Political strategist and founder of Jan Suraj Prashant Kishor took a direct swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for the first time along with his usual comments on Nitish Kumar, Lalu Yadav and the BJP on Friday (22 September).

Addressing a gathering during his Jan Suraj padyatra in Muzaffarpur, he questioned the relevance of Rahul Gandhi in Bihar, stating, "What does Bihar have to do with Rahul Gandhi? He can't even name four districts in Bihar. When was the last time you saw him in the state, or heard him speak on any Bihar-related issues?"

Prashant Kishor argued that during its 40-year rule, Congress had ruined Bihar, which is why the party now only commands a mere 5 per cent of the vote share. He claimed that people had shown wisdom by distancing themselves from Congress, and the party was now paying the price for its mistakes.

Notably, Rahul Gandhi's last visit to Patna was on 23 June, when he participated in a meeting of opposition parties before the formation of the INDI Alliance. Prior to that, in 2015, he attended the swearing-in ceremony of the Mahagathbandhan government led by Nitish Kumar.

Responding to Prashant Kishor's attack, Congress MLA and party spokesperson Prem Chandra Mishra referred to him as a "misguided missile" with no real grounding in the state, alleging that he was working for the BJP and was in the habit of targeting others to remain in the limelight.

Prashant Kishor has been relentlessly targeting the 32-year rule among Nitish Kumar, Lalu Yadav and the BJP during his Jan Suraj padyatra for nearly a year.