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Lashing out at the opposition, Yogi remarked, “On one hand, there is talk of development, and on the other, these people are raising the issue of burqas.”
UP CM Yogi Adityanath. (X)
Bihar Polls 2025: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday hit out at the RJD-Congress alliance in Bihar for opposing the Election Commission’s order on the identification of women voters who turn up at polling booths in a burqa, saying that the opposition is creating mischief over the issue and undermining the integrity of the electoral process.
While addressing a rally in Patna’s Danapur, Yogi said, “Bihar under the NDA rule is looking forward to continuing its journey towards progress. At such a time, the Congress-RJD is indulging in mischief by raising a controversy over burqas,” as quoted by news agency PTI.
#WATCH | Patna, Bihar: Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath says, “Now, to disrupt Bihar’s race for development, the RJD, Congress, and the INDI alliance have once again started a new mischief: ‘development versus burqa’. When Bihar is discussing development, the Congress and RJD… pic.twitter.com/nWLnSiBxs3— ANI (@ANI) October 16, 2025
He further asked, “Should fake voters be allowed to vote? The Congress and RJD want this to happen. That’s why they are making a big fuss over burqas. They have also been opposed to electronic voting machines (EVMs) because they want to restore the old system of ballot papers, which facilitated booth capture by their henchmen.”
The Election Commission had earlier announced that anganwadi workers would be deployed at all polling booths for verifying the identity of burqa-clad women. The guidelines of the commission are very clear about how identity is verified inside a polling station and will be strictly followed, it said.
The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister also highlighted the cultural affinity between Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, saying, “after the construction of a grand temple of Lord Ram at Ayodhya, the birthplace of Goddess Sita in Sitamarhi is all set for a facelift. We are also working on improving the connectivity between the two places”.
#WATCH | Danapur, Patna | Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while addressing a public meeting, says, “The relationship between Uttar Pradesh and Bihar is not just a relationship, it is a shared heritage. It is a bond of one soul, a bond of one culture, and also a bond… pic.twitter.com/T6bGUOhF3O— ANI (@ANI) October 16, 2025
Yogi also hailed Bihar as the mother of democracy, pointing to Vaishali’s republic, Nalanda University, and the state’s great heroes, nation-builders, and cultural icons.
He also slammed the RJD for aligning with the Congress despite its patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav once being mentored by Jayaprakash Narayan.
“The RJD is sitting in the lap of Congress, despite its founding president Lalu Prasad having cut his political teeth under legendary revolutionary leader Jayaprakash Narayan (JP), whose revolt ahead of the Emergency had galvanised the public, resulting in Indira Gandhi being voted out of power,” he said.
Further criticising the Opposition for its past governance, Yogi accused them of sheltering mafias and driving Biharis to migrate in search of livelihood.
“Who does not know about Bihar’s jungle raj and dynastic politics from 1990 to 2005? You must have seen who those people were who turned Bihar’s spiritual land of knowledge into a land of dynastic politics and crime, creating an identity crisis for our youth.”
Highlighting the NDA’s record, Yogi said, “In Uttar Pradesh, mafias are on their way to hell—their properties are being seized and used to build houses for the poor.”
Under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, he added, the NDA has ensured inclusive development, while “the Congress–RJD agenda has always been for family welfare, not public welfare.”
CM Yogi said the NDA has freed Bihar from decades of stagnation and crime. “No one can now obstruct development or treat crime as a birthright,” he declared.
He credited the central and state governments with advancing infrastructure and curbing mafias that once hindered progress.
Bihar Polls 2025
The election for the 243 Assembly seats in Bihar will be held in two phases —November 6 and November 11, with counting scheduled for November 14.
Currently, the NDA holds 131 seats- comprising BJP (80), JD(U) (45), Hindustan Awami Morcha (4), and two Independents, while the opposition Mahagathbandhan has 111 seats- RJD (77), Congress (19), CPI(ML) (11), CPI(M) (2), and CPI (2).
(With inputs from agencies)
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben…Read More
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben… Read More
October 16, 2025, 16:52 IST
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