RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav raised eyebrows on Tuesday as he questioned the conspicuous absence of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar from BJP election rallies in the state. Yadav’s remarks came in light of Kumar’s non-appearance at rallies addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gaya and Purnea earlier in the day.

“Where is Nitish Kumar ji? Why is the BJP not inviting him to its rallies? He could not be seen at either rally of the PM on Tuesday. I still have respect for the CM… BJP, which is his current ally, needs to come clean on the matter,” Yadav, former deputy chief minister, told reporters.

Yadav, whose RJD lost power after Kumar’s return to the NDA in January, responded sharply to PM Modi’s recent remarks targeting the opposition. Regarding Modi’s comment questioning whether the RJD’s election symbol, the lantern, could charge a smartphone, Yadav retorted, “What does it mean? Can the mud in which the lotus (BJP poll symbol) grows be used for charging mobile phones?”

Yadav also criticized the BJP’s focus on divisive issues, contrasting it with his party’s emphasis on youth empowerment and socio-economic concerns. “Why is he (PM) not talking about price rise, employing youths, reducing poverty, bringing black money back to India? They only talk about Hindu-Muslim. While we talk about distributing pens among youth, BJP leaders, including the PM, talk about giving swords to job-seekers,” he remarked.

The RJD leader also questioned the PM’s silence on BJP candidates’ remarks about potentially changing the Constitution if Modi secures a third term, highlighting a stark contrast in priorities between the ruling party and the opposition.