Patna: Poll Tracker recently asked Bihari voters in their twenties which national politician they preferred, and Congress stalwart Rahul Gandhi finished first. The June 2025 survey showed Gandhi attracting 47 per cent of respondents, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed 39 per cent. A remaining 14 per cent pointed to other figures or left the question blank.
Campaigning, feeling déjà vu, the National Democratic Alliance is once again locking horns with the Mahagathbandhan over the same dusty highways and rusting railway-spoke walls that divide Bihar. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar returned to the NDA in January 2024 after touring his old allies in the two-headed rainbow coalition and has since kept his projectors firmly trained on a record he insists glows even brighter than the repetitive yellow that dominates Bihar slang for state pride. RJD heir Tejashwi Yadav, however, promises voters fresh jobs and sharper social justice stamps.
Fresh data from the Poll Tracker paints a lively picture for Congress, reporting that nearly half of the states’ youth who were previously disillusioned now support Rahul Gandhi. If that figure holds, the party could step forward as a linchpin in the coming election. However, Congress has yet to designate a chief minister, leaving the larger Mahagathbandhan partnership uncertain about who will lead the party.
Ajay Kumar, a political observer, bluntly stated: Gandhi may be transitioning Congress from a support role to a prominent role, but an alliance lacking a leader is navigating blindly. Posts on X echoed this concern, praising the Congress leader and openly questioning the extent of Narendra Modi’s loss among under-30 voters.
Just when the race looked to narrow, Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party barged onto the stage waving its banner of good governance. The newcomer could syphon votes from both the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan, muddying the arithmetic for everyone. A C-Voter poll from April 2025 already slapped Kishor’s name into second place for chief minister preference—17.2 percent, behind Tejashwi Yadav’s 35.5 and ahead of Nitish Kumar’s 15.
Rahul Gandhi has suddenly captured the interest of young voters in Bihar, upending long-held assumptions about the region’s political calculus. Congress is preparing to capitalise on the current situation, despite the unexpected uncertainty posed by the new Jan Suraaj front. How usable the Congress surge proves at the ballot box and whether the Mahagathbandhan can stitch itself together against Nitish Kumar’s seasoned grip on power are twin questions that will soon dominate local headlines.
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