Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Sep 14: As political temperatures rise in Bihar ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has reignited the debate over electoral malpractice by sharing a controversial video from the 1990s that allegedly exposes booth capturing under the Lalu Yadav-led RJD government.

Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Rijiju posted a video from 1998, appearing to show voter slips being stamped and dropped into ballot boxes placed in an open field, without any polling officials in sight.

“Look, how vote theft used to happen in your time! The biggest thief is shouting about theft!” Rijiju wrote in a pointed jibe at the RJD-Congress alliance.

The footage — widely circulated during the “jungle raj” era of Bihar — reignites memories of a time when the state was often accused of lawlessness, booth capturing, and electoral fraud under RJD rule.

BJP Counters 'Vote Chori' Campaign

The timing of Rijiju’s post comes amid a high-decibel Opposition campaign accusing the BJP-led Centre of attempting “vote chori” (vote theft) through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Recently, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav led a 14-day ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ across Bihar, alleging that the revision exercise is a coordinated attempt by the Election Commission and BJP to erase votes and manipulate the upcoming polls.

Rahul Gandhi vowed to "not allow vote theft in Bihar at any cost," branding the SIR process as deeply flawed and politically motivated.

BJP Hits Back Hard

In response, the BJP has sharpened its counteroffensive, calling the Opposition’s accusations a sign of “growing frustration” and an attempt to deflect from their past record.

“Those crying foul today were once responsible for the worst forms of electoral malpractice. Their history is well-documented,” a senior BJP leader said.

The party has now begun spotlighting past incidents of booth capturing, lawlessness, and voter intimidation to highlight the contrast between “then and now.”

Bihar Gears Up for Crucial Election

With Bihar set to go to polls in the coming months, political rhetoric is intensifying. Both the NDA and the RJD-Congress combine are jostling to control the narrative, with electoral integrity becoming a central theme in the campaign.

The video shared by Rijiju has added a new layer to the already charged political atmosphere, turning the spotlight back on the 1990s legacy of the RJD — a period the BJP wants voters to remember, even as the Opposition attempts to turn the page.