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    COVER STORY                                                         OCTOBER 31, 2025       |  The Indian Eye                    4

                                                    BATTLE FOR BIHAR

                                   CAMPAIGN

                                        HEATS UP

               As Bihar heads to the polls in November, PM Modi’s calls for “good governance” meet

                 resistance from RJD and the insurgent campaign of Jan Suraaj — turning the 2025
                 Assembly elections into a referendum on Bihar’s past, present, and political future

            OUR BUREAU

            Patna / New Delhi
                 rime Minister Narendra Modi’s
                 arrival in Samastipur on Friday
            Psignaled more than the start of
            the NDA’s campaign — it was the re-
            assertion of a political narrative built
            on “susaasan,” or good governance. In
            rally after rally, Modi’s speeches have
            sought  to  revive  a  familiar  contrast:
            between the lawlessness of “jungle
            raj” under the Rashtriya Janata Dal
            (RJD) and the developmental stability
            promised by the BJP-JD(U) alliance.
                Standing  before  large  crowds  in
            Samastipur and Begusarai, Modi in-
            voked the memory of socialist leader
            Karpoori Thakur, blending social jus-
            tice with a message of prosperity. “We
            transformed ‘jungle raj’ into good gov-
            ernance. Now the time has come to
            turn good governance into prosperi-  Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar along with NDA Leaders Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) Chief Chirag Paswan,
            ty,” he told supporters. The symbolism   Rashtriya Lok Morcha Chief Upendra Kushwaha and others join hands, during Bihar assembly elections rally, in Samastipur on Friday (ANI Photo)
            was powerful: aligning the NDA’s vi-
            sion with Bihar’s long-cherished ideals   claimed, was synonymous with chaos,   Where the prime minister speaks of   har,” he said, accusing the BJP of
            of social upliftment, while claiming the   extortion, and fear. “Law and order   order and progress, Yadav paints a   neglecting Bihar’s industrial and em-
            moral legacy of backward-class leaders   cannot exist where RJD is in pow-  picture of exhaustion and betrayal.   ployment needs.
            once championed by the opposition.  er,” he declared, adding that Bihar’s   “For 20 years, the people of Bihar   The RJD’s central argument is
                Modi’s campaign also sought to   “mothers and sisters, Dalits, and back-  have been exploited,” he said in Sa-  that the so-called “double-engine”
            highlight tangible achievements —   ward classes” suffered most during that   harsa, as enthusiastic crowds chanted   government — BJP at the Centre and
            improved  roads,  electrification,  new   era. His call for the electorate to keep   his name. “We will do in 20 months   JD(U) in the state — has failed to
            rail lines, internet expansion, and the   “jungle raj walon ko door” (keep the   what this government couldn’t do in   translate governance into opportuni-
            six-lane highway linking Samastipur   jungle-raj forces away) was as much   20 years.”                ty. Tejashwi and his sister, Misa Bhar-
            to Purnia. “The NDA government    about reviving fear as it was about   Tejashwi, now the face of the Ma-  ti, have questioned why Bihar still lags
            doesn’t  see  roads  or  electricity as   consolidating loyalty among women,   hagathbandhan, is banking on a narra-  behind in industrialization, education,
            mere facilities,” he said. “They are   youth, and marginalized voters —   tive of generational change. His pitch   and employment despite two decades
            instruments of empowerment.” By   the NDA’s expanding support base.  mixes  youthful  defiance  with  class   of NDA rule. Bharti’s sharp rebuke —
            pointing out that Bihar has received                                resentment  —  a  deliberate  attempt   “Has a single factory been set up in
            three times more funds under his gov-  TEJASHWI’S PROMISE OF        to draw a line between the “Baharis”   20 years?” — encapsulates the RJD’s
            ernment  than under  previous Con-            CHANGE                (outsiders) from Gujarat, a pointed   messaging: that Bihar’s development
            gress regimes, Modi aimed to project                                jab at Modi and Amit Shah, and “Bi-  story under Nitish Kumar and Modi is
            continuity and control.                 cross Bihar’s plains, Tejashwi   haris,” the people who must reclaim   more promise than performance.
                But at the heart of his appeal      Yadav’s rallies present a mir-  their state’s destiny. “PM Modi wants   Tejashwi’s campaign also has an
            lay a political warning. The RJD, he  Aror image of Modi’s campaign.   factories in Gujarat but votes in Bi-  Continued on next page... >>

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