PM Modi urges Bihar voters to remember ‘jungle raj’, calls opposition alliance ‘lathbandhan’

Addressing party workers virtually at the “Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot: Yuva Samvaad” event, the Prime Minister urged them to encourage elderly voters to share their experiences of that time with the youth.

“Tell the young people what the ‘jungle raj’ was like. Gather everyone at every booth and have the elderly narrate the old stories,” PM Modi said.

The term “jungle raj” is commonly used by the BJP to describe the lawlessness associated with the tenure of former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, whose son Tejashwi Yadav now leads the opposition Grand Alliance in Bihar.

PM Modi lauded Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the NDA for restoring law and order in the state.

“The NDA government brought Bihar out of the ‘jungle raj’ and established the rule of law. Today, people proudly call themselves Bihari,” he said.

Taking a swipe at the opposition bloc, he referred to it as a “lathbandhan” (a coalition of criminals) instead of “gathbandhan”, saying, “All their leaders, from Delhi to Bihar, are out on bail.”

The Prime Minister said the upcoming election offered an opportunity to “write a new chapter” in Bihar’s progress, driven by the energy and aspirations of the youth.

“In Bihar, development is taking place in every sector-hospitals, schools, and railways. This is happening because of a stable government in both the state and the country,” he said, adding,

“When there is stability, development accelerates. That is why youngsters are saying with enthusiasm—‘Raftaar pakad chuka Bihar, phir se NDA sarkar.’”

The Bihar polls will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11. The results will be declared on November 14.