Bihar: After 20 years of NDA rule, why are we still backward, Tejashwi asks

With Bihar Assembly elections around the corner, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav has launched a fierce attack on the state government, holding it responsible for two decades of misgovernance under chief minister Nitish Kumar, compounded by 11 years of NDA rule at the Centre.

In a long post on X, Yadav accused the ruling dispensation of failing Bihar’s youth and marginalised sections of society. “After 20 years in power, including 11 years as part of the NDA government, Bihar continues to languish in poverty and backwardness,” he said.

“Unemployment, mass migration, crumbling public services, and lack of industrial growth have pushed the state to the brink. The youth demand answers — and they will deliver a befitting verdict in the upcoming polls,” the RJD leader added.

Yadav emphasised Bihar’s chronic underperformance in economic indicators. Per capita income in Bihar remains lower than that of several African nations, according to Niti Aayog reports, despite India’s broader technological and economic progress.

“While the world advances in digital innovation and liberalisation, Bihar remains trapped in stagnation,” he pointed out.

Addressing the state government directly, Yadav raised hard-hitting questions: Why hasn’t Bihar’s rich agricultural produce — ranging from bananas and makhana to sugarcane, litchi, and potatoes — been leveraged to develop a vibrant food processing industry? Why have IT companies and industrial parks largely ignored Bihar? Why do critical sectors such as dairy, fisheries, handloom, and small-scale manufacturing continue to lag behind?

He also spotlighted Bihar’s failure to boost tourism, curb the outflow of its talented youth, implement transparent recruitment processes, and prevent the closure of key industries like sugar, jute, and paper mills. Yadav condemned the government for the dismal utilisation of billions in health and education budgets, stating, “Money flows into Bihar, yet there’s no tangible improvement in schools, hospitals, or public services.”

Yadav along with Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc partners, recently concluded the Voter Adhikar Yatra, a 16-day campaign against electoral malpractices and the ongoing special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar.