On two days, on October 31 and November 1, 5 days ahead of the first phase of polling, when rain lashed Bihar and campaign schedules went haywire, two contrasting images emerged.
One leader, 34-year-old Tejashwi Yadav, chose to address voters through his mobile phone, citing the incessant rainfall. The other, 74-year-old Nitish Kumar, set out by road, travelling over 600 kilometres across Patna, Samastipur, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur and Vaishali, determined to meet people in person despite hostile weather.
The weather was the same; the choices were not. That contrast told a larger story about leadership, resolve and priorities. Nitish Kumar was scheduled to address a major public meeting in Kusheshwarsthan. When his helicopter refused to take off due to weather conditions, the easier option was clear: postpone the event or shift to a virtual address. Many leaders across parties would have done precisely that.
But Nitish Kumar simply said, “Let’s go by road.”
At 74, undertaking a gruelling 3–4-hour road journey through rain, wind and slippery stretches would have been reason enough to step back. Instead, he travelled from one constituency to another, meeting people with the same calm, grounded energy that has defined his public life for decades. As he stepped into crowds, shaking hands, listening patiently, responding softly, there was no sign of fatigue or theatricality, only a quiet determination to be physically present among the people whose mandate he sought.
Behind this decisive moment was the understated but crucial role of JD(U) National Working President Sanjay Kumar Jha. Assessing the weather, travel feasibility and local expectations, Jha advised the Chief Minister that waiting for the skies to clear would jeopardise the day’s outreach. Nitish Kumar placed full trust in his counsel, reflecting a rare synergy between leadership and strategist.
This was also the turning point in the campaign: whispers about Nitish Kumar’s health or his reduced role evaporated instantly.
While social media debated Tejashwi Yadav’s remote address, Nitish Kumar’s images from the rain-soaked road journey spread across Bihar. It reinforced a familiar truth that leadership is not defined by age, but by instinct, judgment and the willingness to endure discomfort for the people.
With NDA’s historic win, this episode stands out not merely as an anecdote but as a symbol. It captures the grit of a 74-year-old leader refusing to pause, and the strategic foresight of his closest advisor, Sanjay Kumar Jha, ensuring that the message of commitment reached the people uncompromised.
