A day after the ruling NDA's sweeping victory in Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday lambasted the Mahagathbandhan and said there is a 10 per cent difference between the two alliances, and voters cast their ballot on the issue of development.
Addressing a gathering at Surat airport, PM Modi accused the leaders of Congress and RJD of spreading rhetoric of caste politics in Bihar and said people of Bihar have rejected "the poison of caste division".
The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar swept the polls, winning 202 of 243 seats.
"In this election, there's a 10 per cent vote difference between the victorious NDA alliance and the defeated Mahagathbandhan. This is a significant amount. This means that the average voter voted one way, and on what issue? Development. The yearning for development in Bihar today is palpable," PM Modi said.
"Bihar is famous worldwide today. Go anywhere in the world, and you'll find Bihar's talent. Bihar is now showing a willingness to reach new heights in development. This election reflected that willingness. Bihar's women and youth formed a combination that strengthened the foundation of politics for decades to come. Those who analyse politics will take months to analyse the implications of Bihar's election results," he added.
PM Modi said people from Bihar living in Surat were closely monitoring the polls held in the state.
"My brothers and sisters living in Surat were closely monitoring this election. The people of Bihar don't need to be taught politics. They have the power to teach politics to the rest of the world," he said.
"Today, the hunger for development in Bihar is visible everywhere. I remember how, during Covid, people across the country were returning to their homes. At that time, I had the chance to interact with people from Bihar, and many of them used that difficult period to start their own businesses. This is the true strength of the people of Bihar.
Wherever you go in the world, you will always find Bihar's talent shining through," he added.
PM Modi took veiled digs at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav.
"For the past two years, these 'bail-bound leaders' kept running around Bihar, spreading the rhetoric of caste politics. They tried hard to inject the poison of caste division. But in this election, the people of Bihar completely rejected that poison," he said.
The NDA's 'tsunami' swept away the opposition Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, with the BJP emerging as the single-largest party with 89 seats, and the Janata Dal (United) finishing a close second with 85. The other allies of the ruling coalition also registered high strike rates.
The parties of the Mahagathbandhan, including the RJD and Congress, suffered significant setbacks, and Jan Suraaj, which had hoped for an impressive debut after its founder, Prashant Kishor, conducted an extensive campaign, failed to open its account.
The ruling NDA got 202 seats, a three-fourths majority in the 243-member House. This is the second time the NDA has crossed the 200-mark in the assembly polls. In the 2010 polls, it had won 206 seats.
In the NDA, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 89 seats, Janata Dal (United) won 85, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (LJPRV) won 19, Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) (HAMS) won five, and Rashtriya Lok Morcha won four seats.
In Mahagathbandhan, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) won 25 seats, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation) - CPI(ML)(L) - two, Indian Inclusive Party (IIP) - one and Communist Party of India (Marxist) - CPI(M) one seat.
All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) won five seats, and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) got one seat.
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