Kharge slams BJP for sidelining Nitish Kumar and highlights Bihar’s unemployment, floods, and voter roll concerns.

Congress Targets BJP Ahead of Bihar Polls

Patna: At the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Patna, party president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the BJP of sidelining Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, saying the party has “mentally retired” him and now treats him as a liability.

Kharge claimed the 2025 assembly elections would mark both a turning point for Bihar and the beginning of the “countdown” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

Concerns Over Voter Rolls and Democracy

Alleging “vote chori,” Kharge criticized the ongoing revision of Bihar’s electoral rolls, warning it could undermine the principle of “one person, one vote.” He said tampering with voter lists meant denying essential rights like pensions, scholarships, and rations to marginalised communities.

Bihar’s Struggles Highlighted

Kharge accused the BJP-led government of failing Bihar’s youth and farmers. He pointed to an unemployment rate above 15 percent, annual migration for work, corruption in recruitment, and rising crime. Farmers, he said, continue to suffer from poor flood management in the Kosi and Gandak river basins, while promises such as reviving the sugar industry remain unfulfilled.

National Criticism of BJP

Expanding beyond Bihar, Kharge attacked the Modi government on unemployment, the economy, and social division. He said the promise of two crore jobs per year was unkept, and that demonetisation and GST initially harmed the economy. He also criticized increasing Chinese imports despite talk of “Swadeshi.”

On caste issues, Kharge pressed for transparency, noting that 80 percent of Bihar’s population belongs to OBC, EBC, and SC/ST groups. He said the BJP failed to secure constitutional backing for Bihar’s 65 percent reservation, unlike Tamil Nadu’s 69 percent quota decades ago.

With unemployment, migration, and flood losses directly affecting households, Kharge’s message is likely to resonate with everyday voters. His attack frames Bihar’s election not just as a state contest, but as a test of national governance.