Bihar Assembly polls: Man with air gun detained ahead of Rahul Gandhi's mega rally in West Champaran

The campaign of the Congress party for Bihar Assembly elections is set to kickstart on Saturday with party vice president Rahul Gandhi holding a mega rally in West Champaran.

There was a security threat ahead of the rally, as a man carrying an air gun was detained at the venue. He was detained before he could enter the rally ground.

The Gandhi scion is set to be received at Patna airport by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is giving the rally a miss. The Janata Dal United (JDU) leader has downplayed his skipping the event, saying he will be busy with the selection of candidates.

Another ally, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav will also not attend the rally.

Rahul Gandhi will address a rally in Ramnagar in Bihar's West Champaran district, and is also slated to interact with unorganised labourers and tribal youth.

The Congress is leaving no stones unturned to make Rahul's rally a success and efforts are on to make Lalu attend it.

Lalu had assured Congress leaders that his younger son Tejaswi Yadav, regarded as his heir apparent, would attend the rally on his behalf.

According to sources, Lalu was reluctant to share dais with Rahul as he was unhappy with the Congress leader over the latter's political approach and stand on some issues.

The Champaran rally would be the first big show of the grand alliance after the Swabhiman rally in Patna on August 30, which was attended by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar.

The grand alliance, in which RJD and JD-U would contest 100 seats each and the Congress 40 seats, is in direct fight with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in Bihar elections.