Gaya (Bihar) [India], July 7 (ANI): Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Monday launched a scathing attack on Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, calling him the 'Gabbar of Bihar' and accusing him of creating an atmosphere of fear during his rule. Choudhary asserted that the state must break free from the grip of caste-based and dynastic politics to move forward.

Speaking at the public gathering, Dy CM Choudhary said, '1.5 crore people left Bihar because of the fear of Lalu Prasad Yadav. He is the Gabbar of Bihar, who did the work of scaring everyone. Be it any community, upper or backwards class, the one person who scared everyone was Lalu Prasad Yadav. Now we need to change this because Bihar needs to be taken forward.'

Taking a dig at the fodder scam case involving the RJD patriarch, Choudhary said, 'You want to hand over power again to someone who was jailed for eating the fodder meant for cattle? That is not the Bihar we want anymore.'

Drawing a comparison between Bihar and Jharkhand, Choudhary noted that while Jharkhand has a budget of Rs 1.40 lakh crore, Bihar, under the leadership of the NDA, has a significantly higher budget of Rs 3.17 lakh crore.

'Bihar is transforming under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Guided by the dream of Emperor Ashoka, we are moving towards the goal of an 'Akhand Bharat',' he said.

He asserted that law and order in Bihar has significantly improved, with the police actively working to free the state from crime. 'No matter what caste, religion or background -- a criminal is a criminal. Whether it's a land mafia or a local goon, they will not be spared,' he added.

The Dy CM added, 'It's a clear message: if any criminal tries to harm you, then do not hold yourself because a criminal never belongs to any caste or religion. No one should escape because if he does, then after some time, the person will come asking for MLA MP tickets or will buy the ticket.'

Choudhary urged the people of Bihar to protect the state's political integrity and ensure that its future aligns with the development dream envisioned by Emperor Ashoka. 'Let us not allow those who once looted Bihar to return.

Bihar elections are expected to be held later this year in October or November; however, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has not announced an official date.

While the NDA, consisting of the BJP, JD(U), and LJP, will once again be looking to continue their stint in Bihar, the INDIA bloc, consisting of the RJD, Congress, and left parties, will be looking to unseat Nitish Kumar.

In the current Bihar Assembly of 243 members, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) consists of 131 with the BJP having 80 MLAs, JD(U)-45, HAM(S)-4, with the support of two Independent Candidates.

The Opposition's INDIA Bloc has a strength of 111 members with RJD leading with 77 MLAs, Congress-19, CPI(ML)-11, CPI(M)-2 and CPI-2. (ANI)