#BiharPolls: ‘Fear of RJD Won’t Work Anymore’ Prashant Kishor Takes Aim at PM Modi

Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor unleashed a sharp critique of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8, accusing him of relying on fear-mongering about Lalu Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) to secure votes in Bihar's high-stakes assembly elections. Speaking amid the record turnout in the first phase, Kishor argued that Modi's strategy—evoking the infamous "jungle raj" era of RJD rule—has lost its edge after decades of NDA dominance. "PM Modi is trying to get votes by instilling fear of the RJD because he has nothing else to say," Kishor declared, positioning his party as the fresh alternative voters crave in a state weary of the same old politics.

Kishor dismissed the NDA's long-standing playbook, where BJP and ally Nitish Kumar's JD(U) painted RJD as a return to lawlessness to rally support, regardless of their own governance record. "For the last several decades, the best way for NDA, BJP, and Nitish Kumar to get votes has been to show the fear of Lalu so that people would say that, whether the work is done or not, at least the 'jungle raj' is not back," he said. But with Bihar's youth and migrants demanding jobs and development, Kishor insisted the tide has turned: "If you're saying Jungle Raj shouldn't return, but then why should you (NDA)? Jan Suraaj is a new alternative."

The jibe comes hot on the heels of Modi's fiery rally last week in Aurangabad, where he warned that "jungle raj" horrors would linger in memory for another 100 years and urged elders to pass down tales to the youth. He branded the opposition Mahagathbandhan as "lathbandhan"—a coalition of lath-wielding criminals—claiming its leaders from Delhi to Bihar are out on bail. Modi tied the record 64.66% turnout in phase one—the highest ever for Bihar assembly polls, surpassing 2000's 62.57%—to a "65-volt shock" against RJD's legacy, interpreting it as endorsement for NDA's "double-engine" governance.

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Kishor, who hails the unprecedented participation as proof of impending change, conceded Modi was once "right" in anti-RJD warnings when no viable third option existed. Now, with Jan Suraaj contesting all 243 seats in its debut, he claims migrants—who once backed NDA—are shifting toward his vision of factories and local jobs over fear tactics. "Earlier, migrant workers voted for NDA... today they are not. They want factories and jobs in Bihar," Kishor added, mocking Home Minister Amit Shah's land shortage excuses while highlighting NDA's infrastructure favoritism.

As phase two looms on November 11 with counting on November 14, Kishor's broadside escalates the triangular contest between NDA, RJD-led Mahagathbandhan, and Jan Suraaj. While Modi rallies the base with nostalgia for stability, Kishor bets on voter fatigue with recycled narratives, predicting history will be made if the "sheer number of polls" signals a clean break from Bihar's polarized past. The outcome could redefine the state's politics, proving whether fear still trumps hope.

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