Congress Lists 20 ‘NDA Failures’ Ahead of Bihar Polls, Urges Voters to End ‘Goonda Raj’

The Congress released 20 points on the "deceptions, injustices, and neglect inflicted upon" the state by the BJP-JD(U) government on Wednesday, one day before the first phase of the Bihar assembly elections. The Congress urged voters to defeat the NDA to put an end to corruption, unemployment, migration, and "goonda raj."

Jairam Ramesh, the general secretary of communications for the Congress, claimed that the NDA's "power-hungry interests" have forced Bihar's promising future into the shadows.

"Before the first phase of voting on November 6, be sure to take a look at these 20 points on the deceptions, injustices, and neglect inflicted on Bihar by the BJP-JD(U) government over the past 20 years," Ramesh said on X, listing out the 20 points.

He pointed out that more than 10 recruitment and entrance exams in the state had been leaked, sparking scandals.

"The futures of lakhs of youth were ruined. When the youth took to the streets demanding justice, they were mercilessly beaten with batons," Ramesh said.

He also cited a sting operation to claim that papers and degrees are sold in Bihar for anywhere from Rs 20 to 50 lakh.

"Due to the NDA government's failed economic and employment policies, crores of people were forced to leave their homes and migrate to other states for labour work. According to the Modi government's own e-Shram portal, 3 crore 18 lakh people from Bihar are engaged in labour in other states," the Congress general secretary said.

"Industries and businesses have been devastated. Even those industrialists running their own businesses are now insecure. In the last 6 months, 11 industrialists have been murdered," Ramesh said.

He asserted that "goonda raj" and the abduction industry are flourishing in Bihar, where an average of 8 murders, 33 kidnappings, and 136 horrible crimes take place every day.

Additionally, he cited a 70,000 crore rupee "scam" that the CAG had exposed.

According to him, corruption has caused 27 significant bridges to collapse in the past three years.

"The CAG report states that Bihar's health system is in shambles—60 per cent shortage of staff, 86 per cent shortage of specialist doctors, 57 per cent shortage of resources from district hospitals to Primary Health Centre (PHCs), and a shortage of beds in 93 per cent of hospitals," the Congress leader said.

"According to the NGT, pollution in 'Ma Ganga' has increased - out of 13 sewage treatment plants, only 7 are operational, and even those are not up to standard levels," he said.

He asserted that an empire of illicit booze has been built under the pretence of alcohol prohibition, adding that 190 people have died from deadly liquor since 2016, primarily in Saran, Siwan, Gaya, Bhojpur, Buxar, and Gopalganj.

"The school education system has collapsed - dropout rate of 26 per cent (the highest in the country), no electricity in 1,16,529 schools, only one teacher in 2,637 schools, and not a single student in 117 schools," Ramesh said.

He further claimed that higher education is in utter disarray, with a gross enrolment ratio of 17.1 per cent (the lowest in the country), and only 7 colleges per lakh population, when the national average is 30.

"Farmers' incomes have completely dried up -- no benefits under the KUSUM scheme, and out of Rs 3,980 crore in the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, only Rs 915 crore has been spent," Ramesh said.

He claimed that the "recovery mafias' reign of terror" was getting worse, trapping the daughters of Bihar in the web of microloans.

Additionally, Ramesh said that there were "massive scams" in MGNREGA, including payments made in the deceased's names, phoney attendance records, and phoney pictures.

"The Srijan scam - direct loot of 1,000 crore rupees. 1,000 acres of land given to Adani at the rate of 1 rupee per acre. Even in nutritional meals, there's a scam - out of 1,14,000 anganwadis, growth monitoring machines are non-functional in 50,000," he claimed.

Ramesh alleged that corruption in the state is at its peak, and according to the Economic Offences Unit and Vigilance Department, there are graft cases against 4,200 government officials, Ramesh said.

He urged the people of Bihar to defeat the BJP-JD(U).

"Unemployment, migration, corruption, and goonda raj will end on their own," Ramesh said.

The stage is set for the pivotal first round of the Bihar assembly elections on Thursday, when 3.75 crore voters will choose the electoral fate of 1,314 candidates, including prominent figures like BJP Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and INDIA bloc chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav.

In Raghopur, Yadav hopes to complete a hat-trick. In 2010, Satish Kumar of the BJP, who was running on a JD(U) symbol, defeated his mother, Rabri Devi.

The results of the two phases of the Bihar elections, which are scheduled for November 6 and 11, will be released on November 14.

Tejashwi Yadav, the head of the RJD, has been named the chief ministerial candidate of the opposition INDIA coalition, which consists of the Congress, the Left, and the RJD.

With PTI inputs.