In a sharp exchange of political barbs ahead of Bihar's high-stakes assembly elections, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav fired back at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's recent "three monkeys" jibe during a campaign speech on Monday. Adityanath, addressing a rally in Muzaffarpur, had likened opposition leaders—RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, Congress's Rahul Gandhi, and Akhilesh Yadav himself—to Mahatma Gandhi's symbolic monkeys who "see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil." Derisively nicknaming them "Appu, Pappu, and Tappu", Adityanath accused the trio of peddling lies to Bihar's voters and aiming to revive the state's infamous "jungle raj" era of lawlessness under previous RJD rule. The Uttar Pradesh leader contrasted this with the current NDA government's progress, highlighting reduced crime rates, job creation, and sectoral development under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Responding swiftly while campaigning for the opposition Mahagathbandhan alliance, Akhilesh Yadav dismissed Adityanath's remarks as a BJP ploy to divert attention from pressing national issues. "The BJP is remembering Gandhiji's three monkeys because it wants to deflect people's minds from important issues," Yadav quipped before delivering a pointed counter: "The truth is that if he [Adityanath] were made to sit among a troop of monkeys, you or I wouldn't recognise him." The retort, laced with sarcasm, played on Adityanath's perceived austerity and monk-like persona, underscoring the escalating personal rhetoric in India's polarised political landscape. Such exchanges have become a hallmark of election seasons, where leaders from rival camps deploy humour and historical references to rally supporters and undermine opponents.

Adityanath's original attack, delivered to a cheering crowd in Muzaffarpur—a key battleground in Bihar's northern plains—went further, warning voters against caste-based divisions allegedly fomented by the opposition. He invoked his party's slogan, "Batenge toh katenge" (If you divide, you will be cut), urging unity behind the NDA to sustain Bihar's momentum in employment and infrastructure. Under RJD's past governance, he claimed, murders, loot, and dacoity had peaked, a narrative the BJP has long used to portray the opposition as enablers of mafia rule. This framing aligns with broader NDA strategies in Bihar, where alliances with regional players like Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party and Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) aim to consolidate non-Yadav votes against the RJD-led bloc.

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With Bihar's assembly polls underway, the first phase of voting commenced on November 6, followed by the second on November 11, and with results slated for November 14, the state's 243 seats are fiercely contested. The incumbent NDA, anchored by Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) and the BJP, seeks a third term by emphasising stability and growth. Opposing them is the Mahagathbandhan, uniting RJD, Congress, Left parties, and Mukesh Sahani's Vikassheel Insaan Party, which positions itself as a champion of social justice and anti-incumbency sentiments. As campaigns intensify, these verbal volleys not only energise bases but also highlight deeper fault lines over governance, caste dynamics, and development in one of India's most politically volatile states.

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