Against the backdrop of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) winning the West Bengal Assembly elections with a thumping majority, Opposition leaders in Bihar gathered under one roof on Saturday (May 16, 2026) and gave a call for collective power. They came together at the three-day 12th Bihar State Conference of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation [CPI(ML)], which began at the Polo Ground in Laheriasarai, Darbhanga.

Addressing a seminar on the theme “The Question of Democracy Against Bulldozer Raj”, CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya asserted that the people of the country must wage a new battle for freedom to reclaim the liberty which is under threat.

He said people were living in a new era—one defined by BJP’s rule—where, instead of ‘good governance’ (Sushasan), indiscriminate use of bulldozers was being discussed openly. Referring to the West Asia war, he said the power of people was evident in Iran where they successfully compelled both the U.S. and Israel to bow down.

In stark contrast, Mr. Bhattacharya observed, the foreign policy adopted by the Indian government had tarnished the country’s global image. “The appeals being made by Prime Minister Modi in the name of patriotism are merely a ploy to divert the burden of the current crisis, for which his own government is responsible,” he said.

He further said, “Workers across the country are struggling to secure a minimum wage. The nation witnessed movements led by students, protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), and the farmers’ movement. The INDIA bloc emerged from the very midst of these movements. We must align ourselves with all these forces of resistance for a collective power.”

Mr. Bhattacharya asserted that the Opposition must move forward with courage, resolving to uphold truth against falsehood. He said the BJP’s “bulldozer” must be stopped at all costs — a force that secured victory in West Bengal through the use of SIR (special intensive revision of electoral rolls) and, in Bihar, by distributing sums of ₹10,000 to women.

“We may have lost the election, but we have not lost our resolve, Mr. Bhattacharya said.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Bihar president Mangani Lal Mandal extended his support to the conference, engaging in a detailed discussion regarding rising poverty, violence against women, and the Centre’s alleged discriminatory attitude within the “double-engine” government of the State. Mr. Mandal also said that neither electronic voting machines (EVMs) nor the Election Commission of India (ECI) can be trusted.

Congress MLC Madan Mohan Jha remarked that the INDIA bloc continued to protest and resist despite the alleged electoral rigging, coercion, and misuse of democratic institutions.

Rajaram Singh, CPI(ML) MP from Karakat, said that the elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu had signalled looming threats to the Constitution and democracy. He called for the preservation of democracy by opposing the delimitation process.

The open session of the conference was also addressed by CPI state secretary Ramnaresh Pandey, Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) leader Balgovind Bind, CPI(ML)’s Ara MP Sudama Prasad, and others. The proceedings were anchored by Dhirendra Jha, CPI(ML)’s in-charge for the Mithila Zone.