PM Modi Concludes Bihar Election Campaign, Confident of NDA Victory in Final Phase

Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his campaign for the Bihar assembly elections on Saturday, just before the final phase of canvassing. He claimed that voters had already delivered a "65-volt jhatka" (shock) to the opposition INDIA bloc in the first round of voting and confidently stated he would return for the swearing-in ceremony of the new NDA government.

The day featured prominent appearances by his cabinet colleagues, with Home Minister Amit Shah and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh launching pointed criticisms of opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, who has been challenging the BJP-led coalition with "vote chori" (vote theft) allegations while attempting to position Congress as pro-Dalit.

PM Modi delivered his 14th and final rally in Bettiah, which he referred to as "the place where Gandhi became Mahatma." His speech primarily targeted the RJD, suggesting that if the opposition party gained power, backed by allies, they would place a "katta" (country-made pistol) against citizens and order them to raise their hands in surrender.

Before Bettiah, Modi addressed another gathering in Sitamarhi, birthplace of goddess Sita, highlighting NDA's efforts to renovate Punaura Dham shrine while criticizing the opposition for "protecting infiltrators" through "vote bank" politics and appeasement strategies.

The Prime Minister expressed confidence in an NDA victory, citing high voter turnout in the first phase as evidence of support for the ruling coalition. "You have given a 65 volt shock to the opposition which is now having sleepless nights," Modi declared, referencing the 65.09 percent turnout across 121 assembly segments where voting occurred on November 6.

Modi made indirect references to Gandhi as the "naamdaar of Congress" and "scion of the most corrupt family in the country," while recalling his late father Rajiv Gandhi's admission that only 15 paise of every government rupee reached the intended beneficiaries.

Shah and Singh delivered more direct attacks on Gandhi during their appearances. The Home Minister, addressing three rallies in northeastern Bihar, employed a shop analogy to criticize Gandhi, predicting that the Congress leader's "dukaan" (shop) would close after facing defeat in the Bihar elections.

Rajnath Singh, who held three election meetings in southwestern Bihar, questioned Gandhi's pro-Dalit stance, suggesting that if he were truly concerned about SC and ST empowerment, he would have offered the Leader of Opposition position to someone from these communities.

Rahul Gandhi, representing Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, was reportedly in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, having campaigned in Bihar the previous day. His absence became fodder for criticism from Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, who claimed Gandhi was "on a picnic" and compared him to "a groom who has run away from his own wedding procession."

Representing Congress in Gandhi's absence, his sister and party general secretary Priyanka Vadra conducted three rallies, framing their campaign as fighting against the "empire of Modi" in a manner similar to Mahatma Gandhi's "satyagraha." Continuing the "vote chori" allegations, she had rally attendees repeat the names of Election Commissioners, claiming these officials intended to "rob people of their right to vote."

Meanwhile, RJD put up posters across Patna showing leaders presenting Tejashwi Yadav with a throne-like chair labeled "CM of Bihar" ahead of his 36th birthday on Sunday. Party workers celebrated early at RJD headquarters with a 36-pound cake.

The campaign trail featured numerous other political figures, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, and former Union minister Smriti Irani.

Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor claimed that migrant workers were voting for his year-old organization and alleged that the emergence of "apravasis" (migrants) as an electoral factor had prompted the Modi government to cancel special trains scheduled for Chhath festivities.

(This article has not been edited by staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)