Bihar elections are approaching, and as is visible, the political heat is rising across the state. Parties are busy sharpening their attacks and leaders are leaving no chance to target each other. The campaign mood has shifted online as well, where sharp statements and counter-statements are flooding social media platforms. Among the most recent is ex-RJD MLA Tejashwi Yadav, who has been stepping up his criticism of the state government.
Yadav took to X and argued that despite two decades of Nitish Kumar’s rule in the state and over a decade of BJP at the Centre, Bihar continues to struggle with joblessness, migration, and poverty. Citing government reports, he claimed that the state’s per capita income still lags behind even some of the poorest nations in Africa like Uganda and Rwanda.
He goes on to pose 12 questions to the Chief Minister “who has been in power for the last 20 years”. Here it goes:
Agriculture without industries
Yadav stated that Bihar produces world-famous crops and fruits like bananas, maize, makhana, rice, sugarcane, potatoes, litchi, and mangoes. Yet, in two decades, Yadav asked, “why hasn’t a proper food processing industry been set up here? What has stopped it?”
The state of unemployment
Further putting spotlight on the joblessness in the state, Yadav asked, “Why does Bihar remain a hub of joblessness? Why were IT companies never invited to set up offices here? Why is there still no IT Park or Special Economic Zone in the state?”
Fish farming
Despite having resources for fish farming, Bihar buys fish from other states. Yadav asked, “Why can’t the government strengthen fish production here, create district-level fish markets, and improve the income of local fishermen?”
Dairy potential left unused
The minister went on to highlight that Bihar produces a lot of milk, but there are still no large-scale dairy industries set up here. “Why can’t Bihar export ghee, butter, cheese, khoya, and paneer across India and abroad?” Yadav asked.
No industrial clusters
He further asked the Nitish government, who has been in power for 20 years, as to why did the government fail to create industry-specific clusters to promote local manufacturing?
Decline of traditional industries
Directing more questions at Nitish, Yadav asked, “What has been done for weavers, small businesses, and handloom workers? Why weren’t these industries promoted on a large scale?”
Untapped tourism
Yadav said that Bihar always had immense potential for tourism, yet it was never developed as a major tourist hub.
Exams and transparency
“Why are recruitment exams irregular, delayed, and lacking transparency?” Yadav’s another question directed at Nitish’s 20 years of government.
Migration crisis
Then bringing attention to the rising migration in the state, Yadav asked, “how many people have left Bihar in the last 20 years? Why has migration continued to rise at such a high rate?”
Shutting down of factories
Yadav further asked, “how many sugar mills, jute mills, paper mills, and other factories have shut down in the last two decades? How much revenue and how many jobs has Bihar lost as a result?”
Money spent outside
He then asked how much of Bihar’s money was sent outside the state in the name of education and healthcare.
Human resources wasted
Yadav’s last question said, “What percentage of Bihar’s workforce is forced to work outside instead of within the state?”
Yadav then concluded the post by saying that the youth of Bihar has these burning issues, including unemployment, migration, and the collapse of industries, which cannot be ignored any longer. He added that they want answers not just from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who has led the state for two decades, but also from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose party has ruled at the Centre for 11 years. “If the leaders stay silent, young voters are going to reply with their votes this election,” he said.