Sitamarhi: Voting for the first phase of Bihar’s Assembly elections began on Thursday, covering 121 constituencies, as campaigning for the second phase intensifies across the state. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has mounted an aggressive campaign in key districts ahead of the polls.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addressed rallies in Parihar and Sursand in Sitamarhi district on Thursday, invoking religious symbolism and sharply criticising opposition parties. Speaking to supporters, he claimed that the people of Bihar were moving past an “identity crisis” and choosing development over what he described as the failures of previous governments. “Those who question Lord Shri Ram and Janaki must be taught a lesson. Whoever is not of Ram is of no use to us,” he said.
Yogi targeted the opposition, accusing the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress of undermining Bihar’s legacy. “Bihar, which gave the country Buddha, Mahavira, Dr Rajendra Prasad, Jayaprakash Narayan and Karpoori Thakur, was plunged into corruption and anarchy by these parties,” he claimed. “The youth of Bihar, renowned globally for their intellect, had their identity tarnished by their deception. Now, the people of Bihar will not be ensnared in the same web.”
He also invoked the Ram temple dispute, attacking critics of the construction in Ayodhya. “They used to say that Ram never existed, they stopped the Rath Yatra, and even opened fire on Ram devotees. But we said, ‘Ram Lalla, we will come and build the temple,’ and today a grand Ram temple stands in Ayodhya,” Yogi said.
