Bihar Drubbing Sparks Fresh Questions for Congress, Rahul

New Delhi: Another dismal performance for the Congress in the Bihar Assembly elections, following defeats in Maharashtra, Haryana and Delhi, has come as a wake-up call for the party and for its Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi.

Questions had already been raised after the last-minute replacement of the state unit chief, when Rajesh Ram was appointed president. The appointment of Krishna Allavaru as AICC in-charge also created considerable resentment. The interference of Kanhaiya Kumar and Pappu Yadav, coupled with the Congress’ weak cadre base and poor local connect, contributed to the party recording its worst-ever tally in Bihar.

Several leaders have questioned the deep involvement of Kanhaiya Kumar and Pappu Yadav in the election process, especially since Pappu Yadav is not even a Congress member. Leaders allege this involvement was approved at the insistence of Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi are also facing criticism for travelling abroad immediately after the campaign ended. In September, at the peak of the campaign, Rahul Gandhi undertook two foreign visits, one to Malaysia and another to South America.

Not only did the party perform poorly, it also let down its alliance partners. Of the 11 constituencies where “friendly contests” were agreed upon, the Mahagathbandhan lost nine, and Congress was involved in all 11.

Former state unit chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh has already criticised Allavaru. “There was no place for friendly fights. I agree Krishna Allavaru and Sanjay Jha must respond to this,” he said.

Several party workers and leaders say the Gandhi family has stopped enforcing accountability. In the last 18 months, Congress has lost the Lok Sabha election and four Assembly polls, yet no one has been held responsible, whether organisational general secretaries, media heads, in-charges, state presidents, screening committees, or survey teams. Instead, many have reportedly been rewarded.

Echoing grassroots frustration, Congress leader Mumtaz Patel, daughter of the late Ahmed Patel, wrote on X: “No excuses, no blame game, no introspection — it’s time to look within and accept reality. How long will loyal ground workers wait for success? Instead, it’s failure after failure due to power being concentrated in the hands of a few who are disconnected from ground reality and responsible for the party’s misery. Mark my words — these same people will be rewarded again and again because they have made themselves indispensable.”

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who has had an uneasy equation with the high command, said the party would examine the results, conduct serious introspection, and look into organisational failures that led to such an outcome.

He also noted that he was not invited to campaign in Bihar, while adding that the Congress must analyse the reasons for its defeat.

“Remember, we were not the senior partner in the alliance, and the RJD also has to carefully review its own performance,” he told reporters.