Patna: Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra launched her Bihar Assembly election campaign on Saturday with a pointed critique of the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) employment record, asking why jobs were being promised now when the alliance had been in power for years.
Speaking ahead of her rally in Bachhwara, Begusarai, Gandhi said, “Why are they promising jobs now? What were they doing until now?” Her remarks targeted the NDA’s newly released manifesto, which includes pledges for job creation, infrastructure expansion, and economic development.
The rally marks Gandhi’s first appearance in the state for the 2025 elections and signals the Congress party’s renewed push in Bihar, where it is contesting as part of the Grand Alliance alongside the RJD and Left parties. In Bachhwara, she campaigned for Congress candidate Shiv Prakash Garibdas, who is up against CPI’s Awadhesh Kumar Rai and BJP’s Surendra Mehta.
Begusarai district is witnessing a multi-cornered contest across its seven assembly constituencies. In Bachhwara, Mehta—who won the 2020 election by a razor-thin margin of 484 votes—is seeking re-election. He secured 54,738 votes last time, narrowly edging out Rai (54,254 votes) and Garibdas (39,878 votes).
This year’s contest is further complicated by the presence of candidates from Jansuraj, Aam Aadmi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, and several independents, including Ramod Kumar, Avinash Kumar, Dilip Kumar, Shatrughan Kumar, Vipin Kumar, and Rajaram Singh.
