India, Oct. 27 -- As voting dates for the Bihar elections draw near, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's absence has become a major subject of discussion across the state.

Rahul, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha (LoP), last visited Bihar on 1 September, when he addressed the concluding rally of his 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in Patna.

The Congress is contesting the Bihar elections as part of Mahagathbandhan of the INDIA bloc. Though there has been no official seat-sharing arrangement, the RJD is contesting 143 of the 243 seats of Bihar. The Congress is contesting 61 seats.

The 'Voter Adhikar Yatra', many Bihar Congress leaders acknowledged, had built momentum for the Mahagathbandhan with large-scale participation from the people, well ahead...