Birthday Boy Tejashwi Outshines Rivals With 181 Rallies; Modi, Shah And Nitish Way Behind In Numbers

Patna: As Bihar turned into the epicentre of an engrossing poll battle, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav became the centre of attraction due to the number of poll meetings he addressed, hitting the election trail in every nook and corner of the state.

Amid the din and bustle of electoneering, Tejashwi Yadav outshone all rivals in the staggering number of 181 poll meetings. While Yadav, who addressed joint rallies with Rahul Gandhi, became the fulcrum of the INDIA Alliance's poll canvass, NDA counted on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s star power and Nitish Kumar’s enduring grassroots network.

The high-octane campaign for the 2025 Bihar Assembly Elections has officially come to a close as the state prepares for the second and final phase of voting on November 11. The Model Code of Conduct came into effect on October 6, and formal campaigning began on October 17. Since then, leaders from both the ruling NDA and the opposition Grand Alliance have toured every corner of the state, vying for the attention of its 12-crore citizens.

Tejashwi’s marathon campaign

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav dominated the campaign trail, addressing unprecedented public meetings and several roadshows. Starting on October 24, the young leader intensified his pace, addressing up to 18 rallies a day at the campaign’s peak. “The youth have voted unitedly for change,” RJD spokesperson Chittaranjan Gagan said, emphasising Tejashwi’s appeal among first-time voters.

Tejashwi turns 36, basks in youth power

Tejashwi Yadav, the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly and the Grand Alliance's chief ministerial candidate for the 2025 Bihar election, has turned 36. Due to his busy election schedule, he celebrated his birthday with relative simplicity. However, Rashtriya Janata Dal workers celebrated it with pomp and show. Tejashwi single-handedly led the opposition alliance during the election campaign, holding a series of rallies to seek votes for the alliance's candidates. Meanwhile, the NDA deployed an army of leaders to confront him.

Regarding this, RJD spokesperson Syed Laraib Akram said, "Bihar is a state with a young population, and the youth trust Tejashwi Yadav. Our leader, Tejashwi Yadav, has talked about providing employment and education to the youth. He claims that when Tejashwi Yadav was Deputy Chief Minister, government jobs were given to the youth, and this time too, we are committed to providing government jobs to the youth."

He continued, "Thirty-six-year-old Tejashwi Yadav is a big challenge for the NDA, and to counter him, they deployed leaders from across the country in Bihar. The youth and women voters are in favour of the Rashtriya Janata Dal. This time, we are going to form the government with a large margin of votes."

Modi, Nitish, and Chirag's frontline campaign

The NDA, too, mounted an aggressive push. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar addressed 71 meetings and five road shows, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi bolstered the campaign with 16 public meetings and a road show in Patna, surpassing his 2020 effort.

Home Minister Amit Shah held 36 meetings, BJP President JP Nadda participated in 15, and Chirag Paswan emerged as the NDA’s most active campaigner, conducting 90 rallies and six road shows.“PM Modi’s rallies energized people and drove a higher turnout,” said BJP spokesperson Bhupendra Yadav, citing the 65.08% voter participation in the first phase — nearly 8% higher than in 2020.

Congress show

Rahul Gandhi addressed 14 public meetings, while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, making her Bihar campaign debut, drew large crowds at 12 meetings and a road show. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also joined in with four meetings.

Youth, jobs, and migration

The parties focused their messaging on employment, education, and migration, issues resonating with young voters who appear to be shaping the state’s political future. Political analyst Praveen Bagi said, “The surge in turnout shows young and first-time voters are more engaged than ever.”

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