After an absence of over a month, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly, made a dramatic return to Patna on Sunday. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader immediately launched a scathing attack on the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), alleging widespread "poll rigging" in the recently concluded state assembly elections.
Allegations of a Stolen Mandate
Addressing reporters at the Patna airport, Tejashwi Yadav delivered a sharp critique of the electoral process. He claimed that while the NDA's machinery had won, democracy had lost. "The entire country is aware how the mandate was obtained through deceit, fraud, trickery and machinery," he alleged. The young leader accused the alliance of reducing the democratic exercise to a contest of "money and machine power," suggesting they had emerged victorious through conspiracy.
Despite his fiery accusations, Tejashwi announced a surprising conciliatory move. He declared that he would refrain from speaking against the policies, decisions, and programmes of the NDA government for the next 100 days. He framed this as giving the new administration time to implement its pre-poll promises, which he proceeded to list.
The Ruling Alliance's Sharp Retort
The ruling Janata Dal (United) was quick to dismiss Tejashwi's allegations as sour grapes. State JD(U) president Umesh Singh Kushwaha reacted sharply, stating that the RJD leader was questioning the people's verdict out of sheer frustration and irritation from a bad defeat. "Tejashwi is blaming constitutional institutions like the Election Commission only to hide his political failures and defeats," Kushwaha said on Sunday.
He further accused the Leader of Opposition of being unable to "digest his humiliating defeat." Kushwaha argued that by questioning the mandate, Tejashwi was not only expressing distrust in the democratic system but also insulting the people of Bihar. He asserted that the public had handed the mandate to the NDA based on trust in its governance, development agenda, and the historic achievements of the last two decades under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's leadership.
A Challenge on Fulfilling Promises
In his remarks, Tejashwi Yadav laid down a challenge for the "double-engine government"—a term often used for the same party ruling at both state and centre. He reminded them of their election manifesto, which included major pledges such as:
- Providing Rs 2 lakh to 2.5 crore women in the state.
- Creating one crore jobs.
- Establishing four to five major industries and factories in every district.
Tejashwi pointedly referred to the pre-election distribution of funds under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana, a scheme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September last year. According to official information, the state government distributed Rs 10,000 each to over 1.50 crore women beneficiaries just ahead of the polls. "If they can directly distribute Rs 150 crore in each assembly constituency ahead of the elections, then they can fulfil every demand of the people in every circumstance after the formation of the government," he stated.
The political atmosphere in Bihar remains charged as the principal opposition leader sets a 100-day clock for the government while continuing to contest the legitimacy of its victory. The coming months will test both the NDA's ability to deliver on its promises and the RJD's strategy from the opposition benches.
