PATNA, Oct. 23 -- Amid speculation about his age and health and Opposition's relentless attack, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has a hectic schedule of electioneering to make up for the paucity of time due to important festivals. A senior party leader said there were chances of over 80 election meetings of Nitish Kumar across Bihar this election. Though this is around half of an estimated 161 elections Kumar had addressed in the 2020 Assembly elections, party leaders attributed it to the smaller campaigning window that the parties have this time. In 2020, when elections were held in three phases under the shadow of Covid-19 pandemic, the CM had done around 102 public meetings not only for the JD-U candidates but also for allies. Besides, he addressed 59 meetings virtually from the JD-U headquarters in Patna. LJP-R chief Chirag Paswan said it was strange that the Opposition, which could not sort out its own internal differences, was talking about the health and age of the CM, who was busy with campaigning. "There is no dispute in the NDA that Nitish Kumar will lead and he is campaigning, while the Opposition is sitting in AC chambers commenting about him. What is the leader of Opposition doing even after end of nomination? People don't take them seriously." he said. A senior JD(U) leader said even in last Assembly polls, people kept on speculating about his health and age, while he spent time in the midst of people to contribute to NDA's victory. "He believes in his work for the people and interacts with them only, paying scant attention to how his opponents attack him for not being able to match his stature," he added. He said the CM garlanding the Meenapur BJP candidate Rama Nishad after getting positive response from the people was "a sheer instinctive reaction of a guardian like figure". "The candidate also took it sportingly, but there are some people who feel that is the only way they can attack the CM, as they cannot match the big line he has drawn through development and women's empowerment in the state. He may be ageing, but that is a natural process and it will happen to everyone. What is significant is that he is not allowing age to come in the way of his work," he added. He said NDA had been fighting under his leadership since 2005 and he remained the longest serving CM. "People see in him hope, which no other leader is able to generate like him. A man having stamina to do 3-4 election meetings from dawn to dusk despite his age is something laudable," he added. Another leader said "In 2020 also the CM did up to 3-4 election meetings on an average every day for 23 days. He also did seven election meetings in a day, while one Opposition leader had to walk with support in young age," he added....