Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, launched his campaign for the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections on Wednesday with a call to oust the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government, which he alleged is “remote-controlled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah”.
He urged the youth of Bihar to elect an INDIA bloc government that would fulfill their aspirations for government jobs and industrial revival in the state.
Addressing a rally in Sakra, Muzaffarpur, in support of Congress candidate Umesh Ram, Rahul Gandhi outlined his vision to transform Bihar into a developed state by promoting entrepreneurship.
In a sharp attack on Prime Minister Modi, the Congress leader said that the Prime Minister had destroyed small-scale industries through schemes such as demonetisation and GST, only to benefit industrialists like Ambani and Adani.
He said, “Ambani or Adani will not bring development to Bihar. Bihar will be developed only by its youth. You have built Delhi, Mumbai, and Dubai. Now you need to build Bihar. Start with small-scale manufacturing units and replace ‘Made in China’ products with those ‘Made in Bihar’.”
Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp attack on Bihar’s examination system and corruption, saying that no matter how hard the youth of Bihar work, when exam papers are leaked in advance to the rich and well-connected, the honest and hardworking youngsters are deprived of their rightful opportunities.
Calling the current system unjust, he promised that if the INDIA Alliance comes to power, it will introduce a system where no one’s hard work goes to waste and every young person gets an equal chance.
Gandhi asked the people of Bihar to trust the INDIA bloc’s chief ministerial candidate, Tejashwi Yadav, who he said would create a conducive atmosphere to achieve that goal.
Tejashwi Yadav, addressing the rally, urged voters to choose between locals and outsiders, asserting that Bihar should not be ruled by outsiders.
He said, “If you think Nitish Kumar is ruling Bihar, you are mistaken. I have sympathy for him. He has been held hostage by BJP leaders. They are not interested in Bihar’s development or social justice. We have a vision for Bihar’s overall development and the socio-economic prosperity of marginalised communities.”