Bihar's Election Campaign: A Disturbing Departure From Real Issues
The ongoing election campaign in Bihar has proven to be deeply disappointing, dismal, and disturbing according to political observers. Instead of addressing the pressing needs of India's poorest state, the political discourse has been dominated by controversies and divisive rhetoric that offer little benefit to the people of Bihar.
The 'H Bomb' Controversy and Its Aftermath
The campaign took a dramatic turn when Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition, unveiled what he termed an 'H bomb' during a press conference on November 9, 2025. Gandhi presented voter ID cards featuring the photograph of a Brazilian model, claiming these cards had been used for multiple fraudulent votes in Haryana during the previous year's election.
Rahul Gandhi demanded to know from journalists whether they could identify the woman in the photograph, dramatically revealing that she was a Brazilian model who allegedly voted repeatedly in Haryana under different names - sometimes as Sweety, sometimes as Pinky, and sometimes as Saraswati. He asserted that the Congress Party would have won the Haryana election if not for this alleged cheating facilitated by the BJP with help from the Election Commission.
However, subsequent investigations by television reporters revealed a more complex reality. When journalists visited the villages where the Brazilian model had supposedly voted, they discovered that in most cases, real Haryanvi women had voted using legitimate voter ID cards, but with incorrect photographs pasted on them. The mystery of how the Brazilian model's picture appeared on these cards remained unresolved, with the model herself releasing a video statement confirming she had never visited India.
Campaign Rhetoric Escalates Beyond Voter Fraud
The controversy lost momentum when Rahul Gandhi expanded his allegations, claiming that elections in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and other states had all been 'stolen.' The situation became more concerning when Priyanka Gandhi repeated her brother's allegations about 'vote chori' (vote theft) at a rally in Bihar the following day, creating an impression that the Congress coalition was preparing for potential defeat.
Meanwhile, the BJP campaign took a different but equally problematic direction. In constituencies with significant Muslim populations, BJP leaders delivered speeches focusing on weeding out illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and expelling them from India. This rhetoric echoed earlier comments by the Home Minister who had referred to such immigrants as 'termites.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself led the charge against what he termed 'ghuspatiyas' (infiltrators), a move that many observers felt lowered the stature of his office. The Congress Party's failure to strongly counter these communally charged statements represented a departure from its traditional secular values, according to political analysts.
Election Commission Under Scrutiny
The Election Commission found itself at the center of multiple controversies during the Bihar campaign. The decision to extend the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise to other states raised suspicions and valid questions that the Chief Election Commissioner needed to address.
Many questioned why the SIR exercise was being perceived as potentially excluding Muslim voters, with critics wondering if this perception reflected reality. The Election Commission responded to Rahul Gandhi's allegations by stating that the electoral rolls needed intensive revision precisely because of the charges he had raised, though this explanation failed to satisfy many observers.
The Chief Election Commissioner's perceived arrogance further eroded trust in an institution that must be seen as capable of conducting free and fair elections. When senior Opposition leaders raised legitimate questions about the electoral roll revision process, they received curt rebuttals rather than substantive answers.
Missed Opportunities for Substantive Debate
The Bihar campaign represented a significant missed opportunity for addressing the state's pressing development needs. Instead of focusing on poverty alleviation, job creation, education, and healthcare, the political discourse descended into allegations of voter fraud and communal rhetoric.
The BJP accused the Congress Party of disrespecting Sanatan Dharma because its leaders had not visited the new Ram temple in Ayodhya - an issue largely irrelevant to Bihar's voters. Meanwhile, the Congress campaign concentrated almost exclusively on allegations of electoral manipulation, despite internal recognition that such issues had repeatedly failed to resonate with voters in previous elections.
Political observers noted that all parties could learn from successful campaigns elsewhere, such as Zohran Mamdani's surprising victory in New York, where he defeated a candidate from a established political dynasty by focusing on substantive issues that captured voters' imaginations.
As Bihar, one of India's poorest states, approaches election day, the disappointing campaign has left many wondering when political leaders will finally address the real issues that affect ordinary citizens' daily lives rather than engaging in divisive rhetoric and unsubstantiated allegations.
