As the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections got underway on Thursday, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a strong swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of making 'false promises' and neglecting key regions like Bhagalpur and Seemanchal. Ramesh questioned whether the“double-engine” government of the BJP and JD(U) had deliberately left these areas backward for political benefit. In a series of posts on X, the Congress general secretary in-charge of Communications said that the BJP-JD(U) government had failed to improve living conditions in Seemanchal even after two decades of rule.

प्रधानमंत्री का झूठ सबसे मज़बूत!!आज प्रधानमंत्री भागलपुर और सीमांचल में आ रहे हैं -इस अवसर पर हम उनके कुछ पिछले झूठे वादे याद दिलाना चाहते हैं और उनसे कुछ सीधा सवाल है:1. 2015 में प्रधानमंत्री ने कहा था- भागलपुर में 500 एकड़ में 500 करोड़ से विक्रमशिला केंद्रीय...

- Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) November 6, 2025

Congress leader's sharp criticism

Stressing that 'Seemanchal remains trapped in poverty', Jairam Ramesh highlighted the poor state of the region, which includes districts such as Araria, Purnia, Kishanganj and Katihar. Citing data from the Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI), the Congress leader said that a majority of the people living in these districts continue to struggle with poverty and lack of basic facilities.

"Seemanchal has only been neglected, resulting in nearly half its population being trapped in severe poverty. Why has the double-engine government ignored this region for 20 years?" Ramesh asked. 

He pointed out that 73 per cent of households in the area do not have access to running water or handpumps, 33 per cent of families still defecate in the open, and 65 per cent use wood-fired stoves which cause lung diseases. He also said that 84 per cent of families own fewer than three basic household items like a fan, TV or bicycle, and that more than 40 per cent of families are landless despite depending on agriculture.

'PM's lies are the strongest'

Launching a direct attack on the Prime Minister, Ramesh posted in Hindi:“Pradhanmantri ka jhoot sabse majboot!! (The Prime Minister's lies are the strongest!).” He said that despite repeated visits to Bihar, PM Modi had failed to deliver on his promises made over the last decade. The Congress leader recalled several specific pledges made by the Prime Minister in past elections and public meetings that, according to him, remain unfulfilled.

Unfulfilled promises in Bhagalpur, Motihari and Darbhanga Ramesh said that in 2015, the Prime Minister promised to build the Vikramshila Central University in Bhagalpur on 500 acres of land at a cost of Rs 500 crore.“Ten years later, not even a single brick has been laid. Did Vikramshila also fly away along with the Rs 1.25 lakh crore package?” he asked. He also mentioned that in 2014, Modi had promised to revive the Motihari sugar mill and said that when he next visited, he would drink tea made from the sugar produced there.“It has been 11 years, and the people are still waiting to have that tea. Why did the Prime Minister make such a big false claim?” Ramesh wrote. Talking about the AIIMS project in Darbhanga, Ramesh said that in 2020, PM Modi announced a Rs 1,264 crore medical institute for the district, but no construction work has started even after five years.“In 2023, the Prime Minister even claimed that the Darbhanga AIIMS had been inaugurated. Will it ever come out of the manifesto and into reality?” he added.

Congress questions BJP's development claims 

Ramesh said that the people of Bihar have seen through the government's unfulfilled promises and that the so-called“double-engine” model has only resulted in empty words.“There is neither education, nor healthcare, nor employment in Seemanchal. What exists is only poverty and migration. The Prime Minister's development cannot be seen here even from afar,” he wrote. He further expressed confidence that the people of Bhagalpur and Seemanchal would answer the NDA's“neglect” through their votes in the ongoing election.“This time, the people will defeat the NDA with the sting of their votes,” Ramesh said.

PM Modi's visit to poll-bound districts 

Ramesh's remarks came days after PM Modi visited the districts of Araria and Bhagalpur to campaign for BJP and NDA candidates in the first phase of the Assembly polls. PM Modi, in his previous rally in Arrah on November 2, had accused the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan of 'gundagardi' and said that the NDA had worked hand in hand for Bihar's development. He also claimed that the Mahagathbandhan partners might“break each other's heads” after the elections and accused the RJD of stealing the Chief Minister's post from the Congress.

First phase of voting in Bihar 

Voting for the first phase of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections began at 7 am on Thursday across 121 constituencies in 18 districts. Around 3.75 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes in this phase. According to the Election Commission, voter turnout was 13.13 per cent till 9 am, with Saharsa district recording the highest turnout of 15.27 per cent and Lakhisarai the lowest at 7 per cent. Polling will end at 6 pm, but in some areas, voting hours have been shortened to 5 pm for security reasons. There are 10.72 lakh new electors this time, including about 7.78 lakh voters aged 18-19 years.

(With ANI inputs)

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