Amit Shah Warns of ‘Jungle Raj’ Return, Urges Voters to Back BJP in Bihar Elections

Darbhanga, Nov 2025 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and its allies, warning that the “jungle raj” associated with the earlier regimes of Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi was attempting to make a comeback in Bihar. Addressing a massive election rally in Darbhanga, Shah urged the public to support the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by voting for the party’s ‘lotus’ symbol in the upcoming Assembly elections scheduled for November 6 and 11.

Opening his speech with a strong appeal, Shah said the election was not merely about choosing a local MLA but about “protecting Bihar from sliding back into lawlessness.” “When you press the ‘lotus’ symbol,” he told the crowd, “it shouldn’t just mean electing an MLA or a minister. It should mean stopping the return of jungle raj. Do you want to bring back the 15 years of jungle raj under Lalu and Rabri’s rule? This jungle raj is trying to return in disguise. It is our collective responsibility to stop it and ensure Darbhanga becomes a developed district.”

Shah devoted a significant portion of his address to criticizing the RJD for objecting to the recent transfer of funds to women beneficiaries under the state’s self-help group initiative. He expressed surprise that the RJD had written to the Election Commission of India (ECI) questioning the timing of the disbursement of ₹10,000 to each Jeevika Didi, a scheme jointly implemented by the central and state governments to promote women’s employment and entrepreneurship.

“Modi ji and Nitish Kumar ji transferred more than ₹1,000 crore to the Jeevika Didis,” he said. “But shockingly, the RJD has written to the Election Commission asking them to take back this amount.” He then reassured the beneficiaries, saying, “I want to tell the Jeevika Didis that forget Lalu and Tejashwi. Even if their last three generations come, they will not be able to take back this ₹10,000.”

The Home Minister also attacked the opposition leadership on the issue of political dynasties, claiming that both the RJD and the Congress were driven by family ambitions. “Lalu and Rabri want to make their son the Chief Minister, and Sonia Gandhi wants to make her son the Prime Minister,” Shah said. “I want to tell them that neither Lalu ji’s son will become Chief Minister nor will Sonia Gandhi’s son become Prime Minister. There is no vacancy for these people.”

Outlining the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) development agenda for Bihar, Shah promised a series of major initiatives aimed at transforming the state’s economic landscape. “We will establish skill development centers in every district,” he declared. “A new factory will come up in every district, and 10 new industrial parks will be built. Like Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, we will also establish a defense corridor in Bihar.”

Shah also highlighted various religious and cultural development projects, particularly in the Mithila region. He noted the construction of a grand Sita Mata temple at Punoura Dham at a cost of ₹850 crore, describing it as a transformative project for the region. “Once the temple is completed, we will connect Ayodhya and Sitamarhi with Vande Bharat trains,” he announced, drawing loud applause from the audience.

The NDA has fielded BJP leader and Bihar Revenue and Land Reforms Minister Sanjay Sarawgi from the Darbhanga Assembly constituency. Sarawgi, who has held the seat since 2010, is facing competition from Umesh Sahni of the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) and Rakesh Kumar Mishra of the Jan Suraj Party (JSP), led by political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor.

With only hours left before the mandatory silence period begins, Shah’s rally in Darbhanga marked one of the final major campaign events for the first phase of polling. Campaigning for Phase 1 ends Tuesday evening, after which political parties will be barred from public outreach for 48 hours.

The Bihar Assembly elections, covering 243 seats, will be conducted in two phases on November 6 and 11. Counting of votes is scheduled for November 14, when the political fate of Bihar’s major alliances—and their competing narratives of governance and development—will be decided.