Purnea: A Congress candidate broke down on stage during a campaign rally addressed by Rahul Gandhi in Kasba, Purnia, on Thursday, moments after the opposition leader launched a fierce attack on the central government and Bihar’s chief minister, Nitish Kumar.
Irfan Alam, the Congress nominee, wept as he stepped forward after Gandhi’s speech. Fighting back tears, he said: “You have given a ticket to the son of a letter distributor. You elevated a small man to great heights. For the first time in my life, I am speaking on such a large platform.”
His emotional moment contrasted sharply with the aggressive political tone set by Gandhi, who accused the BJP and its allies of manipulating voter rolls, removing names linked to the Grand Alliance and attempting to influence polling patterns.
Rahul Gandhi: ‘Vote theft won Haryana — now they want to steal Bihar’
Gandhi repeated his allegation that the recent Haryana elections were won through vote theft, claiming that in two booths, “the same woman’s face appeared 200 times, and another woman’s face appeared 100 times.” He also alleged that a woman from Brazil was listed as a voter.
“After the theft of votes in Maharashtra, Haryana and the Lok Sabha elections, they are now stealing votes in Bihar,” he said.
“Amit Shah knows they can’t win elections here — the only way is to steal votes.”
Gandhi appealed to Gen Z voters and the people of Bihar to “stop vote theft” and defend democratic rights.
‘If you can build Dubai, why not Bihar?’
Switching to development, Gandhi questioned Bihar’s prolonged economic stagnation and youth migration:
“Wherever I go in India, I see people from Bihar building cities like Dubai and Bengaluru. If you can build those places, why can’t Bihar be like that?”
He said Nalanda University, once a global centre of learning, had become synonymous with paper leaks and corruption in examinations.
“The honest youth of Bihar work hard for months, but the exam paper is leaked the day before. Those with connections get the jobs.”
‘Modi holds Nitish’s remote control’
Gandhi insisted that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar no longer governed independently:
“Nitish Kumar doesn’t run Bihar. Modi and Amit Shah run the government. Nitish does whatever the Prime Minister asks.”
He also criticised healthcare conditions in the state:
“People go to Bihar’s hospitals not to live, but to die.”
Gandhi argued that the government had land available for industrialists like Adani but “none for the youth of Bihar.”
Fishing in Begusarai: Rahul Gandhi’s symbolic outreach
Gandhi also recalled his 2 November campaign stops in Begusarai and Khagaria, where he accused the BJP-led government of handing over Bihar’s resources to corporate allies.
After the rally, Gandhi and VIP leader Mukesh Sahni joined local fishermen in a nearby pond, using nets to catch fish and even hopping onto a boat — a rare moment of informality amid a tense election season.
Context: Phase Two Voting on November 11
Bihar will vote again in its second phase on 11 November, covering 122 constituencies across districts including East and West Champaran, Sitamarhi, Araria, Purnia, Katihar, Bhagalpur, Gaya, Rohtas and Kaimur. Counting is scheduled for 14 November.
