The Bihar Assembly witnessed a stormy session on Wednesday as the Opposition protested over the drought-like situation in several districts, while the ruling NDA defended the government's preparedness. The session also saw sharp political exchanges after a BJP MLA mocked Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav for his absence from the House. Amid the heated debate, the Assembly passed the Bihar Private Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2026, paving the way for changes in the state's higher education framework.

CM Assures Relief for Farmers

The issue of inadequate rainfall and its impact on agriculture dominated the proceedings. During Question Hour, even ruling alliance legislators raised concerns over irregular electricity supply for irrigation, stating that farmers in several districts were struggling to water their crops due to inconsistent power availability.

Responding to the concerns, Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said the government had taken note of the rainfall deficit in many parts of Bihar and was closely monitoring the situation.

He informed the House that efforts were being made to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply for irrigation from 6 am to 7 pm, enabling farmers to irrigate their fields without disruption.

The Chief Minister further directed district magistrates to assess drought conditions and submit detailed reports. Based on these reports, the government will initiate relief measures, including diesel subsidies for farmers in areas officially declared drought-affected.

He assured legislators that the state government would act promptly to protect crops and minimise farmers' losses if rainfall remained below normal.

Political Barbs Over Tejashwi's Absence

The Assembly also witnessed political sparring after BJP MLA Baidyanath Prasad questioned the absence of Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav.

In a sarcastic remark, the BJP legislator said Tejashwi appeared to be "mediating the US-Iran conflict" instead of attending the Assembly and contributing to discussions on Bihar's development.

The Opposition objected to the remarks, but the exchange added to the already charged atmosphere inside the House.

Private Universities Bill Gets Assembly Approval

The House later passed the Bihar Private Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2026 after a debate involving both the ruling alliance and Opposition members.

Higher Education Minister Sanjay Singh Tiger introduced the Bill, saying it was aimed at strengthening higher education opportunities within Bihar.

AIMIM MLA Akhtarul Iman expressed concern that the amendment should not favour private institutions at the expense of economically weaker students. RJD MLA Rahul Sharma also argued that student welfare must remain the primary focus while expanding private universities.

Replying to the debate, Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said thousands of students from Bihar were currently studying in private universities outside the state, including institutions such as Amity University and Lovely Professional University.

He said the amendment was intended to create more quality higher education opportunities within Bihar so that students would not have to migrate to other states.

Opposition Protests Over Panchayat Tax

The Opposition also staged protests over the issue of proposed tax collection by panchayats. Left legislators argued that additional taxes would place an unnecessary burden on poor and rural families.

Opposition parties demanded a discussion through an adjournment motion, but after the proposal was rejected, MLAs entered the well of the House and raised slogans.

Assembly Speaker Prem Kumar repeatedly appealed to members to return to their seats. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said the House would have an opportunity to debate the matter once the relevant legislation was introduced and invited the Opposition to bring amendments during discussions.

Debate Over Gambling Law Continues

The discussion also referred to the Bihar Gambling Prohibition Bill, 2026, which had been passed a day earlier.

The new legislation seeks to strengthen action against both traditional and online gambling by expanding legal provisions to include organisers, financiers and digital operators.

The law provides for freezing financial transactions linked to online gambling and imposes stricter penalties, including imprisonment for repeat offenders.

Council Witnesses Heated Exchanges

In the Bihar Legislative Council, RJD MLC Sunil Singh raised concerns over increasing drug abuse and criticised the government's handling of narcotics.

His remarks mentioning temples and religious places triggered protests from BJP members, leading to a heated verbal exchange inside the Council.

Later in the day, BJP MLC Anamika Singh and RJD MLC Munni Rajak were involved in a heated argument outside Opposition leader Rabri Devi's chamber.

With drought concerns, political confrontation and key legislative business dominating proceedings, the Monsoon Session continues to witness intense debates over governance, agriculture and public policy in Bihar.