BJP spokesperson Tuhin Sinha slams Rahul Gandhi and RJD ahead of Bihar polls, calling Congress “nowhere in the game”. He defends NDA’s development record, targets Tejashwi’s job promises, and warns voters against the return of “Jungle Raj”.
As Bihar heads for the crucial Assembly polls — with voting to be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, and results on November 14 — the political temperature in the state is rising fast. In an exclusive conversation with Asianet Newsable English’s Heena Sharma, BJP national spokesperson Tuhin Sinha spoke at length about the BJP’s confidence, the Opposition’s internal rifts, and why the NDA believes it has the people’s trust going into these elections.
“Rahul Gandhi’s speeches reek of despondency”
Sinha was quick to dismiss Rahul Gandhi’s latest attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling it “a reflection of his frustration”.
“As far as Rahul Gandhi is concerned, all his speeches nowadays reek of abject despondency and frustration. After 49-59 days when he comes to Bihar, one would have expected him to conduct himself with more dignity and be aware of the latest ground issues. But when you are not aware of it and are still in a holiday mode, you end up speaking like a goon, which is what Rahul Gandhi did,” Sinha remarked.
Taking a swipe at the Congress leader’s political relevance, he added,
“Rahul Gandhi is somebody who is nowhere in the game in Bihar. Congress has been a nonentity here for three decades. It can’t cross double digits in vote share without the crutches of RJD.”
“The SIR issue is a routine process, not a scandal”
On the issue of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list — which the Congress has claimed led to the deletion of lakhs of names — Sinha defended the Election Commission’s actions and cited the Supreme Court’s validation.
“68 lakh voters have been deleted and 21 lakh new voters added, which effectively means 47 lakh illegal voters have been removed. What is the Congress party trying to convey? Does it want illegal voters to thrive?”
Sinha also questioned the Opposition’s motives, saying,
“Even Tejashwi Yadav realized that the entire vote-chori campaign of Rahul Gandhi was only a bargaining weapon with RJD to secure maximum seats.”
“Unlike the Mahagathbandhan, NDA works on mutual trust”
Responding to jibes from the Opposition that BJP is dependent on Nitish Kumar’s JDU, Sinha highlighted the alliance’s stability and compared it with the Opposition’s disunity.
“In the last elections, we got nearly 31 seats more than the JDU. When Nitish Kumar said he didn’t want to continue as CM, we insisted because we had fought the election under his leadership. There’s a huge difference between Mahagathbandhan and NDA. We work on mutual trust.”
He added that within the Mahagathbandhan,
“Tejashwi Yadav had to virtually emotionally blackmail Congress, warning that he wouldn’t campaign in their seats. You don’t see those things happening in NDA.”
“I have lived through Jungle Raj”
The BJP has often revived the spectre of “Jungle Raj” to target the RJD. Sinha defended the use of the term, saying it wasn’t mere rhetoric.
“I have personally lived Jungle Raj. I grew up in Jamshedpur, which was part of Bihar then. After 6:30 or 7:00 in the evening, it would be difficult to even venture out of your home.”
He further said the difference between the 1990s and the current law-and-order situation was stark:
“The Gunda Raj then was directly promoted by close associates and family members of Lalu Yadav. You can’t even compare the crime which has existed in the last 20 years, which was directly sponsored by Lalu Yadav’s family. Bihar has always seen crime, but the crime rate is very much under control and it is not RJD-sponsored, political party-sponsored extortion.”
On Anant Singh and criminal candidates
When asked about the JDU fielding Anant Kumar Singh from Mokama Sinha termed it “an exception”.
“Anand Singh has been acquitted of all the charges. It’s the responsibility of BJP to ensure that even if he gets elected, he will conform to the law. That’s something the other side cannot promise.”
Please note: Tuhin Sinha’s interview took place last week before the arrest of Anant Kumar Singh on Novemebr 2 in connection with the Dularchand Yadav murder case
He contrasted that with the RJD’s decision to field Shahabuddin’s son, Osama, saying,
“If being the son of a dreaded gangster is the only qualification for Osama to secure a ticket, that itself reveals the intentions of the Mahagathbandhan.”
“Tejashwi’s job promise is unrealistic”
Taking aim at RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s electoral promise of creating 2.75 crore jobs, Sinha called it “absolutely unreal”.
“The budget of Bihar would shoot up by at least two times only by that promise, and if you take the rest into consideration, it would shoot up nine times. These people have unreal promises; they don’t have a comprehension of issues.”
“Bihar’s growth is real, not jobless”
Asked about Bihar’s development record under the NDA, Sinha listed achievements in infrastructure and education while acknowledging legacy issues.
“Bihar has a GDP growth rate of 14.5% last year. The projected growth rate for 2025-26 is above 15%. That simply can’t be jobless growth.”
He pointed to expanding industrial investment:
“Industries like Zara and Britannia have set up shop in Bihar in the last six to seven years. The state has gone from six medical colleges in 2005 to more than 20 now.”
On the viral videos showing poor hospital conditions in Darbhanga, Sinha admitted,
“That’s an exception and nobody can defend it. The health minister should have immediately taken remedial measures.”
“From poor roads to better connectivity”
Defending the state’s development track record, Sinha said the progress was visible on the ground.
“From 3,300 kilometers of national highway stretch in 2004-2005 to 6,000-plus kilometers now; from 350 kilometers of rural roads in 2005 to 1,20,000 kilometers; from five hours of electricity to 20-21 hours a day today — Bihar has transformed.”
“If you look at the poverty rate in 2015, in Bihar it was 40%. Now it is 4%, which shows that one of the biggest successes among other states in fighting poverty has been of Bihar.”
“Parivarvad in BJP? Never automatic inheritance”
On the issue of dynastic politics, Sinha argued that the BJP’s approach differed from that of the Congress or RJD.
“When we talk about parivarvad, what it means is that by virtue of a leader holding a certain position, his descendant automatically qualifies to hold the same position. That will never happen in BJP. Of course, if family members come into politics, they have to work their way up on merit.”
As Bihar prepares to vote, the BJP’s narrative — built on development, stability, and rejection of “Jungle Raj” — contrasts sharply with the Opposition’s promises and internal contradictions.