Samastipur: Kicking off the campaign trail for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday addressed a massive rally today in Samastipur.
His campaign began in Karpoorigram, the ancestral village of Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur, where he paid tribute to the late leader alongside Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. He opened his address by connecting with the audience in the local Maithili language, praising the “enthusiasm of the people of Bihar.”
The most striking moment came during his direct attack on the Opposition. After asking the massive crowd to turn on their mobile phone flashlights, the rally grounds instantly lit up with thousands of glowing screens. The Prime Minister then used the display to strike at the RJD, whose party symbol is the lantern.
“When everyone has so much light,” he remarked, “what’s the need for lanterns?”
Powering the ‘Reel’ Economy
Extending his tech-focused argument, PM Modi credited NDA policies for bringing affordable internet access to the youth.
“Today, 1GB of data is cheaper than a cup of tea,” he stated, arguing that this digital access has fueled a new wave of creativity and economic activity.
He praised the young content creators of the state: “The youth creating Reels are the new creative force in Bihar, and the fact that young people are earning money through Reels today is a direct result of the NDA’s policies.”
Attack on Dynastic Politics and Obstruction
In a scathing rebuke of the RJD and Congress, the Prime Minister warned that the alliance would plunge the state back into an era of instability. “The people of Bihar do not want to bring back jungle raj,” he asserted.
PM Modi accused the Opposition of prioritizing personal power over development, stating that the RJD and Congress were “only concerned about the political future of their families, not the development of Bihar.”
He also attacked the Congress-led UPA government, claiming that during their tenure, the RJD had “continued to take revenge on Bihar and obstruct development projects.” He contrasted this with the NDA’s record, asserting that his government provided three times more money to Bihar than the previous Congress government.
Development and Transparency
The Prime Minister emphasized that NDA rule ensures transparency and direct benefit transfer (DBT), a mechanism enabled by the Jan Dhan Yojana, which has eliminated corruption.
“During the previous regime, funds would disappear midway, but now everything is transparent,” he said.
PM Modi then highlighted major infrastructure projects—the Vande Bharat train, Darbhanga airport, new railway lines, and power plants—as evidence of rapid development. He projected a future where startup companies would be established in every district.
Concluding his address, PM Modi confidently predicted that the NDA, under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, would secure a massive majority, stating that Bihar has decisively moved forward on the path of good governance and development.
