Rahul Gandhi Questions Bihar Govt Over Recurring Floods, Seeks Account of 17 Years of ‘Double-Engine’ Rule

New Delhi, October 4: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has stepped up his criticism of the BJP-led government in Bihar over the state’s recurring flood crisis, questioning what concrete measures have been taken over the past 17 years to prevent the annual devastation that claims lives, displaces families and forces people to migrate.

In a post on social media platform X, Gandhi said the latest floods had once again wreaked havoc across Bihar, affecting millions of people, submerging hundreds of villages and leaving several people dead or missing.

Expressing his deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones, Gandhi said the most disturbing aspect of the situation was that the crisis was neither unexpected nor new.

“The saddest thing is that this crisis is not new in Bihar. Every year floods come, people die, families are destroyed and people migrate,” he said.

Gandhi questioned the BJP-led “double-engine” government over what he described as its failure to address the recurring flood problem through a long-term strategy.

“The BJP’s double-engine government should tell us — what has it done in the last 17 years to deal with this annual tragedy? What has changed on the ground?” he asked.

He said the people of Bihar needed a permanent solution instead of a cycle of annual relief measures and assurances.

“People of Bihar need a permanent solution, not relief and assurances every year,” Gandhi said.

His remarks come amid a severe flood situation in Bihar in recent weeks. Nearly 50 lakh people across 15 districts were reported to have been affected in September, while several major rivers, including the Ganga, Gandak, Kosi, Burhi Gandak, Punpun and Ghaghra, crossed danger levels at various locations.

The human toll has continued to emerge as floodwaters recede in some areas. Reports from Saran on Sunday said 10 bodies had been recovered, while 16 people remained missing in the Maker police station area.

The state administration has undertaken extensive rescue and relief operations, including food distribution, medical camps, deployment of boats and other emergency measures in flood-hit areas.

Gandhi’s intervention seeks to shift the political debate from immediate relief and rescue operations to the broader issue of flood management and preparedness. His central contention is that Bihar’s repeated exposure to floods requires structural and long-term measures to reduce loss of life, displacement and economic damage caused by the annual cycle of inundation.