Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday expressed confidence that the National Democratic Alliance will secure victory in Bihar, warning that any shift away from the BJP’s lotus symbol or the JDU’s arrow symbol in the upcoming second phase of polling on November 11 could result in what he described as a return to jungle raj.
Addressing election rallies in Jamui and Bhagalpur, Shah urged voters not to allow such a situation to re-emerge. He asked the audience, do they want jungle raj again?
Jamui district, which has four assembly constituencies, will vote in the second phase. Shah appealed to the people to ensure all four seats go to the NDA.
Highlighting the work of the NDA government, Shah praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to curb Naxal influence, particularly in regions like Jamui which were once considered Naxal strongholds. He recalled an incident in which Naxals hijacked the Dhanbad Patna Express and killed three people, noting that the area is now stable enough to allow voting to continue until 5 PM instead of closing early at 3 PM.
"If we win, we will constitute a new department to ensure Bihar becomes free of floods. If Lalu's son wins, he will open a new department for 'Apaharan' (Kidnapping and abduction)," he said.
Taking aim at RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, Shah alleged that if the Mahagathbandhan returned to power, it would lead to an increase in kidnapping, saying they would end up opening a department for abductions. He contrasted this by saying the NDA would continue focusing on development, emphasising new infrastructure projects including roads, bridges and factories.
In Bhagalpur, the home minister said, "I just witnessed a surprising scene where Lalu ji is sitting with his son and he is giving a ticket to Shahbuddin's son. Lalu's son is seen raising the slogan of 'Shahbuddin Amar rahe'. People of Bhagalpur, have you forgotten the riots? Do you want that time to come again? Shahbuddin's son, Osama, is contesting in this election. If Osama wins, there will be riots again in Bhagalpur. If BJP wins, you will see development in Bhagalpur."
Referring to the first phase of voting on November 6, Shah claimed that the Congress and RJD had already been wiped out and urged voters in Jamui to ensure the same outcome locally.
In Jamui, the BJP has fielded sitting MLA Shreyasi Singh against the RJD’s Shamshad Alam. The JDU is contesting the Jhajha and Chakai seats with Damodar Rawat and Sumit Kumar Singh, while Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) candidate Prafull Kumar Singh is contesting the Scheduled Caste reserved Sikandra seat.
The first phase saw voting on 121 seats across 18 districts, with 3.75 crore eligible voters. The second phase on November 11 will cover 122 seats across 20 districts including Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada, Bhagalpur, Jamui and Purnia. Counting of votes will take place on November 14.
