Patna: Union minister Chirag Paswan and other NDA functionaries on Friday took a swipe at RJD’s Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, accusing them of remaining abroad at a time when Bihar is witnessing a byelection.Chirag said it was unfortunate that neither the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha nor the leader of the opposition in Bihar appeared concerned about the country and the state. “When the public expects accountability and proactivity from them, both are busy vacationing abroad,” he said, referring to the Bankipur assembly bypoll.He said the byelection presented an opportunity for the opposition to reconnect with voters after its defeat in the assembly polls, but alleged that its priorities lay elsewhere. Chirag expressed confidence that NDA candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha would register a comfortable victory.JD(U), BJP and RLM also questioned Tejashwi’s absence. JD(U) chief spokesperson and MLC Neeraj Kumar claimed that several RJD MLAs and MPs were in touch with the NDA and said the resignation of RJD spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwari did not bode well for the party.“Who will remain in RJD whose leader is absent even during the Assembly session and election when his candidate is in the fray?” Neeraj asked.RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha described the RJD as internally weak and alleged that the party was witnessing an exodus. He blamed the party’s top leadership for the situation and questioned Tejashwi’s absence during a crucial political period.The Bankipur bypoll is being contested by BJP’s Neeraj Kumar Sinha, Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor and RJD-backed candidate Rekha Gupta. The seat, held by the BJP since 1995, fell vacant after BJP national president Nitin Nabin was elected to the Rajya Sabha.