Opposition Leader Tejashwi Yadav Launches Scathing Attack on NDA's 21-Year Bihar Governance
In a fiery critique delivered on Monday, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, the leader of opposition in the Bihar assembly, asserted that the state has deteriorated across all metrics during the 21-year tenure of NDA rule. His comments emerged shortly after the legislative body passed the Appropriation Bill for the 2026-27 state budget, setting the stage for a heated political exchange.
Allegations of Systemic Failure and Empty Coffers
Tejashwi Yadav did not explicitly name Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, but his remarks were squarely aimed at the ruling coalition. Speaking to reporters outside the assembly, he declared, "It is the NDA that has ruled over the state for 21 years. Under their rule, the state has fallen on all parameters." He elaborated that the state's financial reserves have been depleted, warning that the government might soon lack funds to disburse salaries to its employees. "This is the result of the corruption and loot of public money," he added, painting a grim picture of administrative mismanagement.
Detailed Critique on Poverty, Migration, and Governance
When pressed for further details, Tejashwi expanded his criticism, highlighting Bihar's persistent challenges. "Even today, the state is rated as the most poor, most non-performing on employment creation and has maximum out migration of people," he stated. He pointed out that Bihar ranks highest in poverty indices, records the lowest per capita income, and underperforms in education and sports sectors. Additionally, he lamented the lack of industrial investment, noting, "It figures highest on poverty, has lowest per capita income, has been non-performing in the education and sports sectors and is also nowhere in the investment for the establishment of industrial units."
He further accused the government of operating under a cloud of corruption, bad governance, dictatorial tendencies, and bureaucratic dominance. "The govt's functioning is marked by corruption, 'kushasan (bad governance),' dictatorial tendencies and 'afsarshahi (dominance of bureaucracy),'" he alleged. Tejashwi dismissed the state budget as insubstantial and criticized ministerial responses during question-hour as routinely evasive. "The replies that the ministers give to the listed questions of the House members during the question-hour are of the 'ghisa-pita (routinely evasive type).' It is a very unfortunate situation," he remarked, also expressing concern over rising crime rates, including frequent incidents of murder and rape.
Minister Ashok Chaudhary's Robust Defense
The treasury benches vehemently objected to Tejashwi's allegations, with Rural Works Department Minister Ashok Chaudhary stepping forward to rebut the claims. Chaudhary addressed the media, explaining that a recent government circular to halt payments to contractors and agencies was a routine measure. "It is aimed at preventing what in the past used to be called the 'March loot,' when large chunks of money used to be released and drawn in the month of March before the closure of the financial year," he clarified, aiming to dispel notions of financial impropriety.
He outright rejected Tejashwi's assertion about empty state coffers, attributing the perceived depletion to welfare initiatives. "He has alleged the emptying of the state's coffers, because the govt has paid Rs 10,000 each to 1.81 crore women to start their business and trade activities," Chaudhary stated. He accused the opposition leader of hypocrisy, recalling Tejashwi's pre-election promise to implement the 'Mai Bahan' scheme. "In making his claims, he has shown his double face. For, he, on the eve of the assembly elections, had announced to implement the 'Mai Bahan' scheme. Wherefrom he would have mustered the money required for it?" Chaudhary questioned, challenging the consistency of Tejashwi's fiscal criticisms.
Political Implications and Ongoing Debate
This exchange underscores the deepening political rift in Bihar as the state navigates budgetary and governance challenges. Tejashwi Yadav's allegations reflect broader opposition concerns about the NDA's long-term impact on Bihar's development trajectory, while Minister Chaudhary's defense highlights the government's focus on social welfare and fiscal prudence. The debate is likely to intensify as both sides prepare for future electoral battles, with each leveraging economic and administrative narratives to sway public opinion.
