Bihar rejected communal, caste rhetoric for development, Modi hails NDA’s win

Addressing a massive gathering of Bihar natives in Surat, the PM said the state had decisively endorsed development over division. People of Bihar had delivered a verdict that rejected caste equations and communal rhetoric, he added.

The Prime Minister said the NDA’s victory margin, roughly 10 percentage points over the Mahagathbandhan, was a clear signal that voters trusted a governance model centered on growth, inclusion and stability. He also claimed that Dalit-dominated regions had also sided with the NDA, pointing to victory in 34 such seats.

Calling the recent poll outcome “historic in every sense”, PM said his visit to Surat would have been incomplete without meeting the community of Bihar natives, who form a significant workforce in the city.

He said people from the state had followed the poll “moment by moment” and delivered a verdict that rejected caste equations and communal rhetoric.

Taking a dig at the Opposition, PM Modi called it the “Muslim-Maoist-Congress (MMC) alliance”. He said the country would never accept a political bloc driven by conflicting agendas.

He also alleged that several Congress MPs privately tell him that they feel sidelined, unable to speak or raise issues of their constituencies.

He said that leaders who fail to prioritise aspirations of the youth and national development could not expect support from young Indians. The PM said the NDA remains focused on accelerating growth, contrasting this with what he described as the Opposition’s lack of coherent vision.

Modi also reminded the audience that celebrating Bihar’s heritage was natural for the BJP. He recalled that when the state completed 100 years, Gujarat had marked the occasion with full respect, hosting and honouring 100 individuals who had contributed to Bihar’s progress.

On the occasion of ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’ at Narmada, the Prime Minister accused the Congress of neglecting tribal communities for six decades.

He said the party left Adivasi regions grappling with poor health services, weak connectivity and the absence of quality education, turning deprivation into a forced identity.

The PM argued that the Congress governments did little to address structural gaps and “sat idle, while an entire community was struggling”. He said the situation began to shift only when Atal Bihari Vajpayee created a dedicated Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

The Prime Minister claimed that his government had since expanded the ministry’s budget several times, built health infrastructure in tribal districts vulnerable to sickle cell anaemia, invested in sports infrastructure and ensured that talented Adivasi youth reached national platforms. He cited the example of a tribal player in India’s recent Women’s World Cup-winning team as a sign of the community’s rising representation.

PM Modi said that for decades, tribal sacrifices in the freedom struggle were brushed aside to glorify “a few families”, but his government restored long-suppressed historical truth. He highlighted the recognition given to icons such as Birsa Munda and honours bestowed on Adivasi achievers, including a Padma Shri for artist Paresh Rathwa.

He also pointed to the rise of tribal leaders in top offices, including the President of India. He also spoke about the work of Chief Ministers in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh as evidence of a “new era”, in which tribal communities were shaping India’s future rather than standing on the margins.

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister inaugurated projects worth over Rs 9,700 crore in Narmada district and reviewed the progress of the bullet train station in Surat.

Besides, he virtually laid the foundation stone for an Eklavya Model Residential School in Arunachal Pradesh’s West Siang district, describing it as another step towards expanding educational access in tribal regions.