Congress's Historic Electoral Collapse in Bihar: Leadership Absence and Organizational Failures Expose Party's Deepening Crisis

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav photographed on their Royal Enfield motorcycles.

New Delhi:

The Congress party has faced another devastating electoral defeat in Bihar, recording its worst performance ever in the state's elections. Following three consecutive losses in Delhi nine months prior, the party's dismal showing in Bihar marks a continuing pattern of political decline.

The magnitude of this defeat cannot be understated. The Congress managed to secure only six seats after contesting 70, a dramatic drop from the 19 seats it won in the previous election. The party lost ground to multiple opponents, including the BJP, Janata Dal, and Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party.

The few bright spots came from victories in Kishanganj by former AIMIM leader Qamrul Hoda, Manihari with Manohar Singh, Forbesgang thanks to Manoj Bishwas, Valmiki Nagar where Surendrta Prasad succeeded, Chanpatia with Abhishek Ranjan, and Araria where Abidur Rehman prevailed.

Critics point to the party's apparent disconnect with voters, exemplified by Rahul Gandhi's conspicuous absence during crucial campaign periods. This was particularly noticeable after his much-publicized 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' in August, where he traveled through 110 constituencies on his Royal Enfield motorcycle.

The yatra was intended to energize the Congress campaign by highlighting alleged "vote theft" by the BJP and Election Commission, while encouraging voters to reject Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JDU. However, after completing the 1,300 km journey covering 23 districts in 16 days, Gandhi's subsequent disappearance left a leadership vacuum that demoralized party workers and confused voters.

Meanwhile, the BJP maintained a strong presence with Prime Minister Narendra Modi headlining 14 rallies during seven visits to Bihar. Home Minister Amit Shah worked effectively both publicly and behind the scenes, while Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath delivered numerous campaign speeches.

The opposition alliance faced internal frustrations as well. One unnamed Congress candidate told reporters, "People ask us, 'where is your top leader?' Without the Gandhi face, how do we convince voters?" Party workers expressed similar sentiments, with one from Bhagalpur lamenting that campaign efforts felt "incomplete" without Rahul Gandhi's presence.

The RJD, Congress' key ally, reportedly harbored resentment over what they perceived as half-hearted campaigning efforts, reminiscent of the 2020 election. In that contest, Tejashwi Yadav had led the RJD to 75 seats, but the Congress failed to deliver its expected 31 seats, ultimately undermining their collective chances.

Tensions also arose over leadership questions, with initial reluctance from Congress to endorse Tejashwi Yadav as the alliance's chief ministerial candidate. Despite eventually yielding on this point, the delayed decision created unnecessary friction within the coalition.

Although Yadav actively campaigned against Nitish Kumar and the BJP, particularly targeting first-time voters with some success, the opposition alliance faced an insurmountable challenge. Even traditionally supportive voting blocs like the Yadav community shifted toward the NDA this election.

Notably, as election results poured in, Rahul Gandhi remained conspicuously silent on social media, with only a throwback mention of Jawaharlal Nehru appearing on his account by late afternoon.

The Congress had defended its campaign strategy as a deliberate shift from crowd politics to issue-based politics, focusing on matters like the "vote theft" allegation. However, this approach appears to have failed in a state where practical concerns like employment and healthcare remain paramount.

BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya wasted no time highlighting this defeat, tweeting "Rahul Gandhi! Another election, another defeat!" while claiming this marked Gandhi's 95th electoral defeat.

Internal criticism has also emerged within Congress ranks. Former Nagaland and Kerala Governor Nikhil Kumar attributed the loss to organizational weakness, stating, "This reflects the weakness of our organisation. In any election, a party relies on its organisational strength. If the organisation is weak the outcome suffers."

Mumtaz Patel, daughter of Congress stalwart Ahmed Patel, called for accountability, saying, "No excuses, No blame game, No introspection, it's time to look within and accept reality." Senior leaders Mani Shankar Aiyar and Shashi Tharoor also expressed concerns about the party's direction.

Despite occasional victories in states like Karnataka and Telangana in 2023, the Congress continues to struggle with fundamental organizational issues that first became publicly apparent five years ago when the "G-23" dissenters demanded leadership changes and greater accountability.

This latest defeat in Bihar raises serious questions about whether the party can maintain its position as India's primary opposition force without addressing its persistent internal challenges and leadership concerns.