Bihar Polls to See Yogi–Akhilesh Face-Off

New Delhi:Poll-bound Bihar is set to be the unwitting witness of the Uttar Pradesh political rivalry between chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav as the duo campaign for the ruling NDA and the Opposition Mahagathbandhan, respectively, in the run-up to the Assembly polls.

Both Mr Adityanath and Mr Yadav are in high demand for campaigning in the Bihar polls. As the Uttar Pradesh political rivals notch up their bid to woo voters, the narrative war of the neighbouring state will set ablaze the Bihar campaign.

Mr Adityanath, the star campaigner for the BJP, has been leading rallies in Bihar to consolidate Hindu votes and sharply attacking the RJD and Congress over alleged corruption during their stints in the state. Mr Yadav, on the other hand, is backing the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan and is expected to pitch for the Opposition unity, citing joint victories in Awadh.

The SP chief is likely to lead the rallies, especially in the Magadh region, to dent the BJP’s prospects when he kickstarts his poll campaign for the INDIA bloc on October 25. The Mahagathbandhan poll strategists have also scheduled Mr Yadav's rallies in the constituencies adjoining the UP border with Bihar.

The Uttar Pradesh CM is the most sought-after leader for his firebrand image. The majority of the candidates of the saffron party are seeking his poll address to make their victory possible.

According to the BJP sources, the Uttar Pradesh CM is likely to address 20-25 rallies in the poll-bound state, most of which are likely to be held in seats with triangular contests. Also, in the “Seemanchal” area, where the AIMIM has gained traction among the minorities, the BJP is planning to consolidate Hindu votes by fielding Mr Adityanath as the star campaigner for the party. He already held rallies at Saharsa on Thursday in the Koshi region, which falls under the Seemanchal region.

The BJP hopes that Mr Adityanath’s aggressive campaigning and appeal to regional and religious identity will stabilise or improve their vote share in the impending Assembly polls. His influence is considered significant but not singularly decisive, given the broader competitive landscape and ongoing shifts in voter sentiment.

Addressing a rally at Danapur in support of the BJP candidate and former Union minister Ram Kripal Yadav on Thursday, Mr Adityanath attacked the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan for opposing the Election Commission’s move to identify the burqa-clad women voters. He said that the Opposition has been creating confusion for political mileage and appeasement.

Citing the religious context of Lord Ram and Goddess Janki, Mr Adityanath said that Uttar Pradesh and Bihar share a common heritage, both in terms of culture as well as religion.

Referring to the previous Lalu Prasad Yadav-led government, the Uttar Pradesh CM said that the people of Bihar don’t want to go back to “jungle raj” again and appealed for votes for the NDA alliance for the sake of the prosperity and progress of the state.

Mr Yogi has created an image of a man of delivery with his “bulldozer justice” to remove encroachments on public land and Romeo squad to target hooligans indulging in eve teasing.

Mr Yadav, who pulled out a spectacular win in the 2024 parliamentary polls, with the SP winning 37 seats out of 80 seats, is credited with the rollout of the police emergency number 112, which has emerged as a boon for the people in distress, more especially in the rural areas.

Mr Yadav also has family ties with the RJD supremo and the INDIA bloc expects to cash in on the vote base of the dominant caste in Bihar.

The SP chief also joined the “Vote Adhikar Yatra”, convened by the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav against the special intensive revision of the voter list of Bihar ahead of the Bihar polls.