Priyanka Gandhi Criticizes NDA in Bihar Rally, Raises Concerns About CM’s Women’s Employment Scheme

During a rally in Motihari, Bihar, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra targeted the BJP, which is in power in Bihar in alliance with the JDU, ahead of the state assembly elections. She criticized the Prime Minister for distributing 7,500 crore rupees among 75 lakh women in Bihar under the Chief Minister’s Women Employment Scheme, alleging that the NDA coalition was attempting to buy votes. She questioned why such measures were not considered earlier, given the NDA’s long tenure in power. In her inaugural solo rally, Priyanka also accused the BJP of attempting to steal votes by stoking debates about caste, religion, and infiltration during the elections to divide the society. She further questioned the audience about who had been in power in Bihar for the past 20 years, to which the crowd responded with chants of “vote stealers.” Priyanka then turned her attention to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, alleging that 27 bridges had collapsed in Bihar over the past three years. She also highlighted the alleged leasing of over 10,000 acres of land in Bhagalpur to a business group at a low price, while also referencing the impact of US tariffs on the export of makhana, a widely cultivated crop in North Bihar. She lauded her brother, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, as a “true patriot” for his efforts to listen to the common people and understand their problems through a “4,000-kilometer foot march,” referencing his Bharat Jodo Yatra from two years ago.