The Congress MP, whose party is allied with Tejashwi Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal for this election, also once again accused the ruling BJP of 'stealing' elections, repeating claims that the party colludes with the Election Commission to commit voter fraud and manipulate poll results.

"He just wants your vote. If you tell Narendra Modi to dance. He will dance... they are engaged in stealing your votes. Because they want to end this election disease. I am telling you, they stole elections in Maharashtra, they stole elections in Haryana, and they will try their best in Bihar..."

The response was immediate; the Bharatiya Janata Party ripped into Gandhi, calling his words that of a 'local goon' and saying he had 'insulted every person who had voted for the PM'.

The comments, the BJP railed, had 'mocked Indian voters and democracy'. The party then countered by accusing Gandhi and the Congress of "openly standing with intruders".

Home Minister Amit Shah, speaking at a rally in Darbhanga district, referred to Gandhi's 'Voter Adhikar Yatra', a foot march through parts of the eastern state in August/September, to drum up public support for the opposition's claims of Election Commission-BJP collusion before polls.