If Bihar has to change, then government has to be changed, says Congress leader Pawan Khera

Congress leader Pawan Khera addresses a press conference at Scada Business centre, in Patna on March 23, 2025.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Congress leader Pawan Khera on Sunday (March 23, 2025) lashed out at the Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government of Bihar over the issues of development and law and order. He was accompanied by Bihar Congress in-charge Krishna Allavaru and newly appointed Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Kumar in Patna.

Addressing the media, Mr. Khera said Bihar was the birthplace of satyagraha and revolution but the present government had betrayed Bihar in the last 20 years.

“People of Bihar are forced to migrate. There is no dearth of talent in Bihar but it is not being used. Recently the CAG report came but it is not being discussed in Parliament or Vidhan Sabha. It is not even allowed to be shown on TV, so we have tried to bring it before you,” Mr. Khera said.

The Congress leader said, “Everyone is concerned about the health of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar but no one is concerned about the health of Bihar. More than half of the hospitals have shortage of doctors, nurses and medicines. There is a shortage of 86% specialist doctors and this is a government report not that of the Congress.”

Mr. Khera pointed out that the condition of malnutrition in the children of Bihar was terrible and anaemia had increased among adolescent girls of Bihar.

“A conspiracy was hatched not to implement the benefits of caste-based survey and it got stuck in court case and it was deliberately ensured not to plead it before the court properly whereas Telangana implemented it. If Bihar has to change, then the government of Bihar has to be changed,” Mr. Khera said.

He raised the slogan “Change government, Change Bihar”, stressing that without changing the government, the fate of the State could not be changed.

Asked about the vision for Bihar, Mr. Allavaru said the Congress had a solid vision for every section.

“Every section is feeling cheated in Bihar due to the misrule of the last 20 years. We will enter Bihar with a vision for every section. We will put the X-ray of the State and the current government in a systematic manner, after that the people will understand the condition of the government,” Mr. Allavaru said.

He said, “If X-ray has been done in the form of caste-based survey in Bihar, then why has the treatment not been started yet to give share and participation?”

Mr. Kumar, on the other hand, said Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had talked about protecting social justice and the Constitution in his programme in Bihar and he was continuously working in this direction.

“We will move forward on the same path and together we will take forward the pride of Bihar. Work will be done to give share to Dalits and poor in the State by taking everyone along. The party will be strengthened by connecting it to its glorious history. We will bring back the Congress of the 1990s in Bihar,” Mr. Kumar said.

Both Mr. Khera and Mr. Allavaru downplayed the question when asked about alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal in the Assembly election.