Bihar is gearing up to witness Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first-ever election rally on Friday after the COVID-19 pandemic. He is all set to address two rallies in the south Bihar cities of Gaya and Sasaram while his third rally is slated to be in the eastern region of the state.

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is also set to visit two places Kahalgaon and Hisua for Bihar election rally.

According to sources, PM Modi would be addressing a dozen such rallies while Gandhi would attend six rallies, two each in three phases.

PM Modi on Thursday night tweeted about his rallies in Bihar. He wrote, “Tomorrow I will get an opportunity to be with my brothers and sisters from Bihar. I will address rallies in Sasaram, Gaya and Bhagalpur. During this time, I will put the development agenda of the NDA in front of the people and seek blessings for our alliance.”

Aurangabad MP Sushil Kumar Singh expects that PM Modi would address the key issues of development, national security and poor welfare apart from other issues. 

Talking to Opoyi, Singh told that there is a huge enthusiasm for PM’s rally. 

The big question being discussed in Bihar is that what would be the poll slogan of PM Modi as Bihar BJP came up with a resolve to provide 19 lakh jobs seemingly in response to Grand Alliance’s chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav’s promise to provide 10 lakh jobs in Bihar.

In Bihar, employment has become a poll issue after RJD’s announcement of 10 lakh jobs. BJP too has resolved to create four lakh government and 14 lakh non government jobs. Interestingly, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar of JDU and deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi of BJP had ridiculed this employment promise and asked the source of money for this purpose.

According to a newspaper advertisement by the BJP, it has been announced that PM Modi’s programmes would be broadcasted live to one hundred ‘maidans’ of each rally centre. Candidates and supporters of around six dozen assembly constituencies are expected to attend the two election rallies.

Gaya-based senior journalist Abdul Qadir says that COVID-19 has dampened the mood of the voters. He says that there is a restriction on the number of attendants for the rally and it would be tough for the administration to ensure social distancing. He pointed out that in a rally attended by BJP chief JP Nadda, social distance norm was thrown to the wind and an FIR was registered too. 

On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi’s rallies are being organised at two smaller places where crowd controlling might not be an issue. He is expected to enthuse his party workers attacking the PM Modi’s policies. Senior Congress leader Rashid Hussain says that rural area is being focused this time. He says that Rahul Gandhi would explain party’s vision for Bihar. ‘He may also speak on the employment issue in Bihar. He would also question the central government’s handling of COVID-19 and distribution of yet to be finalised vaccine. His presence would help the Mahagathbandhan a lot.

Meanwhile, there are concerns over the laxity in following the norms set for such rallies in view of COVID-19. Rashid says that it would be tough to count the number of attendants in a political rally. It is up to the Election Commission to take care of that to ensure safety as it was advised by the opposition parties not hold election in the prevailing situation.