The election atmosphere in Bihar is intensifying. All political parties are working hard to consolidate their support and secure votes. The NDA has decided on a new election slogan for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections: ‘Bihar, which has caught the pace of development…NDA Government Again.’ BJP sources say that the slogan will be officially launched by September 30th, however the political strategy is clear from the slogan.
The NDA alliance will be campaigning with the tagline “Bihar, which has caught the pace of development…NDA Government Again.” Some BJP leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary and Bihar in-charge Vinod Tawde, have begun using this line on their social media, although an official announcement is still pending.
**245 LED Raths Ready for Campaign**
According to BJP sources, the goal is to win over the people of the state by highlighting the NDA’s achievements in areas such as infrastructure, education, good governance, employment, and the education system. The NDA has prepared a large fleet of 245 LED raths for the assembly elections to highlight their focus on development.
These high-tech raths will be launched by a senior central minister by September 30th, and will travel throughout the state’s assembly constituencies. Equipped with modern technology, these raths will bring the Bihar government’s achievements and promises to villages across the state.
**Campaign Raths to Reach Every Assembly**
BJP spokesperson Prabhakar Mishra stated that, “Bihar has seen development, so the NDA government is coming again. The NDA will use the raths in every assembly for the election campaign, to promote the achievements and promises of the NDA government.” The BJP says that the campaign raths will feature audio-visuals covering issues such as 125 units of free electricity, doubling the pensions of the elderly and women, and increased honorariums for Anganwadi workers.
The Bihar government is using its performance as an electoral weapon. According to sources, the audio-visuals that will be shown on these campaign raths will mention all the major initiatives of the Bihar and central governments. For example, the Bihar government is planning to deposit Rs 10,000 into women’s accounts in September.
On September 17th, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar transferred Rs 5,000 to the accounts of 1.6 million workers. In addition, the Bihar government will be focusing on its popular schemes and promises, such as 1 crore jobs for youth, a Rs 1,000 allowance for all graduates, interest-free student credit cards, and Rs 10,000 for women.
**What is JDU’s position?**
While the BJP is gearing up to make the NDA’s development model the primary focus of the election with the new slogan and rath yatra, the JDU has not yet made a statement on the subject. In the past, the JDU has built its election campaigns around the name of CM Nitish Kumar. This time, the election posters feature images of PM Modi and CM Nitish, but not the Chief Minister’s name.
In April of this year, when there was speculation and debate over whether Nitish Kumar would remain Chief Minister, the JDU office displayed the new slogan “25 to 30, Nitish again.” In the 2020 elections, the JDU’s slogan was “Why consider, Nitish Kumar is fine”. In the 2015 assembly elections, the JDU’s slogan was “Bihar is prosperous, Nitish Kumar is there”. It remains to be seen what the JDU’s response will be to the NDA’s new slogan. Is this slogan a well-considered part of the long-term political strategy, or is it just a political test?
