Bihar poll results: Rahul Gandhi calls verdict ‘shocking’ as Congress sinks to historic low; wins just 6 of 61 seats
PATNA: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said he was shocked at the outcome of Bihar poll as the Grand Old Party witnessed its worst ever performance in an assembly election in the state. The party, which is a part of the Grand Alliance, contested in 61 seats but won only six (strike rate of 9.83%). In 2020, the party contested 70 seats and won 19 (with a strike rate of 27.14%). All its prominent leaders, including state president Rajesh Kumar, Congress legislative party (CLP) leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan and former CLP leader Ajit Sharma, lost the election. In a post on social media, Gandhi alleged the election was not fair from the start. He wrote, “I express my heartfelt gratitude to the millions of voters in Bihar who placed their faith in the Grand Alliance. This result in Bihar is truly shocking. We failed to win an election that was not fair from the start. This fight is to protect the Constitution and democracy.” Party national president Mallikarjun Kharge said the Congress would study the election results in depth and, after understanding the reasons, would present a detailed account. Of the six seats it won, two were by very narrow margins. In Chanpatia, party candidate Abhishek Ranjan prevailed by 602 votes, securing 87 538 votes against BJP’s Umakant Singh who got 86,936. In Forbesganj, party candidate Manoj Biswas defeated BJP’s Vidya Sagar Keshri by 221 votes. Besides Chanpatia and Forbesganj, Congress registered victories in Valmiki Nagar (Surendra Prasad), Araria (Abidur Rahman), Kishanganj (Md Qamrul Hoda) and Manihari (Manohar Prasad Singh) Khan, who lost his sitting Kadwa seat to JD(U)’s Dulal Chandra Goswami by 18 368 votes, said the party would gracefully accept the mandate. He however alleged that the result reflected the effect of Rs 10,000 credited to the accounts of women before the election rather than the people’s mandate. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Bihar election results: NDA stuns Mahagathbandhan in Muslim dominated seats; JD(U) surges
NEW DELHI: Early trends of the Bihar assembly election results on Friday indicated significant gains for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in several Muslim-dominated seats. According to the initial trends, the NDA appears on track to secure at least 16 such seats. Chief minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) seems to have benefited the most within the alliance, gaining around eight more seats compared to the 2020 assembly polls. Additionally, Chirag Paswan’s LJP (RV) is leading in six seats with sizeable Muslim voter populations. On the other hand, the Mahagathbandhan has struggled to convert votes despite campaigning heavily on employment and a new chief ministerial face. As per the latest trends, the RJD is losing at least seven Muslim-dominated seats it had won in the 2020 assembly elections, while Congress is trailing in four such seats it previously held. In 2020, the RJD had won 18 of these seats, and Congress had secured six. Historically, Muslims have supported secular alliances. They ensure community members vote for parties claiming to be inclusive. The 2022 Bihar survey showed Muslims make up 17.7% of population and nearly 80% Muslim votes went to MGB in 2015 and 77% in 2020. Meanwhile, the NDA alliance has taken decisive leads across the state, with the Mahagathbandhan trailing. According to the latest numbers, the NDA crossed the majority mark early in the day, with both the BJP and JD(U) delivering strong performances. The Mahagathbandhan (MGB) remains behind, with the RJD performing better than its ally Congress, though still unable to match the NDA’s spread. The RJD, despite the MGB’s overall deficit, continues to rank among the top individual parties in several seats. Jan Suraaj, however, is not appearing prominently in the early seat trends, and its vote share—where visible—remains marginal, having little impact on close contests. The counting operations are being supervised by 243 Returning Officers and an equal number of Counting Observers appointed by the Election Commission. More than 18,000 counting agents representing various candidates are present at the centres to monitor the process closely. Entry into counting centres is strictly limited to individuals with valid passes, and the use of mobile phones inside counting halls is fully prohibited. The election saw participation from over 7 crore voters who cast their ballots to decide the fate of both the ruling NDA and the Mahagathbandhan. Polling was held in two phases, on November 6 and 11. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Cong stages protest in Ambala against ‘vote theft’
Ambala: Former chief minister and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Bhupinder Singh Hooda, along with Haryana Congress chief Rao Narendra Singh, led a protest in Ambala on Thursday against alleged large-scale vote theft in Haryana. A large number of Congress leaders, workers, and citizens gathered in the city, voicing strong anger and outrage over what they termed as a “theft of democracy.” The protesters later submitted a memorandum to the Ambala deputy commissioner’s office, addressed to the President of India. Addressing the gathering, Hooda said that LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi exposed massive vote rigging across several states, including Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Haryana. “His revelations raised serious questions about the impartiality of the Election Commission. In some areas, 501 votes were registered from a single house, in others, 223 votes were recorded in the name of one woman, and even 22 votes were cast using the photo of a foreign woman,” Hooda claimed. He alleged that the actual scale of the fraud runs into lakhs of votes. “Rigging happened not only in constituencies where the Congress lost but even in those where it won. If the voting was fair, Congress MLAs would have won by far larger margins,” he added. Citing past electoral trends, Hooda said that the party leading in postal ballots always formed the govt in Haryana. “This time, Congress was leading in 73 out of 90 seats in the postal ballot count, but lost in the EVM count. On the night of the 5th, the Election Commission reported a 61.19% voter turnout; the next day, it increased to 65.65%, which mysteriously rose to 67.9% by the 7th — just before counting. Such discrepancies are beyond comprehension,” he said. Hooda termed the developments as an “open theft of not just votes, but the entire govt.” He asserted that the incident amounts to tampering with the country’s democracy, constitution, and the hard-earned freedom achieved through countless sacrifices. “Congress will launch state-wide and nationwide protests against vote theft and will not allow the BJP to undermine the Constitution,” he declared. Echoing Hooda’s sentiments, Congress state president Rao Narendra Singh said Rahul Gandhi’s disclosures revealed the “truth of machine manipulation.” “In the assembly polls, Congress received 39.5% votes against the BJP’s 39.9%. Yet, despite leading in 73 postal ballot seats, Congress was denied power. In the Lok Sabha polls, Congress got 47.6% votes — two and a half percent more than the BJP. This is a direct assault on Dr B R Ambedkar’s Constitution,” Rao said, vowing to take the battle to the streets to defend democracy and the people’s mandate. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Congress’s youth push in Gujarat, Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Mr. Trustworthy’ given major responsibility, could see BJP’s stronghold crumble
Gujarat Politics News: Gujarat Assembly elections will be held in 2027, but these elections will be a direct test of Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, as Rahul Gandhi had declared the BJP’s defeat in Gujarat after the Lok Sabha elections. Now, the Congress leadership has deployed Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Mr. Trustworthy’, B.V. Srinivas, to PM Modi’s home state of Gujarat. Ahmedabad/New Delhi: Ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, the Congress has announced the deployment of Srinivas B.V. in the politically crucial state of Gujarat. As the Youth Congress President, Srinivas B.V. earned the title of ‘Oxygen Man’ by helping people extensively during the COVID-19 pandemic. Srinivas B.V. has been appointed the new co-in-charge by the Congress. Mukul Wasnik is the state in-charge. Srinivas B.V.’s appointment in Gujarat has sparked debate about whether Rahul Gandhi will intensify his Mission Gujarat campaign after the Bihar election results, as the AAP has been the focus of more attention in Gujarat than the Congress in recent months. Kejriwal, during his Gujarat visit, launched a scathing attack, saying that the Congress and BJP are husband and wife. It’s unclear who is the husband and who is the wife in this relationship, but there’s certainly collusion. Kejriwal asked why AAP MLAs go to jail, not Congress MLAs. AAP is in the news more than Congress. In Gujarat, Congress appointed Amit Chavda as the state chief in place of Shakti Singh Gohil. In his second term, Amit Chavda isn’t garnering the attention he expected. AAP leaders are in the news more than Congress. Leaders like Gopal Italia, Chatur Vasava, Isudan Gadhvi, Raju Karpada, and Praveen Ram have built their own fan followings, while Congress appears to be fragmented. Now, it remains to be seen what Srinivas BV, former head of the Congress Youth Wing, can do as co-in-charge, as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s reputation is at stake in Gujarat. It’s believed in political circles that the party is concerned about the attention AAP is receiving. Punjab is also due to have elections in 2027 before Gujarat. Therefore, the party has carefully deployed Srinivas BV to the Gujarat front. Rahul has challenged the BJP. After assuming the position of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, he challenged the BJP to defeat the BJP in Gujarat. Therefore, even though the Gujarat elections are still far away, they are considered very important. Last month, the BJP conducted a major cabinet reshuffle in Gujarat, but the Congress was unable to claim any anti-incumbency against the government. Therefore, Usha Naidu, who was posted in Gujarat, has been sent to Madhya Pradesh. In the last Gujarat elections, the Congress was reduced to 17 seats. The party’s MLA strength has now dwindled to 12. Five more MLAs have joined the BJP. The AAP, which had five MLAs, has been expelled from the party. Consequently, it has four MLAs, while the BJP has 161 MLAs in the 182-member assembly. BV Srinivas is a former cricketer. He hails from Karnataka. Written by: Achalendra Katiyar About the Author Achalendra Kumar Katiyar works for Navbharat Times Online. He began his career with DLA in 2008. During his 17-year career, he has worked for iNext, Aaj Samaj, and Dainik Hindustan. He closely monitors developments in western states, including Gujarat and Maharashtra. He has a keen understanding of politics. Courtesy: Hindi News
BJP alleges vote theft worth eight crore in the Youth Congress elections
MP Youth Congress Election: The BJP has alleged vote theft in the Madhya Pradesh Youth Congress elections. Minister Vishwas Sarang has stated that eight crore votes were stolen in the election, and that Rahul Gandhi is solely responsible for this. Bhopal: The election for the Youth Congress President has been held in Madhya Pradesh. Yash Ghanghoria, son of a senior Congress leader, has become the Youth Congress President. The BJP has made a serious allegation regarding this. Minister Vishwas Sarang has alleged that Abhishek Parmar, son of a farmer, was defeated by vote theft. He said that 1.5 million youth were registered in MP. A fee of 50 rupees was charged for this. Eight crore rupees collected Vishwas Sarang said that adding up this total, it comes to seven and a half crore rupees. The hard-earned money of the parents of the youth was collected. There was also a fee for contesting the elections, which amounted to one crore rupees. He further stated that eight and a half lakh votes were held or rejected in the Youth Congress elections. Vishwas Sarang alleged that Rahul Gandhi stole these votes. Congress votes were stolen. Vote Theft Within Congress Citing some examples, the minister said that youth between the ages of 18 and 35 could participate in the Youth Congress elections. Santosh Singh, a 44-year-old resident of Vidisha district, has committed this act of vote theft. Similarly, Anjum Khan, whose membership is listed as 36 years old according to her voter card, questioned whether this vote theft occurred within Congress. Will Rahul Gandhi answer for this? Rahul Gandhi Making False Allegations Rahul Gandhi is leading a campaign to create news by making false allegations against the democratic system in the country. He said that ever since Rahul Gandhi became the face of the party, Congress has been losing elections. Rahul Gandhi is making baseless allegations to save face. He is making false allegations of vote theft, which he has been unable to prove anywhere. Curated by: Muneshwar Kumar About the Author Muneshwar Kumar is Principal Correspondent at Navbharat Times Online. He has 14 years of experience in journalism. He has a special interest in politics, crime, current affairs, and off-beat news in Madhya Pradesh. He also has experience reporting on the ground for several elections. He has been with Navbharat Times Online since 2020. Courtesy: Hindi News
‘Live murder of democracy’: Rahul Gandhi reiterates ‘vote chori’ charge; cites CCTV footage destruction, multiple voting by BJP workers
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday claimed that democracy in India is being “murdered live,” reiterating his allegations of electoral manipulation against the Election Commission (EC) and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “Millions of BJP workers are roaming freely across states, casting votes multiple times. To cover up this theft, all evidence is being erased. The BJP and the Election Commission are openly stealing votes — the murder of democracy is unfolding live,”Rahul Gandhi wrote on X. Rahul Gandhi X post He shared the post along with a news report quoting the poll panel’s submission before the Delhi high court that CCTV footage from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the capital stands destroyed and is no longer with the district election officers. The Raebareli MP and leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha also quote-tweeted a Congress post that highlighted an alleged instance of voting across three states — most recently in Bihar — by an X user. The grand old party argued that these actions violate the “one person, one vote” principle and are a clear examples of “vote chori” (vote theft), a phrase Gandhi has popularised in his ongoing attacks on the BJP and the EC. Since August, Gandhi has held three press conferences alleging that votes are being “stolen” in collusion between the BJP and the EC. His most recent interaction with the media on this came on November 5, a day before the first phase of polling in Bihar, which covered 121 assembly constituencies. The second and final round, for the remaining 122 seats, took place on Tuesday, with the counting for all 243 constituencies scheduled for Friday. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Bihar exit polls: Looking back at past predictions across states; how close were they to actual results?
NEW DELHI: With the final phase of the Bihar assembly elections wrapping up on Tuesday evening, all eyes now turn to the exit polls — the political prelude to the much-anticipated counting day. The high-stakes battle, primarily between the ruling NDA alliance and the opposition Mahagathbandhan, also marks the debut of Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj, which has campaigned vigorously on promises of change. As Bihar waits for the first projections to roll in, here’s a look at how exit polls fared in five major elections held in the recent past — Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, and the Lok Sabha — and whether the predictions matched the final results. Maharashtra: Predictions underplayed a landslide Exit polls: Pollsters had predicted an edge for the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance (BJP, Ajit Pawar’s NCP, and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena), projecting between 150 and 170 seats in the 288-member assembly. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was expected to secure 110 to 130 seats, while smaller parties were forecast to win 8 to 10. Results: The Mahayuti performed far beyond expectations, sweeping 235 of the 288 seats, handing a decisive victory to the BJP-led alliance. The scale of the win exceeded most projections, showing a clear miss for the exit polls. Delhi: Exit polls broadly accurate, with minor deviations Exit polls: Surveys predicted a strong lead for the BJP, while some overestimated AAP’s performance. Results: The final tally stood at BJP 48, AAP 22, and Congress 0. Pollster P-Marq proved most accurate, predicting AAP at 26 and BJP at 44, a deviation of just four seats per party. Poll Diary also closely matched the outcome, forecasting AAP’s 22 seats precisely and coming within two seats for BJP. Haryana: Exit polls misread the tide completely Exit polls: Predictions gave Congress a clear upper hand with 44 to 64 seats, while the BJP was expected to manage 15 to 32 seats. Results: The BJP stunned pollsters and opponents alike, winning 48 seats, an all-time best for the party in Haryana. The Congress managed 37, nine short of the majority mark. The outcome sharply contrasted with exit poll estimates, making Haryana one of the biggest misses for psephologists in recent elections. Jharkhand: Exit polls drowned in a political downpour Exit polls: Most surveys predicted a neck-and-neck contest between the NDA and the INDIA bloc, giving around 38 seats to the JMM-led coalition and 40 to the BJP-led alliance. Results: When the results were declared on November 23, the INDIA bloc led by Hemant Soren’s JMM swept 50 of 81 seats, a resounding mandate. The exit polls, almost unanimously, failed to anticipate the scale of the INDIA bloc’s win. Lok Sabha 2024: ‘400 paar’ predictions fall flat Exit polls: Predictions for the 2024 general elections had painted a landslide for the BJP-led NDA, with some pollsters going as far as forecasting “400-paar”. Results: The NDA won 293 seats, well below the forecast, while the BJP managed 240 seats, 63 fewer than in 2019 — losing its solo majority for the first time since 2014. The INDIA bloc, led by Congress, surprised observers with 235 seats, underlining the extent of the exit poll miscalculations. What to expect in Bihar As Bihar’s 2025 verdict inches closer, the spotlight is now on the exit polls — whether they will capture the pulse of the voter or once again misfire, as in several recent elections. With Nitish Kumar seeking to defend his legacy and Tejashwi Yadav attempting to unseat him, the political stage is set for another fascinating test. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
“Unhappy with the Bihar ticket distribution, seniors are not respected in this Congress,” Shakeel Ahmed questions Rahul Gandhi
Shakeel Ahmad Resigns: Following Shakeel Ahmed’s resignation from the Bihar Congress, a new revelation has now emerged. This revelation was made by Shakeel Ahmed himself. He has raised questions about ticket distribution and the new Congress of Rahul Gandhi’s era. Patna: Senior Congress leader Dr. Shakeel Ahmed has resigned from the party’s primary membership. He stated, “I am saddened. I was also unhappy with the ticket distribution in the Bihar elections.” Shakeel Ahmed resigned from the Congress in a lengthy letter. Although he cited personal reasons in the letter, he later revealed the truth in a conversation. Shakeel Ahmed was unhappy with the ticket distribution Senior leader Dr. Shakeel Ahmed said, “The reason is that I am angry, and what happened in the elections, especially the ticket distribution, was disappointing.” Although I announced three years ago that I wouldn’t contest elections. People stay in the party for family, but none of my sons wants to join the party now. People also stay in the party for respect and recognition, and if that’s not provided, why would anyone stay? Seniors are no longer respected in the Congress – Shakeel Ahmed Taking a dig at the party, he said, “Only those created by Rahul Gandhi are left in the party today. Why should we stay where seniors are not respected? We are resigning from the party, but we still have full faith in it. It’s not so easy to say that Rahul Gandhi’s leadership is failing. If senior leaders, even those who have said they don’t want to become MPs or MLAs, nor do they want their children to become MLAs, are still in the party, it’s for respect and recognition.” The decision was made 15 days ago. He said, “I deliberately chose today because I had made the decision 15 days ago, but I didn’t want to send the wrong message by resigning in the middle of the elections. I didn’t want the party to lose even five votes because of me, so I didn’t resign earlier. The elections ended at 6 p.m., and I sent my resignation to the Congress President around 6:05-6:10 p.m.” Exit polls aren’t always accurate – Shakeel On the IANS-Matterize exit poll for the Bihar Assembly elections, Dr. Shakeel Ahmed said, “I haven’t seen any exit polls yet, but exit polls and opinion polls aren’t always accurate. Even in 2015, all opinion polls and exit polls failed. We don’t believe they are always accurate.” Edited by: Rishikesh Narayan Singh About the Author Rishikesh Narayan Singh is in-charge of Bihar-Jharkhand for Navbharat Times Digital. His 20-year journey in journalism spanned from Janmat TV, IBN7, ETV Bihar-Jharkhand, News18 Bihar-Jharkhand to Times Internet. After starting in the national capital, Delhi, he now works in Bihar. Courtesy: Hindi News
NDA netas defend EC, say opposition has conceded defeat
Patna: The NDA on Monday hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the opposition’s chief ministerial face, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, saying they had “accepted defeat even before the second phase” of the Bihar assembly elections scheduled for Tuesday. Reacting to the Congress and RJD’s allegations against the Election Commission (EC), former Union minister and Patna Sahib MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said the opposition routinely questioned democratic institutions whenever outcomes did not favour them. “It is their habit to attack vital organs of democracy. How did they win in Himachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh? How did Rahul Gandhi win in Uttar Pradesh?” he asked, countering Rahul and Tejashwi’s charge that the EC was a “tool of the BJP”. Responding to Tejashwi’s question on why industries were being set up in BJP-ruled states and not in Bihar, Prasad said he knew Rahul Gandhi “does not do homework”. “It seems Tejashwi has fallen prey to the same condition after staying with the LoP. Seventeen ethanol projects have been started in Bihar. Textile and readymade garment factories have come up in Bettiah, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Begusarai and Hajipur. Biscuit and food processing units have been set up in Hajipur and Bihta. MoUs worth Rs1.8 lakh crore have been signed for investments in Bihar. We are winning even after 20 years of remaining in power because of people’s trust in the NDA,” he said. Senior JD(U) leader and minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said that despite two decades of continuous rule, not a single voice had been raised against chief minister Nitish Kumar. “This is an incredible achievement. Nitish is the only CM whose popularity has increased as his tenure has progressed, and today he is even more popular than in 2010. No matter what the opposition may say in its discordant voice, the public has trust in Nitish Kumar,” he said. Choudhary added that the opposition’s entire campaign was based on “false and baseless” assertions. “Rumours were spread claiming the govt would withdraw Rs10,000 each given to Jeevika Didis. Similarly, the opposition questioned the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls just to appease the minorities,” he said. On Tejashwi’s allegation that security forces were being deployed only from BJP-ruled states, JD(U) leader and minister Ashok Choudhary clarified, “The EC calls in reinforcements from places where there is a surplus and no tension.” Referring to Tejashwi’s criticism of PM Narendra Modi for campaigning alongside strongmen, Ashok Choudhary asked, “Who is Ritlal Yadav? Is he the Shankaracharya? RJD chief Lalu Prasad campaigned for him. A criminal was murdered in Siwan, and you went there in a helicopter. What message were you trying to convey?” Regarding the Congress’s charge on Bihar’s backwardness, LJP (RV) Bihar incharge and Jamui MP Arun Bharti said the party should first present its own record. “Bihar had about 25% contribution to the country’s GDP, with around 40% sugar and 60% coal supplied from the state after independence. Patna University was among the top universities. Who snatched this advantage of Bihar?” he asked. RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha said the public mood clearly favoured the NDA. “The people’s sentiments visible everywhere clearly tell the opposition, ‘Kyon pade ho chakkar mein, nahin hai koi takkar mein (why are you so confused? No one is in competition).’ The atmosphere is completely in the NDA’s favour,” he added. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Rahul Gandhi spoke to Gen Z on reservations, business-education in Bihar, and the RSS, and made these remarks on politics.
While speaking to Gen Z children, Rahul Gandhi responded to a question about caste-based reservations by stating that he was not talking about reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, but rather that he wanted every section of society to have access to the country’s resources according to their population. New Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has been frequently discussing the new generation recently. He also urged Gen Z to participate in the Bihar elections. In this context, on Monday, he spoke with some Gen Z children on a variety of issues. Responding to a question about caste-based reservations, Rahul Gandhi stated that he was not talking about reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, but that he wanted every section of society to have access to the country’s resources according to their population, as advocated by the Congress party. Answering serious questions with a smile Congress released a 10-minute video on Monday, in which Rahul Gandhi appeared in a light mood while talking to children. The children, while laughing, asked him serious questions. The first question was about politics. Rahul Gandhi said he would simply share his own experiences. He said that responsibility and honesty are essential in politics. Everyone calls politics a dirty game…but in reality, it’s hard work. It’s real work. What did he say about reservations? A girl asked, “The BJP practices Hindutva politics, while the Congress talks about SC/ST reservations. What should we do?” To this question, Rahul Gandhi said, “Congress doesn’t talk about SC/ST reservations. Congress is saying that India’s wealth should be distributed honestly. Whether you’re a Dalit, an OBC, a Muslim, an EBC, or a tribal, you should all have equal opportunities. It shouldn’t be that two percent get all the wealth, while the rest are left screaming.” He further said, “If you say I fight for the rights of tribals, then you can say they vote for us (Congress). You wouldn’t call it a vote bank.” You can say this: whose rights are you working for? Rahul Gandhi said that while the term “vote bank” may sound appealing in the media, the real reason is that when you work for someone’s rights, that’s politics. He said this in response to a question about the Bihar elections. One question was, “In 2012, you went to Kashmir with several business tycoons and said you wanted to bring business to Kashmir. Do you have such a plan for Bihar?” Regarding this question about the Bihar elections, Rahul Gandhi said, “If I were to go to Bihar today with five businessmen, the state government would destroy the businesses. Nitish Kumar’s government has been in power in Bihar for 20 years. He has destroyed Bihar, and the education system in Bihar has also been destroyed. Education is almost nonexistent.” Rahul Gandhi alleged that young people in Bihar prepare for exams, but those who control the government leak the papers and give them to their own people. They appoint RSS chancellors to universities, who have destroyed the basic structure of education. There are professors who teach physics but don’t know physics. Those who teach biology don’t know biology. The healthcare system has also been destroyed. The healthcare system in Bihar has been privatized. Under the flyover at Delhi AIIMS, you’ll find many patients from Bihar who come to Delhi for treatment because they can’t be treated in Bihar. Curated by: Varun Shailesh About the Author Varun Shailesh is an Assistant News Editor at Navbharat Times Online. He has over 15 years of experience covering current affairs, politics, social issues, and features. He began his career with the news agency IANS in 2009. He worked on the central desk of Hindustan (Hindustan Times Group) for over five years. Courtesy: Hindi News