote it as a global agricultural brand. They have neglected the very resources that could have transformed our state’s economy.”
Tejashwi Yadav also attacked the BJP for using central investigative agencies as political tools against Opposition leaders. “They are using the CBI and ED to silence dissent. But let me make one thing clear—Lalu Yadav was never afraid of Modi, and his son will never be afraid either,” he declared, drawing loud applause from the crowd.
His remarks came days after a Delhi court framed corruption and conspiracy charges against RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, former chief minister Rabri Devi, and Tejashwi himself in the IRCTC hotel scam case. The court described Lalu Prasad as the “fountainhead of a criminal conspiracy” that manipulated a railway tender in exchange for land and favours. In response, Tejashwi maintained that the charges were politically motivated and intended to derail his campaign.
Yadav emphasised that his politics would focus on the welfare of the poor, marginalised, and youth rather than vendetta or divisive narratives. “We want to create a Bihar that is free from fear, corruption, and discrimination. Every youth who dreams of a better future deserves a government that stands with him, not against him,” he said.
He also promised reforms in the healthcare sector, stating that his government would ensure affordable and accessible medical treatment for all. “In today’s Bihar, even the cost of basic medicines has become a burden for the poor. We will establish government-run medical stores that provide essential drugs at minimal prices,” he said.
Yadav’s speeches in Saharsa and Muzaffarpur marked a significant escalation in the Opposition’s campaign against the ruling alliance. His rhetoric combined emotional appeals with policy promises, aiming to energise the youth and consolidate anti-NDA sentiment across the state. The RJD leader’s repeated emphasis on “Bihari pride” appeared to resonate with the crowd, as chants of “Bihar ka beta, Tejashwi neta” echoed through the rally grounds.
As the political battle in Bihar intensifies ahead of the 2025 assembly elections, Tejashwi Yadav has positioned himself as the principal challenger to both Nitish Kumar and the BJP. With his focus on employment, social justice, and governance transparency, he is attempting to channel growing public frustration into a cohesive political movement. His strategy, blending populist appeal with promises of reform, seeks to portray him as a youthful alternative capable of leading Bihar into a new era of progress and accountability.
