Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav came under sharp attack from ruling alliance leaders on Tuesday, 28 July, as campaigning for the high-stakes Bankipur by-election entered its final hours ahead of polling on 30 July. Bihar Minister Ram Kripal Yadav and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Sanjay Saraogi both questioned Tejashwi's extended absence from Bihar's political landscape, arguing that a last-minute roadshow appearance would not sway voters.

What the Ruling Alliance Said

Ram Kripal Yadav, speaking on Tejashwi's scheduled roadshow in Patna, said he had only learned of the event the day before. '… I came to know only yesterday. He had gone somewhere abroad, to Norway or somewhere, I heard… They should have been working. Even if you were not there, your party workers and your other leaders should have come out and done the work…' he said.

BJP state president Saraogi went further, accusing Tejashwi of being a 'part-time politician' with little sustained interest in Bihar's affairs. 'Does Tejashwi Yadav care about Bihar? He has become a part-time politician. He comes here once a month and talks about movements and Bihar. An important session was held, and he was not there even for a single day. He keeps disappearing continuously… Then he comes, speaks for four days, you people show it on media, and then he disappears again…' Saraogi said.

Janata Dal (United) chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar added a pointed jibe, saying 'Tejashwi Yadav is himself a migrant Bihari.'

Tejashwi's Campaign Push in Patna

Despite the criticism, Tejashwi Yadav held a roadshow in Patna on Tuesday, his second in as many days. On Monday, he led a nearly four-kilometre roadshow across the Bankipur constituency alongside RJD candidate Rekha Gupta. The march began from the Mithapur party office and concluded at Sabzibagh Chowk via Chiraiya Tand Bridge, with both leaders greeting supporters from their vehicle.

Tejashwi Attacks Bihar CM

During the roadshow, Tejashwi trained his fire on Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, calling him a 'selected' chief minister and alleging a failure to deliver development. He also raised the Siwan student protest incident, claiming: 'The three students were fortunate to survive police bullets in Siwan during student protest, but nothing like this had ever happened in the country before.'

Polling and Counting Schedule

Campaigning for the Bankipur bypoll closes on Tuesday evening, with polling set for 30 July and vote counting scheduled for 3 August. The contest has drawn intense attention from both the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition, making it one of Bihar's most closely watched by-elections in recent memory. The result on 3 August will be read as an early indicator of the political mood in the state.