Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Friday said that his foremost wish was the development of Bihar and the happiness of its people.
Speaking to reporters after offering prayers at the Janaki Temple in Sitamarhi, Yadav remarked, “We took the blessings of Mata Janaki, and we all want Bihar to develop.”
Striking a lighter note at political rivals, he quipped in a style reminiscent of his father, Lalu Prasad Yadav: “Dhaan ki roti tawa mein, virodhi udd gaye hawa mein” (Opponents have scattered like grains flying off a hot griddle).
RJD MP Manoj Jha echoed Yadav’s sentiments, asserting that the people of Bihar now wanted “complete transformation” and predicting major political changes ahead. “This yatra is not limited to Rahul Gandhi or Tejashwi Yadav or even the Mahagathbandhan—it belongs to every Bihari. Through it, we hope for big change in the coming days,” Jha said.
The Voter Adhikar Yatra, which started from Sasaram, continued its march from Bettiah (West Champaran) to Siwan via Gopalganj on Friday. The 16-day campaign—led by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav—covers 1,300 km across 20 districts and is scheduled to conclude in Patna on September 1.
The opposition INDIA bloc, comprising the RJD, Congress, and Left parties, is using the yatra to highlight alleged irregularities in the voter list, which they have termed as cases of “vote chori” (vote theft).
The Bihar Assembly elections are due later this year, though the Election Commission has not yet announced a date.
Currently, the 243-member Bihar Assembly is dominated by the NDA (BJP 80, JD(U) 45, HAM(S) 4, plus 2 Independents), giving it a strength of 131. The INDIA bloc has 111 MLAs, with the RJD holding 77, Congress 19, CPI(ML) 11, CPI(M) 2, and CPI 2.