As campaigning for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections ended on Tuesday (November 4, 2025), leaders of both the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc went all out in their final appeal to voters in the 121 constituencies that will go to polls on November 6.
Both Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi held three rallies on a hectic final day, while INDIA Bloc chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav used a helicopter to squeeze in visits to 17 constituencies on the final day of campaigning.
The NDA paraded big guns with a host of Union ministers and BJP chief ministers while talking about corruption and jungle raj if the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal returns to power in the state. Targeting the unemployed youth in Bihar, Mr Gandhi and Mr Yadav questioned why the NDA has failed to deliver jobs despite many years in power in the state and at the Centre.
“Jungle Paradise” Warning
Mr. Shah addressed three consecutive public meetings in three different districts — Darbhanga, East Champaran and West Champaran — covering nine assembly constituencies. In Darbhanga, he hit out at the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), saying that Bihar has seen a ‘Lalu-Rabri’ jungle paradise for 15 years – referring to former chief ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi – and no one wants those days back.
“Lalu ji has done fodder scam, land for jobs scam, hotel sale scam, bitumen scam, flood scam. Lalu-Rabri has done so many scams and Congress has done scams worth ₹12 lakh crore. Can these people do anything good for Bihar? Modi ji is ruling for 11 years and Nitish pa20 does not exist. corruption charges against Nitish Babu and Modi ji,” he said referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Bihar’s Nitish Kumar. Mr. Shah also accused the INDIA bloc of conducting the Adhikar Yatra voters to protect “infiltrators”.
In Motihari, Mr. Shah warned that if any mistake happens on November 6, then kidnap, ransom and jungle paradise will return to Bihar. “Lalu-Rabri wants to make their son (Tejashwi Yadav) the Chief Minister and Sonia ji wants to make her son (Rahul Gandhi) the Prime Minister. I want to tell both of them that neither Lalu’s son will become the Chief Minister nor Sonia Gandhi’s son will become the Prime Minister. In Bihar, he is the Chief Minister and Nitish ji is the Chief Cabinet Minister,” Mr. Shah alleged.
“Bihar Development Train”
BJP president JP Nadda pushed the development narrative during his rally in Barhara seat, followed by a road show in Gaya. “It took 20 years to get Bihar’s development train back on track and now this train is moving fast forward. Therefore, this election is one of those that will bring stability to Bihar and link it to development. We have taken Bihar from lanterns to LEDs,” he said.
“NDA talks about ‘development’ and these people (opposition) talk about ‘crime’. Wherever our government is formed, there is development, not crime,” said Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, who addressed four public meetings in Raghopur, Fatua, Simri Bakhtiyarpur and Tarapur constituencies.
Former Union Minister and Hamirpur MP Anurag Singh Thakur had a road show in Bankipur along with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Arun Saw, while Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma addressed a rally in Siwan.
‘Jobs or Reels’
Addressing three public meetings in Aurangabad, Kutumba and Wazirganj constituencies on the last day of the campaign, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appealed to the youth of Bihar to vote for regime change, asking whether they wanted jobs or social media.
Even after twenty years in power, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has done nothing but turn Bihar’s talented youth into laborers and force them to do menial jobs across the country, he said. Instead of talking about reels, the Prime Minister should have explained how he will provide jobs, education and better healthcare to the people, Gandhi added.
He claimed that Mr. Kumar is just a government mask manipulated by Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah. “His remote control is in their hands and they make him act according to their will, just like changing channels with a television remote control,” Mr Gandhi said.
He accused the BJP of spreading the poison of hatred across the country. “India is a land of love and this country cannot be ruled by hate,” he said, promising that the opposition Mahagathbandhan would form an inclusive and representative government including the extremely backward classes, backward classes, Dalits, Maha Dalits, minorities and also the general category.
INDIA Bloc chief ministerial face Tejashwi Yadav managed to address public meetings in 17 assembly constituencies by helicopter on the last day of campaigning. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader accused the JD(U) and the BJP of destroying Bihar over the past 20 years and failing to address key issues like unemployment and migration.
Published – 04 Nov 2025 21:32 IST
