AMIT SHAH’S FIERY ELECTION TRUMPET IN BIHAR: EXPOSING RJD-CONGRESS FROM LALU-RABRI NEPOTISM TO RAHUL’S ‘INFILTRATORLOVE’

AMIT SHAH’S FIERY ELECTION TRUMPET IN BIHAR: EXPOSING RJD-CONGRESS FROM LALU-RABRI NEPOTISM TO RAHUL’S ‘INFILTRATORLOVE’

19-SEP-ENG 4

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

SASARAM------------------------As the Bihar assembly elections heat up ahead of the October-November polls, Union Home Minister Amit Shah descended on the state's electoral battleground with his signature aggressive flair, unleashing a barrage of attacks on the opposition that sent ripples through political corridors. Addressing BJP workers from the Shahabad and Magadh regions in Dehri-on-Sone, Rohtas district, Shah set the tone for the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) campaign, cornering the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-Congress alliance on issues ranging from dynastic politics and rampant corruption to alleged vote-bank appeasement of infiltrators. His visit, part of a two-day whirlwind tour that included a closed-door meeting with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna and a subsequent conclave in Begusarai, is being seen as a strategic blueprint for the BJP's push to secure a resounding victory.

Shah's address to selected party workers from 10 districts – including Rohtas, Bhojpur, Buxar, Kaimur, Aurangabad, Gaya, Jehanabad, Arwal, Nawada, and Jamui – was not just a pep talk but a clarion call to dismantle what he termed the "politics of destruction" peddled by the opposition. Starting his speech by affectionately calling the workers "maliks" (owners), Shah emphasized the BJP's grassroots ethos, contrasting it sharply with the familial fiefdoms of the RJD. "Only in the BJP is it possible for a booth president to rise to become the national president – I am living proof of that," he declared, drawing thunderous applause from the energized cadre. This personal anecdote underscored his message: unlike parties where leaders "thopte hain" (impose themselves), the BJP builds from the bottom up, with workers as the true architects of victory.

The Home Minister wasted no time in training his guns on the RJD's first family – Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, and Tejashwi Yadav – branding their rule as a dark era of nepotism and plunder. "Lalu ji, Rabri ji – can they make Bihar prosperous? They only think about themselves and their family," Shah thundered, accusing the RJD of reducing Bihar's politics to a "parivar ki dukaan" (family shop). He painted a vivid picture of their governance, marked by "jungle raj" (lawlessness) and economic stagnation, where development took a backseat to personal enrichment. "Their entire politics is confined to the family; they have nothing to do with Bihar's people," he added, urging workers to uproot this "parivarvad ki rajneeti" (politics of nepotism) by ensuring the NDA wins at least 80% of the seats in the region.

Shah's critique of the Lalu-Rabri era was laced with sarcasm and pointed references to their alleged disregard for the law. Taking a personal dig at Lalu Prasad, he quipped, "Even when these people go to jail, they come out riding an elephant; they have no fear of the law." This barb alluded to the fodder scam and other high-profile cases that have dogged the RJD supremo, painting him as untouchable despite multiple convictions. Expanding on the theme of corruption, Shah labeled the RJD a "ghotala baaz party" (party of scamsters). "Whenever you ask them for accountability on work, a list of scams pops up – the fodder scam, land-for-jobs scam, railway tender scam. Their whole politics is built on scams," he said, contrasting it with the NDA's "stainless" governance under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He reminded the audience that Lalu "cannot achieve in his entire life what the NDA has delivered for Bihar in these years," highlighting the Rs 9.45 lakh crore in central assistance provided to the state between 2014 and 2024 for infrastructure, welfare schemes, and development projects.

The minister's rhetoric reached a fever pitch when he turned his attention to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's recent "Voter Adhikar Yatra" (Voter Rights March), which he mockingly rechristened the "Ghuspaiythiya Bachao Yatra" (Save the Infiltrators March). Dismissing it outright as anything related to public concerns like education, electricity, roads, or employment, Shah alleged that the yatra's true agenda was to shield illegal immigrants from Bangladesh for vote-bank politics. "Do the people of Bihar want infiltrators from Bangladesh to get the right to vote and receive rations?" he roared, directly accusing Lalu Prasad and the Congress of becoming a "dhad" (shield) for these infiltrators. "Their politics is not for Bihar's development but to save the infiltrators," Shah charged, warning that an opposition victory would lead to "Bihar bhar jaayega ghuspaiythiyon se" (Bihar will be teeming with infiltrators). This line of attack taps into long-standing BJP narratives on national security and demographic changes in border states, positioning the NDA as the guardian of Bihar's native interests.

In Begusarai later in the day, Shah doubled down on these themes, expressing unwavering confidence in the NDA's return to power with a "prachand bahumat" (massive majority). Addressing workers from another cluster of districts, he predicted that the opposition's alliance would crumble under the weight of their own contradictions. Taking a swipe at Tejashwi Yadav, he claimed, "Next time, Tejashwi won't even have the courage to contest elections," suggesting internal rifts and leadership vacuum in the RJD. Shah also praised Union Minister Giriraj Singh, eliciting claps from the crowd, and reiterated the NDA's commitment to development over division.

This visit by Amit Shah – his first major outreach since Prime Minister Modi's recent Bihar tour and BJP National President JP Nadda's engagements – is more than a routine rally; it's a clear declaration of the party's election strategy. Flanked by senior leaders, Shah met Nitish Kumar at Patna's Hotel Maurya earlier in the day for a closed-door huddle, fueling speculation on seat-sharing and alliance fine-tuning within the NDA. Sources indicate discussions focused on bolstering weak zones from the 2020 polls, mobilizing the cadre, and countering the RJD's caste-based mobilization.

Shah's Dehri address, captured in videos circulating widely on social media, showed him arriving amid tight security, greeting workers with folded hands before launching into his hour-long speech. Visuals from the event depicted a sea of saffron flags and enthusiastic chants of "Modi-Shah zindabad," underscoring the BJP's organizational machinery in rural strongholds like Rohtas. From Begusarai, Shah urged workers to fan out and apprise voters of the Modi-Nitish regime's achievements – from expressways and airports to welfare schemes like Ayushman Bharat and PM Awas Yojana – while exposing the opposition's "vinash ki rajneeti" (politics of destruction).

As the dust settles on this electrifying outing, the message from Shah is unequivocal: the Bihar elections will be a showdown between "vikas" (development) and "vinash" (destruction), between a worker-driven NDA and a scam-ridden, infiltrator-appeasing opposition. With the polls just weeks away, his call to arms – "Yahan se 80% seats hamari, yeh sankalp lekar jaana hai" (Secure 80% seats from here; take this resolve forward) – has galvanized the BJP base. For the RJD-Congress duo, it's a wake-up call; for Bihar's voters, it's the opening salvo in what promises to be a fiercely contested battle for the state's future.

In the broader context, Shah's tour aligns with the BJP's national playbook of blending hyper-local attacks with macro achievements. By invoking Modi's Rs 9.45 lakh crore aid, he reminded Biharis of the NDA's tangible deliverables, from the Patna-Purnea Expressway to flood mitigation projects. On the infiltration front, his remarks echo the party's border security push, including the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Bihar, a poll plank that could polarize voters along identity lines.

Political analysts see this as a masterstroke in agenda-setting. "Shah has compressed the BJP's narrative into soundbites that stick – from 'elephant rides out of jail' to 'infiltrator rescue yatra' – making it easy for workers to disseminate," said a Patna-based commentator. The opposition, meanwhile, has hit back, with RJD spokespersons dismissing Shah's barbs as "desperate diversions" from unemployment and inflation woes. Yet, with Nitish Kumar's JD(U) firmly in the NDA fold post his 2024 flip, the alliance appears cohesive, eyeing over 200 seats in the 243-member assembly.

As Shah wraps up his Bihar sojourn, one thing is clear: the electoral conch has been blown, and the battle lines are drawn. For the NDA, it's all about consolidating the "double-engine" momentum; for the INDIA bloc, it's a fight to reclaim lost ground. Bihar, ever the political tinderbox, watches with bated breath.