Here are the top stories from the Bihar polls this week:
Modi’s ‘Lathbandhan’ strike and the NDA pitch
Prime Minister Narendra Modi set the tone early in the week, coining a new term for the opposition alliance “Lathbandhan” a jab at what he called a “coalition of criminals.”
Interacting with young BJP workers via the NaMo App, Modi said, “Those who call themselves a gathbandhan, the people of Bihar call them a lathbandhan. Many of their leaders are out on bail.”
Taking aim at the RJD-Congress combine, Modi said Bihar would “never forget the misdeeds of Jungle Raj,” recalling the era of lawlessness under RJD rule. He credited Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the NDA for “restoring pride in being Bihari” and steering the state toward progress.
Rolling out a new slogan, “Raftaar pakad chuka Bihar, phir se NDA sarkar”, Modi highlighted development gains in infrastructure, education, and healthcare, urging first-time voters to choose “stability over chaos.”
BJP president JP Nadda reinforced that message during his rallies in Aurangabad and Vaishali, branding the election a choice between “Vikaas vs Vinaash.”
He accused the RJD of reverting to its old ways by fielding Osama Shahab, son of gangster-turned-politician Md. Shahabuddin and touted the NDA’s record, from new airports to farmer welfare schemes, as evidence of steady progress.
Tejashwi’s turn in the spotlight
Amid the turmoil, the INDIA bloc finally found its face. RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav was officially declared the alliance’s chief ministerial candidate, with Congress veteran Ashok Gehlot announcing the decision had the backing of Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi.
Seeking to shed old baggage, the 35-year-old Yadav promised a clean, reform-driven leadership.
“Tejashwi will never compromise on corruption, not even with his own shadow,” he said, dismissing the BJP’s “Jungle Raj” attacks as propaganda.
The alliance also unveiled a balancing act, promising multiple deputy chief ministers from different communities, including VIP leader Mukesh Sahni.
But even the show of unity wasn’t without drama with Independent MP Pappu Yadav complaining that Rahul Gandhi’s image was missing from the alliance poster, giving the BJP fresh ammunition to mock the bloc’s coherence.
Congress’ open mutiny in Patna
If the BJP projected unity, the Congress appeared to be fighting itself. Discontent boiled over on Thursday as senior Bihar Congress leaders, led by Anand Madhab, staged a protest at Sadaqat Ashram, demanding the removal of AICC Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru.
Chanting “ticket chor, Bihar chhod” (ticket thief, leave Bihar), the rebels accused Allavaru of being a “corporate agent” and even a “sleeper cell of the RSS.”
“We want our voice to reach Rahul Gandhi,” Madhab said, claiming Allavaru had “derailed” the party’s post–Voter Adhikar Yatra momentum.
The dissenters demanded that a senior political hand like Ashok Gehlot or Randeep Surjewala take charge and that a working president be appointed for day-to-day management.
While the rebellion came soon after ticket allocations, which is often a trigger for disgruntled workers, insiders say deeper factional cracks threaten to undercut the INDIA bloc’s unity message.
