Last lap, Rahul Gandhi holds rallies in Bihar

Shubhadeep Choudhury

New Delhi, May 27

INDIA bloc campaign in Bihar got a boost today with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arriving in the state where seven constituencies are slated to go to the polls in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections on June 1.

In the absence of Congress leaders, who were busy campaigning elsewhere, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav was spearheading the INDIA bloc’s campaign in Bihar despite facing health issues. Voting will take place in Sasaram, Nalanda, Patna Sahib, Pataliputra, Arrah, Buxar, Karakat and Jehanabad Lok Sabha constituencies in the last phase on June 1.

The LS elections in Bihar are being held in seven phases spreading over 43 days, beginning April 19 and ending on June 1. Midway through the campaign, following the first two phases of elections, Yadav developed acute back pain. Doctors advised him bed rest for three weeks. However, ignoring medical advice, the 34-year-old leader continued to canvass for the candidates of the anti-BJP alliance.

Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by Tejashwi Yadav, on Monday addressed three rallies in Bihar for candidates of three different INDIA partners.

Referring to PM Narendra Modi’s alleged comment in an interview that he was not born biologically but created by ‘Parmatma’ (the Almighty) himself, Rahul said, “Do you know why he (Modi) has brought up this story of ‘Parmatma’? Because after the Lok Sabha elections, when the ED will ask Modi about Adani, he will say, I don’t know, I was asked to do so by God.”

Later addressing a rally at Paliganj in support of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav’s daughter Misa Bharati, who is contesting from Pataliputra constituency, Gandhi said the first job of the INDIA bloc government would be to scrap the Agnipath scheme.

Portion of the stage gives way

At Paliganj, Rahul Gandhi had a close shave when a portion of the stage caved in. Gandhi, who was facing the crowd, was seen struggling to maintain balance. Misa Bharti and another party activist helped him regain his balance.