Modi Spins 65% Bihar Turnout into Opposition Jolt

“You have given a 65-volt shock to the Opposition, and they are now having sleepless nights,” Modi said, referring to the 65.09 per cent turnout recorded across 121 Assembly constituencies that went to polls on November 6. He appealed to voters to ensure that the NDA not only wins “all the seats” but also secures “a lead in every booth.”

Concluding an extensive campaign that included 14 rallies and a roadshow in Patna over the past month, Modi said, “I began my campaign at the birthplace of Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur and end it here, where Bapu Gandhi transformed into the Mahatma. I will return for the swearing-in of a new NDA government.”

Accompanied by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar only at his inaugural rally in Samastipur, Modi praised the Janata Dal (United) leader for ending what he called “jungle raj” in Bihar. He, however, continued his sharp criticism of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), alleging that if voted to power, the party would “hold a katta (country-made pistol) to people’s heads and order them to raise their hands.”

Taking aim at the RJD’s alleged lawlessness, the Prime Minister said, “People of Bihar do not want a katta sarkar; they want start-ups, and only the NDA can make that possible.” He also accused the RJD of promoting a culture of crime, referring to campaign incidents where children declared on stage their desire to become “rangdaars” (street bullies) armed with guns.

The Prime Minister, who has addressed over a dozen rallies since elections were announced in the state, said, “Wherever I go, I find the prevailing sentiment is - we do not want a 'katta' sarkar, we want an NDA sarkar again.”

Without naming specific leaders, Modi attacked the “royal families” heading the RJD and Congress, calling one “the most corrupt in Bihar” and the other “the most corrupt in the country.” He mocked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as “Congress ke naamdaar,” describing his recent plunge into a muddy pond as “practising drowning.” Gandhi’s allegations of “vote theft” were dismissed as “net practice for making excuses after defeat.”

Referring to Gandhi’s criticism of his plan to take a dip in the Yamuna River during Chhath Puja, Modi said such comments were an “insult to Bihar’s most revered festival.”

Modi also invoked religious and cultural themes during his campaign, asserting that leaders of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc had avoided visiting Ayodhya, home to temples dedicated to Lord Ram, Maharshi Valmiki, Mata Shabari, and Nishad Raj, because of their “hatred for Dalits and backward classes.”

The Prime Minister accused the Opposition of “protecting infiltrators,” asserting that the Centre’s recent Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was meant to identify and remove them. The opposition, however, has denied the charge, saying no infiltrators were found and alleging that the term “ghuspaithiya” (infiltrator) was being used to target Muslims, who make up about 17 per cent of Bihar’s population.

During his speeches, Modi also highlighted national issues, including the abrogation of Article 370, Operation Sindoor, and the government’s stance on Triple Talaq and Waqf laws, accusing the Opposition of “capitulating before religious extremists.”

He also touched upon the issue of migration, a major poll theme, raised by Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor, promising that the NDA’s development agenda would create new opportunities within Bihar to curb the exodus of workers.

As the campaign drew to a close, Modi’s message was clear: “The people of Bihar want development, not jungle raj. The NDA will deliver a government that stands for progress, prosperity, and pride.”