Bihar Election 2025: BJP calls Rahul Gandhi's Haryana vote fraud claim 'baseless'

The BJP on Wednesday dismissed Rahul Gandhi's allegation of mass vote theft in the Haryana Assembly Polls as "false and baseless" and accused the Congress leader of raising questions on the Election Commission to hide his failures and defame the country's democracy.

Rijiju's retort came hours after Gandhi cited electoral list data from Haryana to claim that 25 lakh entries were "fake" and the victory in the state was "stolen" from his party last year.

Gandhi said he had "100 per cent" proof of the malfeasance he alleged.

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju, in a press conference, accused Gandhi of "playing games" in collusion with "anti-India" forces to defame the country.

Aurangabad, Bihar | Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor says, "We will make just one appeal to the people of Bihar. In the last 3 years, you've been shown the path to vote once for your children, for their education and employment. Vote for this. After November 14, no child should have to leave their home and family for Rs 10-12,000. During Chhath, people suffer every year. This time, make such arrangements that Bihar's children don't have to go elsewhere out of Bihar."

UP CM Yogi Adityanath says, "Congress and RJD have a partner in UP: the Samajwadi Party (SP). SP had a mafia disciple who, during the SP government in Lucknow, built four fort-like houses on land belonging to the poor and the government. When our government came to power, I said, 'Fir bulldozer ki karavahi ho jaaye na'... On that same land, high-rise buildings were built to house the poor..."

Bihar Elections 2025: DGP Vinay Kumar says, "All the preparations have been completed yesterday evening itself, now all the forces, whether it is sector patrolling, related to blockade, or static booths, all of them will be briefed. Additional arrangements have been made for the sensitive zones, additional force has been deployed, and especially for area domination, we have given separate companies there. My appeal to the people is that they should go to the polling stations in large numbers without any fear, cast their vote, if any kind of disturbance arises from anywhere, then there are many means through which you can reach the police. We have got 1,650 companies of paramilitary forces. Close to 5 lakh security personnel will be on duty for the first phase of voting."

Bihar Election 2025 Live: Presiding officers hand over EVMs to the polling agents at a polling station in Patna

In Bihar, polling will be held tomorrow for the first phase of Assembly elections in 121 constituencies spread across 18 districts.

Bihar Director General of Police Vinay Kumar on Wednesday appealed to voters to turn out in large numbers for the state elections and to exercise their "Right to Vote" fearlessly, calling Bihar the "Mother of Democracy," ANI reported.

"All the voters of the state are to participate in the upcoming Bihar elections in huge numbers," he said, urging the public to use their weapon of voting to strengthen democracy. He added that anyone who witnesses an untoward incident during polling should report it to the officers deployed at the booths.

On the Mokama murder case, DGP Kumar said the incident "is a separate matter and it has no impact on preparations." He said arrests have been made, videos circulating online are being compiled, and suspects are being identified. "After the elections, everyone will be arrested. Those who took the law into their hands will not be spared," he warned.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari on Wednesday said the BJP and its allies may find it difficult to cross the 100-seat mark in the Bihar Assembly elections, attributing it to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's "inability" to work and campaign effectively.

"This time, Nitish Kumar's inability to work and the BJP's neglect of him will lead to a sharp fall in their seat count. The NDA will get significantly fewer seats, which will directly benefit the alliance of Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav," Tiwari told ANI.

Taking a dig at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, he added, "Amit Shah is talking about 160 seats to save a sinking ship. But I can say with full confidence that no one should be surprised if the BJP and its allies fail to even reach three digits."

As Bihar heads to the polls for the first phase of the Assembly elections on Thursday, Congress observer Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday voiced strong confidence in the Mahagathbandhan's victory.

Speaking to reporters in Jaipur, Gehlot said the people of Bihar were seeking change after two decades of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's rule.

"We'll win, and the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) will form the government. The manifesto is very impressive - it includes strong welfare and social security schemes. Nitish Kumar has been in power for 20 years, and Bihar remains the same. People want change. The BJP's use of money power, like what they did in Maharashtra, is beyond limits," Gehlot said.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday alleged that the NDA wanted to form the government in Bihar through 'vote chori' and claimed that the names of 65 lakh people, including women, were deleted from the electoral rolls through SIR. Addressing a rally in Valmiki Nagar assembly seat in West Champaran district, the Congress general secretary claimed that the current situation in the country was akin to the British Raj, and raised suspicion whether the country would continue to witness elections in the future. "My brother Rahul today gave an account of 'vote theft' in Haryana," she said, alluding to the allegations of the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha of widespread irregularities in assembly elections in the northern state. - PTI

Banka, Bihar: Responding to Rahul Gandhi's remarks, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Our army soldiers have only one religion - that religion is Sainya Dharma. There is no other religion apart from this. Don't drag our army into politics. Whenever the country has faced a crisis, our soldiers have made India proud through their bravery and valour."

He further added, "The politics of caste, sect, and religion has deeply harmed the nation. Our vision is to uplift every section of society and move forward together. We do not believe in discrimination based on caste, sect, or religion. The sages and great thinkers of our country have never even imagined such divisions."

As news of the tragedy spread, a large crowd gathered at the Kushwaha residence in Purnea. State minister Lesi Singh and Independent MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav visited the family's home on Tuesday night, PTI reported. Locals described Naveen Kushwaha as a popular figure who had earlier contested both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

Some family members believe that Tanu Priya accidentally fell from the staircase, leading to her death. "They also suspect that her father fell while trying to save her and later died, while Mala Devi reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest after hearing the news of their deaths," a police officer said on condition of anonymity.

"Soon after receiving information about the bodies, a police team reached the spot. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem to determine the exact cause of death," SDPO Jyoti Shankar said. Forensic experts have collected evidence from the house, and police are investigating the case from all possible angles.

The deceased were identified as Naveen Kushwaha, his wife Mala Devi, and daughter Tanu Priya, Purnea Sadar Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Jyoti Shankar told PTI. According to locals, Naveen was the elder brother of local JD(U) leader Neeranjan Kushwaha.

The elder brother of a JD(U) leader, along with his wife and daughter, were found dead at their home in Bihar's Purnea district, police said on Wednesday, according to PTI. The bodies were discovered on Tuesday night at their residence in the European Colony under the Kehat Police Station limits.

The first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections will see polling in several high-profile and politically significant constituencies. Among the key seats are Raghopur, where Tejashwi Yadav is seeking re-election, and Mahua, where his brother Tej Pratap Yadav is contesting under his new political outfit. Tarapur, the constituency of Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, is also set for a heated contest. Other prominent constituencies include Alinagar, where singer Maithili Thakur is making her electoral debut on a BJP ticket, and Lakhisarai, represented by Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha. In Mokama, JD(U) candidate and strongman Anant Singh-recently arrested over the murder of his opponent Dular Chand Yadav-is in the fray. Meanwhile, in Raghunathpur, the RJD has fielded Osama Shahab, son of the late gangster-turned-politician Mohammad Shahabuddin.

Polling for the remaining 122 constituencies will be conducted on November 11, while the counting of votes is slated for November 14.

The electioneering period witnessed a major incident of violence when gangster-turned-politician Dular Chand Yadav, aligned with Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party, was allegedly killed in a clash with supporters of JD(U) candidate Anant Singh in Mokama.

Prominent seats going to the polls in the first phase include Tejashwi Yadav's Raghopur, Mahua - where his brother Tej Pratap Yadav is contesting under a new political outfit - and Tarapur, where Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary is in the fray.

Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, addressed seven rallies for the opposition alliance, with the final three held on the last day of campaigning.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spearheaded the NDA's election drive with eight rallies - two of which were held on the penultimate day of campaigning. His schedule also included a roadshow in Patna and digital interactions with booth-level workers and women voters on the final day.

The high-octane campaign for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections, covering 121 constituencies, came to an end on Tuesday evening (November 4, 2025). The phase saw weeks of fiery exchanges, personal attacks, and divisive rhetoric among political rivals.