‘Lalu wants his son as CM, Sonia hers as PM’: Amit Shah fires dynastic salvo in Bihar rally

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on October 29 tore into the Opposition’s Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, accusing its key leaders — Lalu Prasad Yadav and Sonia Gandhi — of running family fiefdoms rather than political parties.

Addressing a massive crowd in Darbhanga, Shah urged voters to support BJP’s 25-year-old candidate Maithili Thakur, who he described as a symbol of merit over dynasty.

“We gave a ticket to a young woman with no political background. Can this ever happen in RJD or Congress? Lalu wants his son [Tejashwi Yadav] to be Chief Minister and Sonia Gandhi wants hers [Rahul Gandhi] to be Prime Minister — but neither post is vacant,” Shah declared, drawing loud cheers from the crowd.

Metro, AIIMS and Sita temple for Mithila

Promising rapid development in the region, Shah announced that Darbhanga will soon have its own Metro rail. “The airport has already been built, AIIMS is coming up, and now a Metro will connect the city,” he said, adding that the NDA government had earlier granted official language status to Maithili and even ensured that the Constitution was translated into the language.

In a deeply symbolic outreach to Mithila’s cultural identity, Shah also said that a temple dedicated to Goddess Sita would be constructed in Mithila, linking all the places associated with her to the Ram circuit. “Lord Ram’s temple now stands tall in Ayodhya; it’s time for Sita Mata’s temple to rise in Mithila,” he said.

‘PFI will walk free under Lalu’s rule’

Taking aim at the Opposition’s record on national security, Shah warned that the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) would “get a free hand” if the RJD-Congress alliance were to return to power. “The NDA government crushed PFI and jailed its members — but Lalu and company will set them free,” he claimed.

Recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decisions on Article 370 and cross-border operations, Shah said, “For 70 years, Congress and RJD protected Article 370. But on August 5, 2019, PM Modi removed it forever. Surgical and air strikes showed the world that this new India does not tolerate terror.”

With a mix of development promises, cultural appeals, and sharp political jabs, Shah’s rally in Darbhanga set the tone for what is shaping up to be a high-stakes battle for Bihar in 2025.