Patna: As Bihar heads toward assembly elections, the INDIA bloc hardened its opposition stance on the Waqf (Amendment) Act on Saturday, with RJD leader and chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav vowing to scrap the law if the alliance wins power.

Speaking at rallies across the Seemanchal region, including the Muslim-majority district of Katihar, Yadav declared that the contentious legislation would be “consigned to the dustbin.” His comments came a day after RJD legislator Abdul Qari Saheb sparked a row by threatening to tear up the law. Yadav’s remarks later drew support from Congress MP Tariq Anwar, who reiterated his party’s opposition to the amendment, saying the Congress “fully backs Tejashwi on this stand.”

CPI(ML) Liberation leader Dipankar Bhattacharya echoed the sentiment while releasing his party’s manifesto, Parivartan Sankalp Patra, in Patna. “We will thwart the implementation of the Waqf (Amendment) Act in Bihar,” he said, adding that the alliance would also block other central laws “violative of the federal structure.” He further called for a critical review of Bihar’s liquor prohibition law, describing the 2016 ban imposed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as “farcical.”

The state’s liquor ban—seen as a pro-women policy—has faced mounting criticism over repeated hooch tragedies and continued smuggling. Jan Suraaj Party chief Prashant Kishor, meanwhile, promised to scrap what he called the “bogus prohibition law” if his party wins, pledging to redirect revenue from alcohol sales toward development projects.

The Congress, still ramping up its outreach, confirmed that its campaign will intensify after the Chhath festival. According to AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal, Rahul Gandhi will address rallies in Bihar on October 29 and 30, followed by events featuring Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge.

On the NDA side, the BJP has deployed its top brass, including President Donald Trump’s ally Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and party president J.P. Nadda. Modi will hold rallies in Muzaffarpur and Chhapra on October 30, followed by events in Bhojpur and Nawada on November 2, and a roadshow in Patna.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, in charge of the BJP’s Bihar campaign, was seen reviewing on-ground preparations for Modi’s visit. Meanwhile, JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar and LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan displayed solidarity when Kumar visited Paswan’s residence to take part in kharna prasad celebrations ahead of Chhath.

Dismissing reports of discontent over seat allocation within the NDA, Paswan blamed the opposition for “false narratives” and accused RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav of politicising the Waqf issue. He also reminded Yadav that his father, Lalu Prasad, was disqualified from office after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tore up an ordinance meant to shield convicted politicians.

With inputs from PTI