'Modi's Chhath drama', 'Thugbandhan': Rahul, Amit Shah trade barbs in Bihar rallies
In his first Bihar rally, Rahul accuses BJP of 'just using Nitish's face'; Amit Shah says Lalu, Sonia want their sons as rulers, but 'there are no vacancies'
With just weeks to go for the Bihar Assembly election, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday (October 29) launched scathing attacks on each other’s parties at their respective rallies.
Speaking in Muzaffarpur, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the BJP is running the Bihar government “through remote control”, merely using Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as a facade. "I agree with Tejashwi Yadav... that the government in Bihar is being run through remote control. They are simply using the face of Nitish Kumar," he said. He also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plan to participate in Chhath Puja.
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Amit Shah, addressing a rally in Darbhanga, branded the Mahagathbandhan, which comprises the Congress, RJD and Left parties, as “thug bandhan” (alliance of crooks). He claimed, “Lalu Prasad wants to make his son Tejashwi the chief minister of Bihar, and Sonia Gandhi wants to make Rahul Gandhi the prime minister, but both posts are not vacant.”
'Anti-social justice'
Rahul accused the BJP of being anti-social justice and favouring a handful of billionaires while neglecting the common citizen. "Two Indias are emerging. One belongs to the common people, and the other to five or 10 billionaires. This is the reason that places like Bihar suffer in poverty, with its vast potential remaining untapped," he said.
"You all must have seen the drama that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wanted to enact by declaring that he was going to take a dip in the Yamuna on the occasion of Chhath Puja. When it came to the fore that it was a water body created through piped water, Modi flinched," he added.
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He reiterated the Congress’s push for a caste census and warned that elections in Bihar could be manipulated, as he alleged had happened in Maharashtra and Haryana. “Theft of votes is an assault on the Constitution of Babasaheb Ambedkar,” he said.
'Corrupt and nepotistic'
Shah countered this by painting the Opposition as corrupt and nepotistic. He highlighted scams involving RJD supremo Lalu Prasad—including the fodder, bitumen, and land-for-jobs scams—and accused the Congress of being involved in corruption cases amounting to ₹12 lakh crore.
He claimed the BJP had embraced youth leadership, unlike its rivals: “We gave tickets to many youngsters. But RJD and Congress? It’s just about promoting their sons”.
The Home Minister also took aim at the Opposition’s stance on national security, questioning whether the Congress-RJD alliance would keep members of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) behind bars if voted to power. “It is the NDA government that banned the organisation... Do you think the PFI members will remain in prison if the RJD-Congress combine comes to power in Bihar?” he asked.
Pride and potential
Rahul, meanwhile, sought to appeal to Bihar’s pride and potential, referencing its ancient history and the contributions of its diaspora. "Your potential is still evident. People from the state are doing well in Dubai, Mauritius, Seychelles and America," he said. He promised an inclusive government if the Mahagathbandhan came to power.
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Shah highlighted the NDA’s development record—citing projects like Darbhanga’s upcoming metro, AIIMS, and airport; free rations to over 8.5 crore people; and the construction of a Sita temple and Ram circuit in Mithila. “We gave official status to Maithili and are building a ₹500-crore centre for manuscript preservation,” he said.
With both sides accusing each other of dynastic ambition, corruption, and betrayal of public trust, the stage is set for a fiercely contested election in Bihar.