Modi in Bihar Amid Dipankar’s Googly in Opposition

Modi’s Pre-Election Bihar Blitzkrieg Comes Amid Opposition’s Chemistry Lab Testing

By MANISH ANAND

NEW DELHI, June 19, 2025 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi, returning from his three-nation tour, embarked on a visit to Bihar on Friday. This marks his 51st visit to the state since becoming Prime Minister—clearly a sign that Modi is aiming to seize the electoral momentum in Bihar with a pre-election blitzkrieg.

Meanwhile, the Opposition in Bihar is still searching for an elusive electoral chemistry. CPI (ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya stirred the political pot within the Opposition by questioning the 2020 seat-sharing formula. He told reporters that the Congress managed to win only 19 Assembly seats out of the 70 allocated to it. In contrast, the CPI (ML) won 12 of the 19 seats it had contested, he added.

Bhattacharya’s remarks have added a new twist to the ongoing suspense over seat-sharing talks within the Opposition camp. While Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav, had recently met with the Congress leadership during a visit to New Delhi, he has yet to receive an endorsement from Rahul Gandhi as the Opposition’s chief ministerial face. Nonetheless, Bhattacharya has already declared Yadav as the alliance’s CM candidate.

The Congress, for its part, is preparing to stake a claim for at least 70 Assembly seats and is expected to push for constituencies deemed winnable. Party leaders argue that they were handed difficult seats in the 2020 Assembly elections.

As the Opposition attempts to corner the ruling NDA on issues such as rising unemployment and deteriorating law and order, Modi is showcasing his development agenda through a flurry of project inaugurations and foundation stone layings.

During his 50th visit earlier this month, Modi announced projects worth ₹50,000 crore for Bihar. His 51st visit is similarly packed with a slew of announcements and unveilings. The NDA is projecting Modi’s initiatives as part of the “Double Engine” model of development promoted by the ruling alliance.

However, the NDA remains cautious, particularly over Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s waning political appeal. The Opposition frequently raises concerns about his health, casting doubts over his leadership. Having led Bihar since 2005, Kumar now faces a significant challenge in steering the Janata Dal (United) into the upcoming Assembly elections.

Adding to the NDA’s concerns, the rising incidents of crime in the state threaten to undercut its longstanding narrative of rescuing Bihar from the “Jungle Raj” era—a reference to the lawlessness during the tenure of Tejashwi Yadav’s parents, Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi, between 1990 and 2005.

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About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

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