India, Nov. 1 -- As campaigning intensified ahead of the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections, due on November 6, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-both senior leaders of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-warned voters against the "return of jungle raj" if the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) comes back to power.

Their remarks drew a swift response from Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav, the RJD's chief ministerial candidate, who accused the BJP-JD(U) alliance of deflecting attention from governance failures and rising crime under its watch.

Due to bad weather, Shah addressed two rallies-at Gopalganj and Samastipur-virtually from a hotel in Patna, while Kumar travelled by road to address gat...