A high-octane drama is expected to unfold in Jharkhand today as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will come face to face and hold rallies in the poll bound state.

The state is undergoing assembly polls and is already over with two phases of it.

Modi will address a rally in Barhi, around 65km north of Hazaribagh, and Rahul in Barkagaon, 35km south of the town, both Assembly seats separated by around 100km and considered the most influential under Hazaribagh Lok Sabha constituency. Both vote on December 12, the third phase of Jharkhand polls.

Barhi had been a Congress fort, sending its MLA from here seven times.Barkagaon was claimed by the BJP thrice till 2005 and it had been considered a safe bastion of the saffron party till the 2009 Assembly polls delivered a shocker when The BJP’s three-time MLA LoknathMahto lost in 2009 at the hands of Congress candidate Yogendra Sao.

The first phase of election in the state had taken place on November 30, the second phase on December 7. The voting for the third phase will take place on December 12.

The Jharkhand Assembly polls, which is spread over 5 phases, will conclude on December 20 and the counting of votes will take place on December 23.

While people are expecting a major showdown, BJP is of the view that there is no competition. “BJP leaders are claiming there could be no contest between a Modi rally and a Rahul one. “Just see for yourself tomorrow (Monday) how many people turn up to listen to our Prime Minister at Barhi and how many go to Barkagaon,” said a BJP party leader.

“Also, anywhere in the country, a visit from Modiji swings the whole mood of the electorate in favour of the BJP, even in places where there is a rival sitting MLA. We have not seen anything like that when Rahul Baba goes (to campaign at any constituency),” he added sarcastically.

A senior Congress leader said Rahul’s presence in Hazaribagh district on same day as Modi’s visit would “energise Congress workers to fight with full energy”.