Ahead of the March 16 Rajya Sabha polls, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) national working president Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday (March 12, 2026) claimed that the Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government had failed on all parameters during the 21 years of NDA rule.
In a post on X, Mr. Yadav said, “In 21 years of NDA rule, Bihar has performed worst in all standards, criteria and indicators of development, but no one ever takes responsibility for these shameful facts and assessments – only flip flops, administrative machinery, vote buying with public exchequer funds, vote looting and so-called vote dumping.”
He further wrote, “Bihar is a unique and incomparable state where a two-engine NDA government has been ruling for decades and yet the state is the poorest in the country, the highest in migration, the highest in crime, the highest in corruption, the highest in unemployment, the highest in school dropout, the lowest in literacy, the lowest in per capita income in the country.”
Mr. Yadav, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, added, “The state has the lowest farmer income, lowest per capita investment, lowest per capita consumption, lowest computer literacy, lowest electricity consumption, lowest basic infrastructure, lowest quality of education and lowest industrial units.”
In a sarcastic statement, the former deputy chief minister said, “Bihar performs worst in all indicators of development in the country, yet it leads Delhi-Mumbai in purchasing expensive gas, electricity, petrol, diesel, real estate and land.
The Fall of the Socialists: Nitish Kumar, the BJP and Bihar Politics
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Niraj Kumar hit out at Mr Yadav and gave him a to-the-point reply, claiming that the twin-engine NDA government in Bihar had pulled the state out of decline since 2005 and put it firmly on the path of development.
“During your RJD Jungle Raj rule (1990-2005), Bihar was the most backward state and poverty was over 60%, literacy at 47%, migration so rampant that Biharis were ridiculed. But what happened in 21 years of NDA? Poverty reduction: Multidimensional poverty reduced by 549% in 2005-06. 2022-23 3.77 crore people escaped poverty – the highest in the country after Uttar Pradesh,” said Mr. Niraj Kumar at X.
A report by NITI Aayog
He further said, “The NITI Aayog report clearly shows that Bihar has seen the steepest decline in poverty. According to the RJD government, migration was a necessity, but the NDA provided 10 million government jobs and created 10 million employment opportunities. The unemployment rate in 2023-24 was 0.9%, below the national average. While migration remains a challenge from 3,05,05 units to increase investment now exports from ₹25 crore to ₹17,000 crore.
Calling it the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, Mr. Niraj Kumar pointed out that during the RJD rule there were 3,643 murders in 2001 and now in 2025 it is 2,556 — at least in 25 years.
“The NCRB data clearly shows that the NDA has improved law and order. According to the RJD government, Bihar was the ‘most corrupt’, but the NDA brought reforms through RTI and E-Governance. According to Transparency International, Bihar became the ‘least corrupt’ in 2011. In 2025, corruption cases reached a record 122, but the number of convictions increased by BJ — 3.
He also claimed that the NDA has strengthened the Public Distribution System (PDS), provided gas and electricity in subsidies, along with which property prices have increased due to development — metro, highways and construction of airports.
“Mr. Tejashwi Yadav, this is not a ‘failure’ – it is the basis of development. Bihar was destroyed by RJD’s casteism and looting; NDA has ensured good governance. There is accountability – progress is visible. Now, with an investment of ₹ 50 crore, we will make Bihar number one,” said Mr. Niraj Kumar.
Published – 12 March 2026 21:46 IST
