Bihar's Political Battle: Jungle Raj vs Welfare Vows Amid Katta Culture

This election is being described as historic because multiple new political shifts have unfolded simultaneously. Lalu Prasad Yadav’s absence, Prashant Kishor’s formal entry, the surge in welfare promises, the arrests of strongmen, and the revival of the Jungle Raj versus good governance debate — all of these dominated the 35-day campaign cycle.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the most intensive campaigner this season, addressing 16 rallies between 24 October and 8 November. He used the term Jungle Raj in every speech, and — unusually — also defined it as Katta, cruelty, bitterness, ill manners and corruption are the symbols of Jungle Raj. His emphasis was more on the Lalu-Rabri era than on Nitish Kumar’s track record. New phrases such as Katta (country-made gun), Kanpati (Temple), Donali Bandook (Double-barrelled gun), Charra (pellets), Nachania (dancer) and Baap (father) entered the campaign lexicon from the stage for the first time.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi adopted a markedly different approach this time, seeking to build a connection with the Mallah (fisherfolk) community. In Begusarai, he entered a pond with Vikassheel Insaan Party chief Mukesh Sahani and cast a fishing net — visuals which went viral. In his speeches, he countered the BJP’s Jungle Raj narrative by alleging that those who talk about Jungle Raj in Bihar are running a Jungle Raj in Delhi. He also levelled an allegation of vote chori on the BJP and the Election Commission. Within the Congress, this ground-connect push was seen as a new experiment.

For political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor, this election was his formal launch. His Jan Suraaj, founded on 2 October 2024, fielded candidates in 240 seats. The size of his public meetings signalled that voters were looking for an alternative, turning this into a three-cornered contest rather than a conventional NDA vs Mahagathbandhan battle. Kishor attacked both blocs and routinely presented documents alleging corruption by leaders cutting across parties.

The murder of Jan Suraaj supporter Dularchand Yadav on 30 October in Mokama triggered a major political flashpoint. It was alleged that an altercation with the team of JDU candidate Anant Singh escalated into gunfire. Dularchand was first shot in the leg and then allegedly run over by a vehicle. Anant Singh was subsequently arrested and lodged in Beur Jail, Patna. The incident reshaped the narrative, with gun violence again becoming a talking point in the state.

Within the Mahagathbandhan, there was friction over projecting a Chief Ministerial face. Tejashwi Yadav and Mukesh Sahani clashed over the position until the Congress leadership intervened. On 23 October, Tejashwi was named CM face and Sahani deputy CM face. Seat allocation disagreements led to rebels in around a dozen constituencies.

The NDA, meanwhile, has not declared a formal CM candidate, but the BJP has repeatedly underlined that Nitish Kumar will lead and that there is no vacancy for the post. Alongside attacks on the Lalu family, corruption allegations against NDA functionaries also became prominent. Kishor released documents and daily social-media disclosures targeting BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal (over a medical college), JDU leader Ashok Choudhary (over a land scam), and Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary (over alleged age falsification). These forced the NDA to respond defensively on multiple occasions.

The first phase of polling saw a record participation of 65 per cent — the highest in any Assembly election in Bihar. Of the 121 seats that voted across 18 districts, Muzaffarpur recorded 71.4 per cent polling and Patna logged 58.4 per cent. The turnout is being widely interpreted as a marker of voters seeking change.

This election has also generated an unprecedented escalation in welfare promises. Nitish Kumar announced cash transfers for women, higher pensions, benefits for labourers and 125 free electricity units. In response, Tejashwi Yadav promised a Rs 2,500 monthly allowance for every woman, one government job per family, regularisation of contractual workers, and a Rs 30,000 lump-sum transfer for women on 14 January if elected. Analysts say the intensity of welfare bidding is the highest Bihar has seen.

A video of Union Minister Lalan Singh went viral in which he appeared to say that the opposition should not come out of their houses on polling day. Tejashwi Yadav responded sharply, asking whether this was someone’s personal kingdom and alleging that extremely backward classes and Dalits were being threatened. He said Bihar would give a reply through its vote.

The other major rhetorical flashpoint in this phase came from the Tejashwi-Asaduddin Owaisi exchange. Tejashwi described Owaisi as an extremist and accused him of dividing Muslim votes in Seemanchal. Owaisi counter-attacked, saying, “We bow before Allah, not before Tejashwi or Modi,” and alleged that those who had once labelled bearded, skull-cap-wearing men as terrorists were now echoing Modi’s language. This series of remarks became a major talking point in Muslim-dominated belts.

The BJP and Congress also went head-on over the Jungle Raj narrative. PM Modi alleged that Bihar saw zero development during the fifteen years of “jungle Raj.” Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi responded that Jungle Raj is in Delhi, where ED, CBI and hatred run the system. The hashtag #JungleRaj trended heavily across platforms during the last leg of the campaign.

Union Minister Giriraj Singh made a provocative remark — “If there is trouble, we will have to lift the burqa.” Tejashwi criticised him, saying the burqa was a woman’s right and politics cannot be done on this. The comment triggered a religion-coded debate, which drew censure from opposition parties and civil society groups.

Overall, this phase of the campaign was not merely an exchange of welfare promises but a contest of storylines. The BJP and PM Modi foregrounded law-and-order and good governance as a binary against the Lalu-Rabri era. The Mahagathbandhan foregrounded unemployment, inflation and social justice. Prashant Kishor introduced a third pole, which unsettled established electoral arithmetic. The discussion around jailed strongmen, cash transfer announcements, and polarising remarks made this one of the most charged election cycles in recent Bihar history.

On 11 November, it will be the voters’ verdict that decides whether Bihar proceeds along its established political alignments — or whether 2025 marks a disruptive departure.

- IANS