Patna: A rally organised for Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary in Begusarai’s Bakhri constituency was cancelled on Thursday after failing to draw a crowd, exposing organisational lapses in the NDA’s campaign machinery ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections.
Despite extensive publicity over two days, fewer than a thousand people reportedly turned up at the Chakhamid High School grounds, where Choudhary was scheduled to address the public at 4 pm. Local leaders, however, maintained that the event was “postponed due to technical reasons”.
Sources said there was little enthusiasm among workers for LJPR candidate Sanjay Paswan, with several alleging that his status as an outsider contributed to the lacklustre turnout.
Pushkar Singh Dhami Calls Tejashwi-Rahul ‘Pappu and Gappu’
In another part of the state, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami addressed a gathering in Motihari’s Patti Jasauli, where he mocked the Opposition leaders Tejashwi Yadav and Rahul Gandhi, calling them the “pair of Gappu and Pappu.”
“The duo makes false promises every day. The public will no longer be fooled by them,” Dhami said, campaigning for NDA candidate Sachindra Singh from Kalyanpur.
He also criticised Tejashwi Yadav’s remarks on the Waqf Act, saying, “Tejashwi Yadav says he will tear up the Waqf Act if elected — perhaps he doesn’t know that laws cannot be scrapped by will. It shows his ignorance of governance and law.”
Targeting Rahul Gandhi, Dhami accused him of insulting Bihar’s traditions, particularly the Chhath festival. “Mothers and sisters in Bihar have been observing Chhath Puja for centuries. Calling it a sham is an insult to the state’s culture,” he said, adding that “Rahul Gandhi has forgotten the values his grandmother and mother failed to teach him.”
Santosh Majhi Slams Tejashwi’s ‘Job Promise’
Union Minister Santosh Majhi joined the attack, saying, “A leader from Bihar dreams at night and declares in the morning that he will give a job to every household. He doesn’t even know how many vacancies exist in the state.”
Majhi accused Tejashwi Yadav of “cheating the public with lies.”
Nitish Kumar Recalls Bihar’s ‘Jungle Raj’ Era
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar took to social media to remind voters of the state’s condition before 2005. “Before 2005, every region of Bihar lagged behind. Roads were broken, buildings were dilapidated, and development was a distant dream,” he wrote, adding that Bihar has since moved beyond that “era of neglect.”
BJP State Chief: ‘Rahul Insulted Chhathi Maiya’
BJP’s Bihar unit president Dilip Jaiswal accused Rahul Gandhi of “insulting Chhathi Maiya” and the women of Bihar. “Rahul Gandhi has gone into depression; that is why his language has deteriorated. The people of Bihar will not forgive this insult,” he said.
Jaiswal claimed that the INDI Alliance manifesto was “full of empty rhetoric,” asserting that Bihar’s voters “trust PM Modi’s guarantees and Nitish Kumar’s record of development.”
Jitan Ram Manjhi: ‘Rahul Has No Right To Speak’
Union Minister and HAM chief Jitan Ram Manjhi also lashed out at the Congress leader, saying, “Rahul Gandhi has no right to speak on Ambedkar or governance. When his government was in power, Ambedkar was honoured only under compulsion, not conviction.”
Rekha Gupta Leads Saffron Roadshow In Patna
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta held a vibrant roadshow in Danapur, campaigning for BJP candidate Ramkripal Yadav. Women supporters dressed in saffron and danced to drum beats, chanting “Long live Nitish Kumar!”
Gupta later met women voters in Patna Sahib and sought support for BJP candidate Ratnesh Kushwaha.
