Patna (Bihar) [India], November 10 : A day before the second phase of voting in the Bihar Assembly elections, a political storm erupted after Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Mahagathbandhan Chief Ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav accused the Election Commission of functioning as a "tool" of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and claimed that the Commission had "died."
His remarks triggered sharp condemnation from BJP leaders, who alleged that the opposition habitually attacks democratic institutions when the electoral tide turns against them.
While Yadav outlined his vision for a progressive Bihar, leaders of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), including Union Ministers Amit Shah, Ravi Shankar Prasad, and Rajiv Ranjan Singh, launched scathing counterattacks, accusing the RJD of perpetuating corruption, chaos, and the legacy of "jungle raj."
Addressing a press conference in Patna, Tejashwi Yadav said that the people of Bihar had endured 20 years of stagnation under NDA rule and that the upcoming election would mark the beginning of a new era.
"Bihar will become the most developed state. It saw no success in the last 20 years. Now, after November 14, Bihar will list out its success. There will be food processing units, agro-based industries, facilities for education, medical care, and opportunities to earn money. There will be IT hubs and educational cities. Superspeciality hospitals will be built. We will make sure no Bihari has to go to another state," he said.
Yadav highlighted the scale of his party's election campaign, stating that the RJD had held more than 170 public rallies across almost every district.
"Voting is scheduled for tomorrow. We have held approximately 171 public meetings during the campaign, which I believe is the highest number. There isn't a single district or block we haven't visited. We observed that people want change. People from all sections of society participated enthusiastically and everyone said the same thing: that this government has done nothing in 20 years, whether it's poverty, migration, unemployment, or the proliferation of illegal factories," he said.
The RJD leader hit out at the incumbent NDA government, accusing it of doing "nothing" in the past 20 years. He asserted that people of Bihar now wants all the amenities and facilities right here in Bihar.
"The government has done nothing in 20 years. If it had wanted to, it could have made Bihar the number one state. A large number of people have migrated from Bihar. Now the people of Bihar want to move forward; they want all the amenities and facilities right here in Bihar. In all the 171 meetings we held across Bihar, everyone unanimously said that they want change this time, they want transformation," Yadav said.
"I want to tell you that the people of Bihar are going to create history this time and bring in a government that provides jobs. This time, they are going to bring in a government that prioritizes education and development. This time, Bihar will no longer be just in the headlines, but will move towards success," he added.
Turning his fire toward Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tejashwi accused the Prime Minister of ignoring corruption within the NDA ranks while focusing his attacks on the opposition. He dismissed Modi's criticism of the RJD during his recent poll rallies, remarking that the Prime Minister was resorting to theatrics instead of presenting a developmental roadmap. "PM held so many meetings, he should at least give us a roadmap of how he will take Bihar forward in the next five years. Now he is singing all kinds of songs. Which web series is he watching? The Prime Minister has so much free time," Yadav quipped.
The RJD leader accused PM Modi of double standards, claiming he had overlooked corruption involving NDA leaders such as Samrat Chaudhary, Dilip Jaiswal, and Mangal Pandey.
"Tejashwi distributes jobs here. The Prime Minister did not see the corruption and fraud of Samrat Chaudhary, Dilip Jaiswal, Mangal Pandey. Did the Prime Minister ask these people any questions? No one questions these people. PM shared the stage with notorious criminals from Bihar. Does the Prime Minister consider Hulas Pandey, Manorama Devi, Anand Mohan, Sunil Pandey, Rajvallabh, and Anant Singh to be saints?" Yadav asked.
He further alleged that the Prime Minister had extended "special treatment" to those accused in corruption scandals, claiming, "PM even issued a special pass for Vipin Sharma, the main accused in the Srijan scam, and called him to the airport and patted him on the back. Are Anant Singh, Hulas Pandey, Rajvallabh, Manorama Devi, Anand Mohan, and Sunil Pandey very good people?"
Tejashwi Yadav alleged that those who join the BJP receive automatic immunity from scrutiny, saying, "If you join the BJP, your sins will be washed away. Bathing in the Ganga is not guaranteed to cleanse you, but joining BJP is. Whatever they do, there is a guarantee that their sins will be washed away."
The RJD leader also accused the Election Commission of being "dead" and a "tool" withholding crucial data from the first phase of voting held on November 6.
"Even after four days, the data has not been made public. Earlier, they used to share it on the same day manually. Why is the data being concealed? The voting is on November 11 and the results on the 14th, but you won't know for more than four days how many votes were cast. BJP will carry on with its sins and the Election Commission will keep covering. The Election Commission is dead and has become a tool," he claimed.
Responding sharply, BJP leader and Member of Parliament Ravi Shankar Prasad condemned Tejashwi's remarks, saying that such comments reflect a habitual tendency of opposition parties to undermine democratic institutions. "It is their nature to attack all the crucial organs of democracy. Whether it is Rahul Gandhi or his allied parties, whenever they don't get what they want, they start making frivolous statements about the Election Commission, the courts, the CAG, and the Parliament," Prasad said.
He asserted that the election was a direct contest between "jungle raj and good governance," framing it as a battle for Bihar's future. "This election is between jungle raj and good governance. Tejashwi is taking forward his father's legacy of bad governance, corruption, and fear. Tejashwi Yadav presides over the legacy of his father's jungle raj. Both times when Nitish Kumar departed from the Lalu family, he said that they had no answer for the corruption in Bihar," Prasad added.
Taking a dig at Tejashwi's remark questioning why industries are concentrated in BJP-ruled states, Prasad said the RJD leader should study the facts before making statements. "Tejashwi said today, 'Why are all industries set up only in BJP-ruled states? Why not in Bihar or Tamil Nadu?' I always say that Rahul Gandhi does not do homework. Seems like Tejashwi has fallen prey to the same condition after staying with him. Please do some homework, Tejashwi. You are a Chief Ministerial candidate, even though you will never become one," he said.
Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh also targeted Tejashwi Yadav, asserting that the RJD had failed to make an impact in the first phase of the elections and was "nowhere in the race." "They are nowhere in the first phase of elections held on 121 seats. They will not be visible in Bihar after November 14. He knows that the public won't give him a chance, and that's why he is saying anything," Singh told ANI.
He accused Tejashwi's family of exploiting Bihar's misfortunes for personal gain, saying that under Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi's rule, the state had been mired in darkness and lawlessness. "His father and mother did a lot of work in 15 years of their rule. They transformed roads into potholes. His father used to keep Bihar in darkness. There was no electricity. Nobody wanted to leave their house after 7 pm. They did all this work. The kidnapping business was established, which made their family rich. He (Tejashwi) bought a house of Rs 500 crore in Delhi when he was a minor," Singh alleged.
Following a historic voter turnout in the first phase of polls, voting for 122 assembly constituencies across 20 districts in Bihar will be held during the second phase of the assembly elections on November 11.
These include 11 assembly seats in East Champaran, 10 each in Madhubani and Gaya, nine in West Champaran, eight in Sitamarhi, and seven each in Bhagalpur, Rohtas, Purnia, and Katihar. Six assembly seats will go to the polls in Araria and Aurangabad each.
In the second phase of the 2025 assembly polls, the NDA will face a major challenge in maintaining its dominance, particularly in its northern Bihar strongholds, including East Champaran, West Champaran, Sheohar, and Sitamarhi districts, where the ruling alliance currently holds sway over 30 assembly seats.
The results for the legislative assembly elections will be announced on November 14.