Congress Unit’s ‘Bidis-Bihar’ Post On GST Sparks Political Storm In Bihar

A post by the Congress party’s Kerala unit on the recent Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms has triggered a major political backlash in Bihar.

The now-deleted post on X said, “Bidis and Bihar start with B” and “cannot be considered a sin anymore,” in reference to the rate cut on bidis.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Samrat Choudhary said the remark insulted the state.

He noted that after targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother, Congress had now demeaned all of Bihar, which he said reflected the party’s true character and how it continues to expose itself before the nation.

JDU leader Sanjay Kumar Jha also criticised the post, saying that “B” stood not just for bidi but also for “buddhi” (intellect) and “budget,” which Congress lacked and envied when Bihar received special assistance.

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He argued that the remark ridiculed both the people of Bihar and the nation’s democratic history, and warned that voters would respond strongly in the upcoming state elections.

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said the Congress had once again crossed the line.

He pointed out that after previously insulting the Prime Minister’s mother, the party had now compared Bihar with a bidi, and asked whether RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav endorsed this stance.

Another BJP leader, Ajay Alok, said Congress had been irrelevant in Bihar since 1989 and was repeatedly reminded of its weakness.

He added that by equating Bihar with a bidi, Congress had provoked anger that would eventually “burn” the party out of the state.

Under the GST Council’s new structure, the tax on bidis has been reduced from 28 per cent to 18 per cent, while the levy on tendu leaves, used for wrappers, has been cut from 18 per cent to 5 per cent.

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