Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aircraft experienced a technical glitch in Deoghar, Jharkhand, on Friday afternoon, delaying his return to Delhi for over two hours. While the fault was detected just before takeoff, the plane was grounded in Deoghar, and efforts were made to address the issue before an alternative Indian Air Force (IAF) plane was sent from New Delhi.

PM Modi had been in Deoghar after attending events in Jamui, Bihar, marking the birth anniversary of tribal icon Birsa Munda, celebrated as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas. After completing his engagements, he was scheduled to fly back to Delhi when the snag occurred.

Meanwhile, a separate aviation incident involving Congress leader Rahul Gandhi added to the day’s tensions. His helicopter, which was en route to Godda in Jharkhand, was grounded for 45 minutes awaiting clearance from air traffic control. The Congress party claimed this delay was intentional, suggesting it was meant to disrupt Gandhi's campaign schedule in favor of PM Modi’s rally near Deoghar. The helicopter was eventually cleared to take off after the delay.

The Congress party later filed a formal complaint with the Election Commission regarding the delay, raising concerns about the prioritization of the Prime Minister’s schedule.

At a rally in Godda, Rahul Gandhi advocated for a nationwide caste census, arguing that it could change the course of India’s development and break the 50% reservation cap, stating that PM Modi would not be able to prevent its implementation.

The second phase of polling for Jharkhand's 81-member Assembly is scheduled for November 20, with vote counting set for November 23.