What caused Congress’s undoing in Bihar  – ThePrint – Select

New Delhi: A poor performance in 2020. Poorer still in 2025.

The Congress, which dominated Bihar’s political landscape till 1990, was down to wins in just six constituencies – Valmiki Nagar, Chanpatia, Araria, Forbesganj, Kishanganj and Manihari – in the 243-seat Assembly. It fought from 61 constituencies.

The party had fared better in the 2020 Bihar election, though its tally was still 19 out of 70 then.

Bihar was central to the Congress’s ‘vote chori’ allegations amid opposition over the electoral roll revision exercise. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, had camped in Bihar for two weeks in September, in what was widely seen as an attempt to enthuse party organisation.

But, even during Gandhi’s yatra, tensions within the Mahagathbandhan alliance surfaced, with coalition partner Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) ostensibly upset over being treated as second fiddle to the Congress.

As it came to seat sharing, the Congress was seen to be punching above its weight and bargaining for a larger number of seats despite being considered the coalition’s weakest link in 2020, when RJD and Left parties could have potentially increased their tally if not for the ally.

The delay in announcing Tejashwi Yadav as the alliance’s chief minister candidate also irked Mahagathbandhan partners.

Then, as elections drew closer and tensions between RJD and Congress escalated, Gandhi’s absence became conspicuous. He did not campaign actively after his September visit.

Another undoing for the party appeared to be in handling opposition within its own ranks.

Congress party functionaries rose in protest ahead of polls, demanding the removal of Bihar election in charge Krishna Allavaru. They accused him of being a “corporate agent” and “sleeper cell of the RSS”.

The party’s slogan — ‘vote chor, gaddi chhor’ — was turned on its head by protesting workers, who carried placards claiming “ticket chor, Bihar chhod ticket thief, flee from Bihar)”. The row prompted intervention by senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, who had to fly to the state to sort out differences.

“Had the AICC (All India Congress Committee) in charge been a political person, like Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Singh Baghel or Randeep Surjewala, things would not have come to this. But Allavaru is not a political person. We suspect he is a corporate agenda… may be even a sleeper cell of the RSS who was planted by forces from outside the party,” senior leader Anand Madhab had alleged in a press conference.

On Friday, as results trickled in and chances of a revival became unassailable, Gehlot accused the Election Commission of collusion.

“The assembly results are disappointing. It seems to me that the payments of Rs 10,000 to women were continuing even when the election campaign was on; such a thing never happens,” Gehlot was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.