PATNA, Oct. 10 -- Congress general secretary in-charge for communications Jairam Ramesh on Thursday branded Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar as a 'remote-controlled' figure, asserting that decision-making was dictated from New Delhi, limiting Kumar's autonomy. Ramesh said this at a press conference at Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters, Sadaqat Ashram here, while releasing a scathing charge sheet titled '20-Saal, Vinash Kaal' against the Nitish Kumar-led regime along with former CMs Ashok Gehlot of Rajasthan and Bhupesh Baghel of Chhattisgarh and party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from West Bengal. Ramesh's allegations echo broader opposition critiques of the NDA's centralised control, especially post-2024 Lok Sabha elections where the BJP secured only 240 seats, relying on allies like JD(U) and TDP for stability. Ramesh claimed Modi would not have become PM without alleged 'vote-chori', a charge Congress has repeatedly levelled, including recent accusations that deleted voter names in Bihar surpassed victory margins in some constituencies. BJP has dismissed the claims as baseless attempts to undermine the electoral process, with PM Modi accusing Congress of insulting Bihar through unrelated social media controversies and vowing to address infiltration issues. The charge sheet critiques the twenty years since Nitish Kumar realigned with the NDA in January 2005, alleging systemic failures in governance, economy and social welfare. The event comes amid escalating political tensions ahead of Bihar assembly elections, with Congress amplifying claims of voter irregularities and financial scams to challenge the BJP-JD(U) alliance. Recent controversies, like allegations of deleted votes exceeding victory margins in some seats and the Election Commission's silence on non-citizen removals from voter lists, have fuelled the opposition's narrative of electoral manipulation. The charge sheet highlights about 50 million people survive on Rs.40 daily earnings, with 64% earning Rs.67, and 94% of the 29.8 million migrated workforce receiving Rs.10,000 monthly. Authentic data corroborates Bihar's challenges. As of 2024-25, 15.73% of the population remains below the poverty line, with high out-migration-around four million youth aged 18-32 leaving annually due to limited opportunities in the agrarian economy. Bihar ranks low on human development (HDI 0.577 in 2022, 36th nationally) and faces persistent poverty amid social stratification and weak infrastructure. Critics from NDA argue these issues predate the current regime, pointing to improvements in GDP growth, but opposition emphasises stagnation in empowerment metrics. Ramesh lambasted the government for failing to provide constitutional safeguards to the 65% reservation law, leading to its scrapping by Patna HC in June 2024-a decision upheld by the Supreme Court, which refused a stay. He contrasted this with Tamil Nadu's enduring 69% reservation under the Ninth Schedule, crediting the Narasimha Rao government. The BJP has been accused of opposing enhanced quotas in courts, though party responses focus on legal compliance rather than outright denial. This issue resonates in Bihar's caste-sensitive politics, where the quota hike aimed to benefit backward classes, dalits and tribals but violated the 50% cap precedent. The document alleges only 28,000 of 10 million promised youth received PM scholarships, with over 10 exam paper leaks, and papers sold at premiums. It notes 16,000 schools in Bihar lack electricity, 83% without computers and over 10 million youth not attending college. Official reports align with these claims, underscoring Bihar's low performance in education indicators amid broader development lags. Government defenses highlight ongoing reforms, but persistent leaks and migration for better opportunities highlight systemic issues. The charge sheet cites over 60,000 murders, 1.15 lakh murder attempts, 6.58 lakh abductions, and 2.60 lakh cases of violence against women during Kumar's 20-yr tenure. Bihar's socio-economic reports confirm high crime rates linked to poverty and migration, though NDA allies like BJP have shifted focus to issues like infiltration to build election narratives. Health care is deemed notoriously poor, exacerbating vulnerabilities. The report blames the government for 27 bridge collapses in 3 years, attributing them to corrupt practices. Bihar saw over a dozen collapses in mid-2024 alone, prompting a new maintenance policy after 18 incidents in two years. Factors include poor construction, inadequate maintenance and contract mismanagement, with opposition alleging impunity for officials. Ramesh demanded action on the Rs.71,000 crore 'scam' exposed in the CAG report, which flagged pending utilisation certificates for Rs.70,877 crore, raising embezzlement risks and no assurance of funds' proper use. Congress alleges this dwarfs past scandals like fodder scam. Additionally, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury criticised the Adani Group's 1,020-acre land allotment in Pirpainti at Rs.1 per acre annually for a power plant, charging Bihar Rs.6.075 per unit-higher than Maharashtra (Rs.3.69), Uttar Pradesh (Rs.3.72) and West Bengal (Rs.3.60). The Bihar government rejects these as 'land gifts', citing a competitive bidding process under the SHAKTI policy, while critics demand scrapping the project to prioritise farmers. This charge sheet positions Congress as a vocal critic ahead of polls, leveraging data on financial lapses and infrastructure woes to demand accountability, while NDA counters with promises of stability and development....