- Rahul Gandhi launched the Congress; Bihar election campaign with a crude jab at Prime Minister Modi
- The Congress MP, whose party is allied with Tejashwi Yadav's RJD, said the PM would do "anything" for votes
- The BJP condemned Gandhi’s remarks as insulting to voters who had chosen PM Modi and democracy in general
Rahul Gandhi kickstarted the Congress' Bihar election campaign Wednesday with a handful of crude jabs aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, declaring he would do "anything for votes".
The Congress MP, whose party is allied with Tejashwi Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal for this election, also once again accused the ruling BJP of 'stealing' elections, repeating claims that the party had colluded with the Election Commission to commit voter fraud and manipulate federal and state results.
"He just wants your vote. If you tell Narendra Modi to dance. He will dance... they are engaged in stealing your votes. Because they want to end this election disease. I am telling you, they stole elections in Maharashtra, they stole elections in Haryana, and they will try their best in Bihar..."
The response was immediate; the Bharatiya Janata Party ripped into Gandhi, calling his words that of a "local goon" and saying he had "insulted every person who had voted for the PM".
In a post on X, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said, "Rahul Gandhi speaks like a 'local goon'. Rahul Gandhi has openly insulted every poor (person) of India and Bihar who has voted for PM Narendra Modi ji! Rahul Gandhi has mocked voters, and Indian democracy!"
The party then countered by accusing Gandhi and the Congress of "openly standing with intruders".
Home Minister Amit Shah, speaking at a rally in Darbhanga district, referred to Gandhi's 'Voter Adhikar Yatra', a foot march through parts of the eastern state in August/September, to drum up public support for the opposition's claims of Election Commission-BJP collusion before polls.
Gandhi, meanwhile, also hit out over reports of a specially constructed pond, on the banks of the polluted Yamuna River in Delhi but filled with filtered water, so the Prime Minister could offer Chhath puja, which involves standing in the water of a river, sea, or pond, and taking a ritual dip.
"There is no Yamuna there… there is a pond there. He went to bathe in his 'swimming pool'. He has nothing to do with the Yamuna… with Chhath Puja," Gandhi said at a rally in Muzaffarpur.
RJD leader Tejaswhi Yadav, last week finally named as the opposition's chief ministerial candidate, after the Congress dragged its heels over the announcement, also spoke.
Yadav's speech, however, was far less controversial, focusing more on his poll promises than firing personal attacks against the Prime Minister. Among the assurances he offered was pricing cooking gas cylinders at Rs 500 and offering 200 free units of electricity per household.
He did, however, have one jibe to throw, and that was aimed at Janata Dal United boss and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whose government, he said, was being run by the BJP via 'remote control'.
On Tuesday the opposition alliance and the ruling BJP-JDU pair clashed over the legacy of Bihar socialist icon and former Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur, specifically the 'Jan Nayak' tag.
The row broke after the Congress declared Gandhi the 'Jan Nayak'.
READ | 'Jan Nayak' Battle: Congress, Allies, And BJP Spar Over Karpoori Thakur
Hindustan Awam Morcha chief Jitan Manjhi, a member of the BJP-led ruling alliance, was dismissive. "The title is given by the people... it can't be self-assumed," he said.
Manjhi was more critical of claims by the RJD to similarly label Tejashwi Yadav, while a Samajwadi Party leader, perhaps feeling left out, then 'bestowed' the label on Akhilesh Yadav.
The Bihar election will take place over two phases beginning November 6.
Results will be declared on November 14.
