J.P. Nadda Slams RJD for ‘Jungle Raj’, Showcases NDA’s Development Agenda in Bihar
Image source: IANS
Patna, November 7 (TheTrendingPeople.com): As Bihar gears up for the 2025 Assembly Elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president and Union Minister J.P. Nadda on Friday launched a scathing attack on the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), accusing it of fostering an era of lawlessness, corruption, and fear during its previous tenure from 1990 to 2005.
Addressing a massive rally in the Kalyanpur Assembly constituency of East Champaran district, Nadda drew sharp contrasts between the RJD’s “Jungle Raj” years and the NDA’s development-driven governance, urging voters to “choose progress over chaos.”
“RJD’s rule was a reign of Jungle Raj and scams. A large number of heinous crimes and corruption incidents occurred in Bihar. That was jungle raj,” Nadda told the cheering crowd.
Flashback to the ‘Jungle Raj’ Years
In his hour-long speech, J.P. Nadda recounted a series of infamous crime cases that, according to him, reflected the collapse of law and order during the RJD’s regime.
He invoked the Shilpi Gautam case, where the body of a young woman was found in the car of a close associate of Sadhu Yadav, a relative of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav. Nadda alleged that the police had “hushed up the case” under political pressure.
He also mentioned the B.B. Biswas case, where the family of a Dalit IAS officer was allegedly assaulted, and the Siwan acid murder case, in which businessman Chanda Babu’s sons were brutally killed after he refused to pay ransom to local criminals linked to an RJD leader.
“These are not just incidents, they are reminders of the terror Bihar faced under RJD’s rule. People lived in fear, businesses fled, and development froze,” Nadda said, drawing loud applause from the audience.
Eyewitnesses from Kalyanpur described the rally as one of the largest in recent months, with thousands gathering from neighboring constituencies. Local BJP workers were seen waving saffron flags, chanting slogans like “Jungle Raj hatao, Vikas Raj lao!”
‘Double-Engine Sarkar’ and the Promise of Development
Nadda contrasted RJD’s alleged misgovernance with what he called the “double-engine government’s” achievements under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
He highlighted key development indicators, particularly in power, infrastructure, connectivity, and welfare schemes, positioning Bihar as a state “on the rise.”
“There was a time when Bihar only had electricity for two hours a day; today, there is a 24-hour power supply,” he said, crediting the central government’s PM Surya Ghar Free Electricity Scheme for enabling households to generate and sell solar power.
Under this initiative, Nadda said, consumers generating more electricity than they use could sell the surplus to the government, thus earning additional income.
He also noted that 125 units of electricity are now free for households, citing it as proof of NDA’s commitment to affordable energy.
Connectivity Revolution: Airports, Highways, and Rail
Emphasizing infrastructure growth, Nadda said Bihar had witnessed an “unprecedented transformation” in transport and connectivity over the past decade.
He pointed out that Darbhanga airport, once neglected, now operates 26 flights daily, while Patna’s new international airport has recently been inaugurated.
“Five new airports are being constructed, 20 Vande Bharat trains are now operational through Bihar, and 98 new railway stations are being built,” he said.
Nadda also announced a 6-lane highway corridor project worth ₹27,000 crore, linking Raxaul to West Bengal via East Champaran, Sihaul, Samastipur, and Banka.
According to BJP insiders present at the event, the speech was aimed at showcasing Prime Minister Modi’s infrastructural vision as a major differentiator in the 2025 polls.
Social Welfare and Empowerment Schemes
Highlighting welfare initiatives, Nadda underscored the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, which provides free health coverage up to ₹5 lakh per family.
“Earlier, people sold their land to afford treatment. Today, 62 crore Indians are getting free healthcare. For citizens above 70 years, we’ve extended free treatment coverage worth ₹5 lakh annually,” he stated.
On women’s empowerment, Nadda pointed to the Women’s Employment Scheme, under which each beneficiary in Bihar has received ₹10,000 for self-employment. He promised that an additional ₹2 lakh would be deposited in their accounts if the NDA returns to power.
“This is an election about moving from the era of lanterns to the era of LEDs,” Nadda declared, alluding to RJD’s election symbol, the lantern.
Digital Bihar: From Power Cuts to Online Connectivity
The BJP chief emphasized Bihar’s technological progress, citing that 38,000 km of optical fibre had been laid, connecting 8,400 panchayats to the internet.
“Today, every village in Bihar has YouTubers analysing politics in their own dialects. Ten to fifteen years ago, there were 22-hour power cuts; today, there’s 24-hour electricity,” Nadda said, reflecting the digital transformation in rural Bihar.
Party workers at the site distributed pamphlets highlighting BJP’s achievements under central schemes like PM Awas Yojana, Ujjwala, and Har Ghar Jal, reinforcing the theme of continuity and governance.
Political Context: Why It Matters
Nadda’s rally comes as the BJP seeks to consolidate its alliance with the Janata Dal (United) and regional partners ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly Elections, expected to be a closely contested battle against the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance).
Political analysts note that the “Jungle Raj vs. Vikas Raj” narrative remains central to BJP’s election messaging in Bihar.
“BJP is banking on the development record of the Modi-Nitish era to counter RJD’s grassroots base. Reviving memories of the 1990–2005 lawlessness is part of the strategy to frame the election as a choice between progress and regression,” said Patna-based political commentator Dr. Shashi Bhushan.
Crowd Reaction and Local Impact
On-ground visuals from Kalyanpur showed packed crowds, with local farmers, youth, and women participating in large numbers. Several attendees told TheTrendingPeople.com that improved roads, electricity, and digital access had “changed life in the villages.”
“Before 2014, we had no electricity or mobile connectivity. Now, my children study online,” said Sanjay Kumar, a local farmer from Motihari.
BJP leaders said the turnout reflected growing confidence in the NDA’s governance and was a “clear sign” that voters would “elect stability and development” in 2025.
Final Thoughts from TheTrendingPeople.com
J.P. Nadda’s fiery address in East Champaran reaffirms the BJP’s election pitch built around development, stability, and law-and-order contrast with RJD’s past.
While his invocation of crime cases from the 1990s stirred emotions, his detailed outline of infrastructure, welfare, and digital initiatives sought to project the NDA as a force of transformation.
As Bihar inches closer to its 2025 election, the rhetoric is set to intensify — but for voters, the choice will likely hinge on whether the state continues on the path of progress or revisits its turbulent past.