Kharge rejects Modi’s claim RJD ‘stole’ Bihar CM post, calls remarks false and laughable

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday dismissed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks that the RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) “stole” the chief ministerial position from the Congress in Bihar, calling the allegation “false” and “laughable”.

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Kharge said the Prime Minister’s comments were untrue and sought to undermine the dignity of the office. “All of this is a lie. He has nothing else to say. I will answer this today in Bihar. What he is saying is a lie. Nobody will tell someone else to make someone the CM at gunpoint. Congress has never done this,” he told ANI.

Kharge said such remarks lower the standard of political discourse. “Modi ji is the PM of this country; his saying such things is laughable. This shows his level. He sets aside the level at which a PM should speak and is making election speeches in Bihar,” he said.

The Congress chief is scheduled to address a rally in Raja Pakar, Bihar, later on Monday. His comments follow Modi’s speech in Arrah a day earlier, where the Prime Minister alleged that the RJD forced the Congress to accept Tejashwi Yadav as the Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial candidate. Modi described the development as “gundagardi” and claimed the Opposition alliance was on the verge of internal conflict.

Modi also asserted that the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) was “working together” for Bihar’s development, while alleging friction within the Opposition bloc. He further claimed the RJD sidelined the Congress while preparing its manifesto and again invoked what he termed the RJD’s 'jungle raj' era.

The comments come amid heightened campaigning in Bihar, where both alliances have sharpened attacks in the run-up to polling. The Mahagathbandhan had earlier governed the state in partnership with the JD(U) before Chief Minister Nitish Kumar returned to the NDA in January, altering political alignments ahead of the Assembly election. The current Opposition bloc in Bihar comprises the RJD, Congress and Left parties, with Tejashwi Yadav projected as its chief ministerial face.

Elections for the 243-member Bihar Legislative Assembly will be held in two phases on 6 and 11 November, with counting scheduled for 14 November.

With agency inputs