Bihar’s political climate is currently heating up. Since the British colonial era, the state has remained trapped in a haze between labour struggles and uneven development, where basic issues such as unemployment, the plight of migrant workers, education, health, agrarian crisis, and corruption are constantly pushed to the background. In their place, absurd debates around “infiltrators,” “Operation Sindoor,” “Article 370,” “pistols,” “burqas,” and nicknames like “Pappu, Tappu, Appu” dominate the discourse.
The Modi–Nitish government, while beating the drums of “development” and “good governance,” seeks votes by evoking the false fear of “jungle raj.” It becomes even more ironic when the Prime Minister himself uses terms like “pistol” but stays silent about daily crimes in Bihar. Artificial issues of “religion,” “caste pride,” and “patriotism” have swallowed up the real concerns of the people. In this 2025 election, the ground for genuine issues is hollow, but the slogans are plenty. The people’s consciousness has once again been trapped in emotional and false narratives.
The Imported Lie of the ‘Infiltrator’ Issue
The term “infiltrator” has no social or historical connection with Bihar. The state shares its border with Nepal, with which it has deep cultural and familial ties. Yet, in every election, the “infiltrator” issue is deliberately raised, just as it was during the Jharkhand elections.
Even Prime Minister Modi, a leader seasoned in electioneering, raised this issue from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day. At its root lies a dubious “SIR” document, hurriedly introduced by the Election Commission in violation of its own procedures during an election year. When questions arose, the Commission’s spokesperson appeared to act as the BJP’s mouthpiece and began justifying and repeating the word “infiltrator.” Neither the Commission nor the BJP has disclosed how many such so-called “infiltrators” were actually identified.
One must ask: why would anyone even want to “infiltrate” into Bihar? Every year, millions of Bihari workers migrate to Punjab, Gujarat, Delhi, Mumbai, and Tamil Nadu in search of employment. They endure exploitation and humiliation. When the word “infiltrator” echoes in Bihar’s politics, it is, in a sense, an insult to these very people. Today, Bihar’s youth even risk their lives migrating to Gulf countries for work.
This fear is imported from national politics, designed to secure power rather than address Bihar’s reality. Just as myths of citizenship, NRC, and religious infiltration were crafted elsewhere, similar lies are now being spread in Bihar. The public knows well that Bihar’s real problems are not “infiltrators” but unemployment, corruption, poor education, and a broken health system.
Fear of Jungle Raj and ‘Pistol’ Politics
Bihar’s voters are repeatedly frightened with the specter of “jungle raj.” This time, the Prime Minister coined a new term — “pistol.” He claimed that the RJD showed Congress a pistol to make it announce its chief ministerial candidate. But the reality is that murders and rapes continue unabated in Bihar.
On August 28, 2025, the body of a minor girl was found hanging from a tree in Patna’s Maner area. On August 27, a fifth-grade student was found burnt in a school toilet in Gardanibagh. On July 5, 2025, businessman Gopal Khemka was brutally murdered in Patna, and on July 17, another man was shot dead inside a hospital. These are only a few examples. In the 20 days of July alone, more than 60 murders were reported. According to SCRB data, by June 2025, 1,379 murder cases had been registered in Bihar, compared to 2,786 in 2024 and 2,863 in 2023. Do these figures reflect “good governance”?
Since the election announcement, newspapers have been full of crime stories. The most discussed was the killing of Dulchand Yadav, in which JDU candidate Anant Singh was arrested. Everyone knows Anant Singh’s criminal record. After his arrest, Union Minister Lalan Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary took over his campaign. Both were later booked for holding a roadshow with a convoy of 48 vehicles. When ministers and deputy chief ministers openly support a murder accused, does it embolden criminals or deter them?
Lawmakers with Criminal Backgrounds
The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) analyzed affidavits of 1,303 out of 1,314 candidates in the first phase of the election. It found that 423 candidates (32%) had declared criminal cases against themselves, with 27% facing serious charges such as murder or crimes against women. Among Bihar’s 56 MPs (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha), 41 (73%) have criminal cases against them, and 38% face serious allegations like murder and rape. Can such lawmakers bring “good governance” to Bihar?
Playing with Public Emotions
The election coincides with the Chhath festival, which is being heavily politicized. In BJP-ruled states, grand government-sponsored Chhath celebrations have been organized. The Railways Minister met passengers at railway stations, and a special ghat was built in Delhi’s Basudev Ghat for a planned visit by the Prime Minister.
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj exposed that the ghat was artificially constructed, a video of which went viral, after which the Prime Minister skipped the event. Rahul Gandhi criticized the government for staging “drama in the name of faith,” prompting the Prime Minister to respond with accusations of “insulting Chhath Maiya.”
Home Minister Amit Shah invoked the grandeur of the Janaki temple, accusing the opposition of being “anti-Ram” and “anti-Sita.” Yet during the Ayodhya temple inauguration, Sita’s name was not even mentioned, while Modi himself was presented as a figure greater than Ram. Is that not an insult to both Ram and Sita?
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath spread linguistic hatred with the slogan “if they divide, they will be cut.” Earlier, he had tried to link the Election Commission’s use of the word “pardansheen” (veiled) with “burqa.” He compared the INDIA alliance leaders — Rahul, Tejashwi, and Akhilesh — to Gandhi’s three monkeys, calling them “Pappu, Tappu, Appu.” On November 3, the Prime Minister, at a Saharsa rally, remarked, “It’s shameful to see where the Mahagathbandhan leaders go on social media.” Are such comments befitting of someone holding the nation’s highest office?
The Lollipop for Farmers
On September 15, 2025, Prime Minister Modi announced the formation of a “Makhana Board” in Purnea, claiming it would benefit Bihar’s farmers. He said he gifts makhana to foreign leaders and praises the hard work of Bihar’s farmers. But he forgets that under his own government, India witnessed its biggest farmers’ protest, in which Bihar’s farmers also participated. Over 700 farmers lost their lives demanding the repeal of three farm laws, yet promises remain unfulfilled. Farmers continue to struggle for a legal guarantee on MSP.
If the Prime Minister truly cares about Bihar’s farmers, he should restore the state’s agricultural markets so that farmers can sell their produce at fair prices. On October 2, four Dalit children working in the makhana industry were killed by a train while fleeing contractor abuse at night. This raises a question — will the Makhana Board bring real change to farmers’ lives or merely serve as another election gimmick and a new “chapter of development” in government reports?
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On December 13, 2020, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar himself told the Rajya Sabha that Bihar’s farmers are the poorest in the country, with an average monthly income of ₹3,358, compared to ₹18,059 for Punjab’s farmers.
Where Are the Real Issues?
Bihar still remains one of India’s most backward states. More than 35% of youth aged 18 to 35 are unemployed. District hospitals lack doctors, nurses, technical staff, and equipment, and even floodwater seeps into hospital wards during monsoon. Farmers, caught between floods and droughts, still await a guaranteed minimum support price.
Most of Bihar’s youth migrate to Delhi, Punjab, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu for work, facing discrimination because there are no jobs back home. Corruption remains rampant — no government work gets done without a bribe, and bridge collapses have become routine. In just 17 days, 12 bridges collapsed.
If the people bring these real issues to the center of political discourse, Bihar’s politics could change. But if they continue to get entangled in false debates of infiltration, religion, and caste, democracy will remain nothing but a play — where the audience is the people themselves, and they are also its victims.
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*Social worker and independent journalist
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