New Delhi, Oct. 27 -- As polling dates for the Bihar elections draw near, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's absence has become a major subject of discussion across the state. The Congress has not been seen in the poll-bound state for about a month now.

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 CPI ML 20 seats, and the VIP 15 seats, as per an informal arrangement between the alliances.

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