Ahead of the crucial Bihar Assembly elections, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday launched a blistering attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of sidelining Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar.

“BJP has forced Nitish Kumar into mental retirement. They now see him as a burden,” Kharge charged while addressing the extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Patna.

Kharge alleged that the NDA government in Bihar had failed to deliver on its tall promises. “The so-called double engine government promised development, but Bihar’s economy is still lagging. No special package has come from the Centre,” he remarked.

The Congress chief escalated his attack by linking the Bihar situation to a nationwide “vote theft conspiracy.”

“Vote theft means theft of rations, pensions, medicines, scholarships and exam fees of Dalits, tribals, OBCs, minorities and the poor. A conspiracy is being hatched across India to rob people of their rights,” he warned, adding that the Voter Adhikar Yatra had already mobilised massive support for Rahul Gandhi in Bihar.

Kharge also raised doubts about the credibility of the Election Commission. “Instead of answering questions on irregularities, the EC is asking us for affidavits. This is a direct attack on democracy,” he said.

Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Uttar Pradesh government for banning caste-based rallies, Kharge asked: “On one hand, you talk about conducting a caste census. On the other, your Chief Minister threatens to jail those protesting against injustice. Is this democracy?”

He further reminded that while the grand alliance in Bihar had raised the reservation quota from 50% to 65%, the BJP had failed to secure constitutional backing for it.

“History is proof that Congress protected 69% reservation for Tamil Nadu three decades ago. Why has Modi failed to do the same for Bihar?” Kharge questioned.