It could have been a generational contest — JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar, in the autumn of his long reign, squaring off against RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, the ambitious young challenger still striving to find his own voice.
Yet over the past week, the 2025 Bihar assembly election has begun to mirror a familiar trend: state polls increasingly transforming into contests over national leadership — a framing that largely benefits the ruling NDA.
The absence of Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi from Bihar’s campaign trail since the conclusion of his fortnight-long Voter Adhikar Yatra on 1 September had not gone unnoticed. But it inadvertently allowed Tejashwi to emerge as the principal challenger to Nitish.
Earlier, Rahul’s yatra against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, coupled with the Congress’ hesitation in naming Tejashwi as the INDIA bloc’s chief ministerial face, had pushed the RJD leader into the shadows, making him appear like a sulking prince waiting for his moment.
Rahul’s prolonged absence from Bihar, however, along with the bloc’s belated announcement on 23 October formally projecting Tejashwi as the CM candidate, finally gave the young leader the space to step onto the electoral turf with confidence.
The launch of the Opposition’s manifesto, titled Tejashwi Pran, on 28 October further turned the campaign spotlight squarely on him. A day later, Rahul finally began his campaign in the state, addressing two rallies. The narrative shifted once again, as attention turned to his verbal duel with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
And that is why the ongoing face-off between Modi and Rahul in the Bihar poll campaign is The Print’s Newsmaker of the Week.
An opportunity
Rahul’s speeches featured his pet themes — PM Modi, Adani, Ambani, crony capitalism. But it was his remark that Modi would resort to every possible drama and even “dance” on stage if it got him votes that allowed the Prime Minister once again to project himself as a victim of the Opposition’s personal attacks.
At one point in his speech, Rahul referred to the creation of an artificial pool along the Yamuna at Delhi’s Vasudev Ghat, which Modi was expected to visit to perform Chhath Puja, and said:
“On one side, there’s the Yamuna with filthy water. And on the other, a small pond made especially for Modi ji containing clean, piped water. This is the reality of India.”
He added, “If Modi ji wants to put on a drama, if he wants to do a Chhath Puja drama, then suddenly water would appear, cameras would appear. Clean water for him, and just ten yards away, the real India with dirty water and disease.”
While transcripts of the speech make it clear that Rahul Gandhi did not use the term “drama” to describe the ritual itself, his clumsy articulation in accusing the Prime Minister of allegedly using Chhath Puja for political gains handed Modi an opportunity to corner the Opposition for insulting a festival deeply revered by the people of Bihar.
“Chhath stands not just for devotion but also for equality, a reason why my government is trying to get a UNESCO heritage tag for this festival. I listen to Chhath songs while travelling. I was once moved to listen to one of these songs rendered by a girl from Nagaland. But while this son of yours is busy ensuring that Chhath gets the honour that is its due, the Congress-RJD people are heaping scorn on the festival, calling it a drama, a nautanki. Look at the depths to which these people can stoop while seeking votes. This is an insult to the festival of Chhath that Bihar will not forget for centuries,” Modi said, addressing a rally on Thursday.
Also read: Tejashwi Yadav has overcome challenges. Now he must prove himself in Bihar elections
Modi vs Rahul
Sensing potential electoral advantage, the BJP is also pursuing other avenues to keep the issue alive. On Thursday, the party’s state leadership approached the office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Bihar with a written complaint against Rahul, accusing him of making comments that were “personal, mocking, and intended to insult the dignity of the highest constitutional office of the Republic of India.”
The Congress retorted by pointing out that the Prime Minister himself had used the term “mujra” while attacking the Opposition in Bihar in May. “I will foil the plans of the INDIA bloc to rob the SCs, STs, and OBCs of their rights and divert those to Muslims. They may remain enslaved and perform mujra to please their vote bank,” Modi had said.
On his part, Tejashwi has been attempting to localise the election, seeking to capitalise on the anti-incumbency sentiment that has built up against Nitish Kumar, who has held the chief minister’s office in Bihar since 2005, except for a nine-month interlude when Jitan Ram Manjhi briefly took the reins.
In contrast, the domination of non-local factors is beneficial to the NDA, as the focus on Modi versus Rahul pushes local issues to the background, consolidating support for the ruling alliance.
Views are personal.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)