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Modi, Rahul brace for face-off on poll grounds
Bihar's assembly elections see Modi and Gandhi intensifying campaigns with multiple visits, focusing on development and social justice to sway voters.
As the Bihar assembly elections draw near, the state has turned into a battleground for the country’s two leading political faces — Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Both leaders have made multiple visits to Bihar this year, intensifying efforts to woo voters ahead of the polls.
While Modi has visited Bihar seven times since April so far, Gandhi has made eight visits, underscoring the state’s centrality in national politics. If the state NDA leaders are to be believed, Modi is likely to hold at least a dozen election rallies in Bihar after the completion of the nomination process.
A senior BJP leader, who wished not to be named, said the state BJP working committee has identified sites for the prime minister’s rallies in at least one place in each division, such as Magadh, Shahabad, Kosi, Purnia, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga and Patna.
“We are looking for the PM’s availability and his preferred venues. Once we get the confirmation, we’ll start the preparations. The NDA has reaped major success in past elections where Modi has held rallies. Modi has always relied on the ‘development-plus-delivery’ narrative, inaugurating and laying foundation stones for projects worth several thousand crores across Bihar. His visits have been a blend of government and political events, often accompanied by large public gatherings,” he said.
Starting from April 24, when he inaugurated panchayat buildings in Madhubani, Modi’s subsequent visits have spanned Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Aurangabad, and Gaya. He launched schemes in energy, infrastructure, and education, and addressed rallies highlighting the Centre’s welfare achievements. On July 18, he launched multiple projects focused on connectivity and job creation. He also unveiled youth-centric schemes, including the PM-SETU initiative for ITIs, projecting Bihar as a key beneficiary of India’s development trajectory.
Bihar minister of public health and engineering department Neeraj Kumar Singh Bablu said Modi’s tours have largely focused on inaugurations, project launches and public meetings that blend development messaging with political outreach.
“His connect with the grassroots voters and workers has no match. He is the biggest crowd-puller in India. Modiji’s development-oriented leadership always diminishes the Opposition’s ‘politics of promises’ theory. BJP is banking on its welfare record — housing, rural electrification, and roads — to retain voter trust,” he said.
Rahul’s visits, in contrast, have been sharply political, centering on rallies, public interactions, and criticism of the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government over unemployment, inflation and social justice.
Former minister and senior Congress leader Kripanath Pathak said Rahul Gandhi’s campaign strategy has always revolved around direct engagement with voters and he is expected to address at least a dozen rallies for the upcoming assembly elections.
“His visits covered key districts, including Patna, Gaya, Nalanda, and Motihari, focusing on the youth and farmers. He began his Bihar campaign on January 18 from Patna’s Gandhi Maidan, emphasising the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra theme and highlighting issues of economic disparity and social justice. Subsequent visits in February, May, June and September saw Gandhi addressing rallies and roadshows, attacking the Modi government’s record on price rise and employment. He positioned the Congress-led INDIA bloc as a ‘people’s alliance’, promising a caste-based census, greater representation for the poor, and rollback of anti-farmer policies of the NDA government,” Pathak said.
Senior Congress leader Anand Madhab said Gandhi’s repeated tours are aimed at energising grassroots workers and strengthening booth-level networks across Bihar’s 38 districts.
“His campaign has significantly consolidated minority and backward caste voters, a key factor in the state’s electoral matrix. His election rallies will ensure the victory of the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar,” he said.
