Bihar Election 2025: The political heat of Bihar Assembly elections is at its peak. From the village chaupalas to the tea stalls of Patna, the same question is on every tongue, who will win this time? But amidst this tremendous electoral battle, one corner is completely quiet. And this **long absence of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi** has become the biggest talking point of Bihar elections.
Rahul Gandhi last visited Bihar on September 1, when he addressed the concluding rally of his ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Patna. That day he spoke openly on unemployment, social justice and education and gave the slogan that if Bihar rises, India will rise. But, almost two months have passed since that aggressive start. During this period, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav have held massive rallies in the state. In contrast, the election campaign of Congress is looking completely dull without a strong face.
Congress candidates campaigning at the grassroots level have also started raising questions on this delay of the high command. A Congress candidate expressed his anguish on the condition of anonymity: People ask where are your top leaders? What should we answer? How do we explain this to voters? A Youth Congress worker from Bhagalpur also expressed disappointment, saying that we are putting up posters daily, doing road shows, but without Rahul Gandhi on the stage, this fight seems incomplete.
Due to Rahul’s absence, tension is being created not only within the Congress but also in the Grand Alliance. While RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav is single-handedly leading the charge, allies are also unhappy with Congress’s slow participation. A senior RJD leader commented bluntly that elections are fought with unity. If a partner fights half-heartedly, he loses support and becomes a burden.
On the other hand, Congress spokesperson Pawan Kheda defends the party and says that Rahul Gandhi’s program is being decided and his rallies are being planned. However, sources have cited two main reasons behind Rahul Gandhi’s long absence. Firstly, there are differences in internal strategy and it is believed that there is lack of coordination regarding seat-sharing and campaign planning. Secondly, Congress is more focused on Maharashtra and Haryana, where the party sees strong chances of comeback.
Rahul Gandhi’s silence has now become an easy weapon for BJP also. BJP spokesperson Sanjay Mayukh says that Rahul Gandhi does not trust the voters of Bihar. That is why he is missing from the election field. Now the same question is echoing across the state: Is this silence of Rahul Gandhi the calm before a storm, or a sign of Congress’s tiredness?