Tejashwi Yadav kickstarted the 'battle for Bihar' Monday by firing 15 questions at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose Bharatiya Janata Party is allied with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's ruling Janata Dal (United). The questions came ahead of Prime Minister Modi's visit to the state - which will hold an Assembly election this year - to release the 19th tranche of direct cash transfers for farmers.
The RJD leader called out the Prime Minister over Bihar's many problems, including low literacy and per capita investment, unemployment, and lack of infrastructure and industrial growth, as well as the oft-demanded 'special status' tag, which unlocks more funds from the centre.
"The people of Bihar gave these people a chance to run the 'double-engine' government... Narendra Modi has been the Prime Minister for 11 years at the centre, and Nitish Kumar has been Chief Minister of Bihar for 20 years. And now the people want to ask some valid questions and (do not want) lies and rhetoric," Mr Yadav said in a statement issued this morning.
"Bihar is at the bottom. Bihar ranks lowest in per capita income and investment. Bihar ranks lowest in farmer income, and Bihar is number one in unemployment, migration, and poverty."
Yadav vs PM On Jobs, Industries
In a ferocious attack, Mr Yadav claimed the PM only visited Bihar before elections, and said, "... when he comes, he speaks in slogans and tricks the people of Bihar", referring to what he said were unfulfilled promises about reviving sugar mills and industries across the state
"The Prime Minister promised to start Motihari's sugar mill in 2017 and drink tea with its sugar... will he tell us when he will drink this tea? When will he start the jute mill in Katihar?"
प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेन्द्र मोदी जी आज बिहार में है। प्रदेश में 𝟐𝟎 वर्षों से उनकी 𝐍𝐃𝐀 सरकार और केंद्र में 𝟏𝟏 वर्षों से है। बिहारवासी उनसे झूठ और जुमला नहीं बल्कि कुछ वाज़िब सवाल पूछना चाहते है।
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) February 24, 2025
𝟏. प्रधानमंत्री जी कहते थे कि 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 तक किसानों की आय दुगुनी करेंगे लेकिन… pic.twitter.com/voadCss4oq
"Why was Bihar not given a textile park under the PM Textile Park Yojana?"
"When will he give jobs in the Railways and Army to unemployed people?" he asked, "Why is Bihar top in poverty and unemployment even after 20 years of PM Modi's rule in the state?"
"What happened to special packages (of centre aid) for Bihar?"
On Farmers' Problems
On Bihar farmers' struggles, Tejashwi Yadav was scathing.
"What happened? Do you understand issues faced by Bihar's farmers? They are dying... and nothing has been done for them. They promised to double farmers' incomes by 2022... but forget doubling, farmers are now being crushed by inflation," the RJD leader said.
"Bihar's farmers face different problems from other states. There are more agricultural labourers and sharecroppers in Bihar. What has the 'double-engine' government done for them?"
"Why is the income of farmers in Bihar the lowest in the country?"
प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेन्द्र मोदी जी आज बिहार में है। प्रदेश में 𝟐𝟎 वर्षों से उनकी 𝐍𝐃𝐀 सरकार और केंद्र में 𝟏𝟏 वर्षों से है। बिहारवासी उनसे झूठ और जुमला नहीं बल्कि कुछ वाज़िब सवाल पूछना चाहते है।
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) February 24, 2025
𝟏. प्रधानमंत्री जी कहते थे कि 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 तक किसानों की आय दुगुनी करेंगे लेकिन… pic.twitter.com/voadCss4oq
The attacks over farmers' concerns are critical given over two-third of the state is engaged in agriculture or related activities, which is considerably higher than the national average.
Mr Modi, ahead of his visit to Bihar today, had declared the country proud of 'annadatas', or farmers, and praised his government for six years of the direct cash transfer scheme for them.
On this visit the Prime Minister is expected to release Rs 22,000 crore for farmers.
"In the last 10 years, due to our efforts, the agriculture sector in the country has developed and the financial help for millions of small farmers has increased their access to the market," he said on X, adding, "Costs have reduced and their income has increased," in another post.
On Caste Census, Migration
Tejashwi Yadav's attack also included jabs over migration and the caste census, another contentious topic and a regular source of friction between the BJP and the opposition.
On the latter, he demanded to know why the BJP's government had not yet implemented the previous state government's order for 65 per cent reservation for backward classes, other backward classes, and scheduled castes and tribes in state jobs and educational institutions.
That order was passed in 2023 - when Nitish Kumar was still with the INDIA opposition bloc and the RJD was its ally. It followed a controversial caste survey in Bihar that confirmed that over 80 per cent of the state's population was from BCs, OBCs, SCs, or STs.
However, execution was put on hold by the Supreme Court in September last year. The court issued notice to the state and centre over a High Court order striking down the reservation.
READ | Bihar Caste Survey: 27% Backward Classes, 36% Extremely Backward Classes
"The Prime Minister should tell us why he is not including 65 per cent reservation passed by Bihar's 'mahgathbandan' government... he should tell us why is not conducting a caste census in the country... he should tell us what he has done to stop migration from Bihar," Mr Yadav said.
Bihar 2025 Election
The Bihar election date hasn't been announced yet, but it will likely be in October-November and its conduct will be overseen by new Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar.
In the 2020 election, Mr Yadav's RJD emerged as the single-largest party with 75 of the state's 234 seats. The BJP won 74, Nitish Kumar's JDU got 43, and the Congress just 19.
With input from agencies
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