Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav has launched a sharp attack on the Central Government, alleging a discriminatory response to the devastating floods sweeping through Bihar, where floodwaters from the Ganga and several other rivers have inundated low-lying areas, affecting an estimated 45 lakh people as of 14 September 2026. Yadav alleged that neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor Union Home Minister Amit Shah had spoken a word about Bihar's flood crisis, despite over 50 deaths, thousands of missing cattle, and losses running into thousands of crores.

Yadav's Gujarat Comparison

In a post on X, Yadav drew a pointed contrast between the Centre's response to rainfall in Gujarat and its handling of the ongoing Bihar floods. He alleged that even limited rainfall in Gujarat had prompted an immediate personal response from the Prime Minister and Home Minister, including coordination with the state government and swift deployment of the Air Force and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

Yadav also referred to an earlier Gujarat flood episode, claiming that the Prime Minister had conducted an aerial survey, announced a ₹500-crore relief package, deployed the Army, Air Force and NDRF, and ensured that families of victims received ₹2 lakh in compensation. He contrasted this, he alleged, with the Centre's silence on Bihar's far larger human toll.

'Now look at Bihar: over 50 people have died due to floods, thousands of cattle are missing, losses run into thousands of crores, and 45 lakh people are affected; yet, let alone providing aid, neither the Prime Minister nor the Home Minister has uttered a single word,' Yadav said in his post.

Lightning Strike Deaths and Disaster Classification

Yadav also raised a longer-standing grievance: that lightning strikes — which he claimed kill hundreds of people in Bihar every year — have not been included in the list of national disasters, leaving bereaved families without Central compensation. He alleged that rain-related deaths in Gujarat had received assistance that Bihar's lightning victims are systematically denied, calling the classification a structural injustice against the state.

Criticism of Bihar's NDA Representatives

The RJD leader broadened his critique to include Bihar's own National Democratic Alliance (NDA) representatives, alleging that the state's 30 Members of Parliament and seven Union Ministers had remained 'mute, deaf, and blind' during the crisis. He invoked the example of former chief ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar — political rivals who, he noted, had historically set aside differences to jointly press Bihar's case in times of need.

He further alleged that the opposition had been raising the flood issue since the crisis began and had written to the Prime Minister seeking Central assistance. Yadav also accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders of a pattern of neglect followed by pre-election welfare gestures, alleging that the party's approach involved leaving people without adequate support for most of a term before offering food grains and cash ahead of polls.

Scale of the Crisis and Political Context

Relief and rescue operations are reportedly underway in several flood-affected districts, though the scale of inundation along the Ganga and its tributaries has stretched state resources. This comes amid a broader pattern: Bihar has historically been among India's most flood-prone states, with annual inundation disrupting millions of lives and drawing repeated demands for a more robust Central response framework.

Yadav denied any personal or political motive in demanding Central aid. 'If a package is received from the Centre, it goes to the government — tell me, what personal gain is there for me in this?' he said, positioning the demand as a matter of Bihar's rights rather than partisan advantage. With Bihar elections on the horizon, the political stakes of the relief question are considerable for all parties involved.