PM slams RJD’s jungle raj, calls Opposition lathbandhan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday fired multiple salvos at the Opposition alliance in Bihar, calling it “lathbandhan” and invoking RJD’s erstwhile rule as “jungle raj”. The PM will start his Bihar campaign on Friday with rallies in Samastipur and Begusarai.

Speaking to the BJP booth workers virtually hours after RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav was named the chief ministerial face of the opposition, Modi said the people of Bihar will not forget “jungle raj” for 100 years.

After a woman booth worker cited Bihar’s journey “from the era of corruption under the RJD to the era of development under the NDA regime”, the PM said the opposition Mahagathbandhan was actually a “lathbandhan” alliance.

Modi’s was referring to the state of lawlessness under the RJD regime from 1990 to 2005, when the JDU and the BJP combine unseated Lalu Prasad, and Nitish Kumar first became the Bihar CM.

PM said every booth was the heartbeat of democracy. He further said the youth of Bihar were the creators of change rather than its beneficiaries.

Prime Minister was interacting with booth workers under the BJP’s “Mera Booth, Sabse Mazboot – Yuva Samvaad” initiative.

He also spoke about GST reforms that had led to reduced tax on bikes and scooters, making these vehicles cheaper for youth. Emphasising the power of democracy, the PM said, “When the youth leads, the nation moves forward.”

Meanwhile, BJP president JP Nadda said RJD supremo Lalu Prasad was eager for the return of "jungle raj" in Bihar.

Osama is the RJD candidate from Raghunathpur constituency in Siwan, a region where the writ of his late father once ran large. Shahabuddin was a long-term RJD MP.

"The RJD giving ticket to Shahabuddin’s son indicates that even today, Lalu Yadav is eager to bring back Gunda Raj," Nadda said while addressing poll rallies in Goh (Aurangabad) and Patepur (Vaishali) in Bihar.

Prophecising NDA's victory on November 14, Nadda framed the election as a battle between the ruling dispensation's development and "Mahagathbandhan's destruction. In RJD, R stands for ‘Rangdari’, ‘J’ for ‘Jungle Raj’, and ‘D’ for ‘Dadagiri’. Lalu, Tejashwi and the RJD have never apologised for their jungle raj," said Nadda.

He also questioned Tejashwi's poll promise to offer a job for every household, asking how this could be achieved. "Can those who seize land for jobs really provide employment?" asked Nadda.

The BJP chief also asked the RJD to tell every Bihar resident, where the money to pay them salaries will come from. Bihar is the land of Chanakya, Aryabhata and Lord Mahavira. Its people would never be fooled again, he added.