Amit Shah Targets Illegal Immigration in Seemanchal, Confident of NDA Winning Bihar

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in an exclusive interview with NDTV on November 7, 2025, while campaigning in Bihar's Purnia district, declared that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) aims to rid the Seemanchal region of illegal immigrants, framing it as a critical national security issue ahead of the assembly elections. Shah emphasised that infiltration poses a direct threat to local jobs and safety, accusing opposition parties like the RJD and Congress of treating undocumented migrants as vote banks by allegedly facilitating their inclusion in voter lists. He vowed to remove such names nationwide if the NDA retains power, stating that India is "not a dharamshala" (rest house) for outsiders, and highlighted ongoing voter list revisions that have already struck off lakhs of suspected entries in border areas.

During the interaction amid a high-energy roadshow, Shah expressed unwavering confidence in the NDA's performance, predicting a sweep of over 160 seats in the 243-member assembly and the alliance's best-ever showing under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's leadership. He pointed to massive rally turnouts as evidence of public support, contrasting the NDA's development record—infrastructure like new airports, bridges over the Ganga, and flood mitigation projects—with the opposition's alleged return to "jungle raj" of kidnappings and lawlessness.

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Shah dismissed health concerns about Kumar, noting his rigorous campaign schedule, and reiterated commitments to self-employment schemes, women's empowerment, and making Bihar infiltrator-free, particularly in Muslim-majority Seemanchal, comprising Purnia, Katihar, Araria, and Kishanganj. The remarks intensify the BJP's polarising narrative on infiltration from Bangladesh and Nepal, a recurring theme in Seemanchal, where demographic changes have fuelled debates, with the region seeing fractured mandates in past polls influenced by parties like AIMIM.

Shah challenged Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Prasad Yadav to protect infiltrators through protests, asserting that no genuine citizen has been disenfranchised in revisions. This stance aligns with broader NDA promises, including a defence corridor, revived sugar mills, and community-specific schemes, while warning that a Mahagathbandhan victory would revive crime and stall progress achieved under Modi-Kumar governance since 2005.

As Bihar heads into the second voting phase on November 11, Shah's Purnia statements underscore the high-stakes battle in Seemanchal, potentially swaying border constituencies amid opposition accusations of communal dog-whistling and neglect of genuine development issues like floods and migration. With counting on November 14, the NDA's aggressive anti-infiltration pitch, backed by star campaigners like PM Modi and Yogi Adityanath, positions the elections as a referendum on security versus alleged vote-bank politics, setting the tone for a fiercely contested verdict.

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