Patna, Sep 24 (PTI) Setting the tone for the Bihar poll campaign, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said the BJP has "mentally retired" Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and considers him to be a "liability", while claiming that the upcoming assembly elections will mark the beginning of the end of the Modi government's "corrupt rule" at the Centre.

In his opening remarks at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting here, Kharge launched a frontal attack on the BJP over a host of issues such as alleged "vote chori, economic slowdown, unemployment, social polarisation and targeting and weakening of autonomous constitutional institutions".

Kharge also made an apparent reference to US President Donald Trump's recent statements and actions and took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Our problems at the international level are the result of the diplomatic failure of Narendra Modi and his government. The very friends whom the prime minister boasts about as 'my friends' are today putting India in numerous troubles," Kharge said.

Targeting the BJP and the Election Commission over the issue of "vote chori" and Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Kharge said when the voters list is being officially "tampered" with, it was essential to hold the extended CWC meeting in Bihar, the mother of democracy, and reaffirm our pledge to protect this country's democracy and Constitution.

He recalled that exactly 85 years ago, the first Constituent Assembly proposal was introduced at the Ramgarh AICC session.

Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Dr B R Ambedkar, and members of the Constituent Assembly together granted the citizens of the country the right of "one person, one vote", he noted.

Asserting that the foundation of democracy is fair and transparent elections, Kharge said serious questions are being raised today about the fairness and transparency of the Election Commission itself.

Instead of answering questions on the revelations from various states, the EC is demanding affidavits from us, Kharge said.

Following the example of Bihar, a conspiracy is now being hatched across the country to remove the votes of millions of people, the Congress president said, referring to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar.

Vote theft means theft of rations, pensions, medicine, children's scholarships, and exam fees belonging to Dalits, tribals, backward classes, extremely backward classes, minorities, the weak, and the poor, he said.

The 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' raised awareness among the people of Bihar, and they openly came out in support of Rahul Gandhi, he said.

Kharge alleged that the country is grappling with many problems such as economic slowdown, unemployment, social polarisation, and the targeting and weakening of autonomous constitutional institutions.

"The promise of 2 crore jobs remains unfulfilled. Youths are wandering without employment. Demonetisation and a flawed GST have derailed the economy. After eight years, the prime minister realised his mistake. Now, the same reforms have been introduced in GST that the Congress party had been demanding from day one," Kharge said.

"Modiji is remembering Mahatma Gandhi's 100-year-old mantra of 'Swadeshi', which the Congress party used to defeat the British. On the other hand, red carpets are being openly rolled out for China. Our imports from China have doubled in the last five years," he said.

Focussing on Bihar, Kharge said the BJP formed the NDA government in January 2024 by re-supporting Nitish Kumar.

"The Nitish government promised development, but Bihar's economy is lagging behind. The 'double engine' claim proved hollow, with no special package from the Centre," Kharge said.

Pointing out that the unemployment rate in Bihar is above 15 per cent, he said every year, millions of youth migrate and due to the recruitment scam, young people are protesting on the streets and facing police lathicharge.

"The condition of farmers in Bihar is perhaps the worst in the country. Every year, millions of people suffer losses due to floods in the Kosi and Gandak rivers. This is proof of the government's complete failure in flood management," he claimed.

The prime minister has promised to revive Bihar's sugar industry on numerous occasions, however, even after ten years, his promise remains unfulfilled, Kharge said.

"Internal strife within the NDA alliance is now openly visible. Nitish Kumar has been mentally retired by the BJP. The BJP now considers him a liability," he said.

"The 2025 Assembly Elections will prove to be a milestone not only for Bihar but for the entire country. This will mark the beginning of the countdown and the end of the corrupt rule of the Modi government," Kharge said.

Noting that 80 per cent of Bihar's population belongs to the OBC, EBC, and SC/ST categories, Kharge said the public wants transparency in caste census and reservation policies.

The Congress and Rahul Gandhi have cornered the central government and forced a caste census, he said.

"A caste survey was also conducted in Bihar during the tenure of the Congress-led Grand Alliance government. I want to ask the prime minister, what compelled him to fail to secure constitutional protection for the 65 per cent reservation passed by the government for the people of Bihar?" he said.

History bears witness that the Congress government granted constitutional protection to 69 per cent reservation for the people of Tamil Nadu thirty years ago, he said.

The double-engine government failed to achieve this here, he said.

"The most bizarre thing was done by the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh (Yogi Adityanath), who considers himself the prime minister's successor. He previously wrote an article opposing reservations. Now, he has banned rallies held in the name of castes. Will the prime minister tell the country that on one hand, we are all talking about conducting a caste census, and on the other hand, your chief minister is talking about jailing those who take to the streets to protest the injustice and oppression they face? Is this true? You should inform the public," he said.

Training his guns on the NDA government, Kharge said the government and administration of Bihar have been on leave for a long time and incidents of robbery and murder occur every day.

"The crime rate is continuously increasing. There is a huge shortage of teachers in schools," he said.

"I want to sound the bugle for Bihar's reconstruction from here today. The Congress, along with its alliance partners, will provide employment, education, health, social justice, and good governance to the people of Bihar. The people of Bihar have long dreamed of a 'golden Bihar,' and together we will make it a reality," Kharge said.

Top Congress leaders, including Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, treasurer Ajay Maken, general secretaries KC Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh and Sachin Pilot, Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Kumar, among others, participated in the meeting.

The Assembly polls in the state are likely to be held in November. PTI ASK DV DV