Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, on Friday, 23 October accused the Bihar state government of misusing police machinery to harass opposition candidates and workers ahead of the ongoing Bihar Legislative Council elections. The allegation follows a late-night police visit to the Patna residence of RJD candidate Dr Sanjeev Kumar, which his supporters say was an act of political intimidation.

What Happened at the Residence

Patna Police arrived at the residence of Dr Sanjeev Kumar — the RJD candidate for the Patna Teachers' constituency — around midnight, triggering a heated standoff with his supporters. The police stated they had received information that outsiders were present at the premises after the permitted campaign period had ended, and that identity verification was necessary.

A video of the incident, shared by Tejashwi Yadav on social media, shows a police team checking the identity documents of individuals gathered outside the house. When the team attempted to enter the premises, supporters of Dr Sanjeev Kumar objected and demanded to see official authorisation for the search. In the footage, a police officer is heard stating that the team would verify identities and leave if no irregularities were found.

Tejashwi's Allegations

In his social media post, Tejashwi Yadav alleged that the police had arrived without a search warrant and were attempting to intimidate the RJD candidate and his supporters. He asserted that such tactics would not demoralise the party, declaring that neither RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav nor the party's leaders and workers would be cowed by the ruling establishment's actions.

He also accused the state leadership of taking Bihar in the wrong direction and questioned why such a search was being conducted in the final hours before polling. 'Such actions would not demoralise the party,' he said, according to his post.

Counter-Allegations Against BJP Candidate

Supporters of Dr Sanjeev Kumar separately alleged that the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLC and rival candidate, Naval Kishore Yadav, had arranged hundreds of fake voters and brought them to Patna. They questioned why police were searching the RJD candidate's home while, reportedly, no similar action was taken at Naval Kishore Yadav's residence. These allegations could not be independently verified.

Context: Bihar Legislative Council Polls

The incident comes amid the ongoing Bihar Legislative Council elections, with the Patna Teachers' constituency among the seats up for contest. Election-eve allegations of state machinery misuse are not uncommon in Bihar, and the episode adds to a pattern of pre-poll friction between the ruling coalition and the opposition RJD. Notably, this is not the first time Tejashwi Yadav has accused the Nitish Kumar-led government of deploying police against his party's candidates during election season.

What Happens Next

With polling imminent, the episode is likely to sharpen RJD's campaign narrative around alleged state overreach. Whether the Election Commission takes cognisance of the complaints remains to be seen. Any formal complaint or response from the Bihar government or police administration is awaited.