Picture : @INCIndia/X
While the NDA with BJP JD(U) Nitish Kumar and their allies powered their way to a record landlside win in the Bihar elections 2025, the biggest loser was the GOP of Indian politics the Congress .
Contesting 61 seats , the party a part of the MGB won a dismal 6 seats . What would hurt the party from the results is that the likes of AIMIM of Asaduddin Owaisi winning 5 seats . And more slat into the Congress wounds would be Union Minister Chirag Paswan whose LJP ( Ram Vilas) won 19/ 20 seats out of the 29 seats it contested . The figures of AIMIM and LJP( Ram Vilas) tells you the story of the decimation of the Congress.
So what really went wrong . In the run- up to the polls Rahul Gandhi took out the Voter Adhikar Yatra along with Tejashwi Yadav and which drew large crowds too . It created a buzz which some media reports suggested could have an impact in the forthcoming polls . But after the initial buzz the yatra fizzled out by the time the election dates were announced .
Then Rahul Gandhi took on the ECI with Vote chori allegations in Haryana . But the Vote chori allegations did not enthuse the public as Congress had anticipated. Ironically , Tejashwi Yadav stayed away from those allegations. Clearly suggesting there was simply no coordination among the MGB regarding the issues to be raised. MGB took on the ECI over the tricky SIR process . The alliance alleged SIR had struck off several voters in the process.
While Rahul Gandhi’s vote chori charge failed to strike achord the constant reminding the people of the Jungle Raj under Lalu By NDA and Prime Minister Narendra Modi 24X7 at rallies and party spoikespersons in news channels ensured RJD’s disatrous showing as it lost 50 seats from last time .
While RJD after loss admitted that in politics defeats happen amd one will learn from the mistakes and attemptto bounce back next time. The Congress on the other hand has been audacious enough not to admit it’s flaws during the campaign. It may have it’s anger on the way the ECI run the polls and the issue of SIR . And the deletion of voters. These are valid points that needs to be debated and raised. But that does not cover up for the failure of the Congress leadership to find good candidates in state elections. No state leadership , organisation meant party workers morale were at the lowest ebb. What was more surprising was the Congress choice of observers for Bihar Polls – Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, and Former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel. How could the duo who could not win their respective states as Chief Minister’s inspire the laggard Bihar Unit to win ? Impossible . The Game of Congress was over there and then.
Why only Bihar, the reason for the Congress decline in recent times has been the lack of local leadership in state after state . Today it has only three Chief Ministers in Telangana, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka to boast off . The party remember drew blank three times in row in Delhi assembly polls. A massive fall from the high of 15- year reign of Sheila Dikshit. Adding salt is AAP getting more seats in the capital. In Madhya Pradesh, they had the opportunity but wily old guards Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh duo ensured Maharaj Jyotiraditya Scindia’s exit and the result – a BJP government. Scindia now member of the Union Cabinet.
In Rajasthan , Veteran Ashok Gehlot’s battle with young Sachin Pilot saw the party lose polls. The cold vibes has not gone yet. The Rajasthan script is played out in Karnataka too with CM Siddaramaiah facing stiff challenge from his Deputy DK Shivakumar who too has Chief Ministerial ambitions . Such face-offs hit governance and raise question over stability. And give cannon fodder to BJP to take jibe at the Congress party.
With party in disarray president Mallikarjun Kharge presents a sorry figure . He has been overshadowed by Rahul Gandhi not suprsied given the clout the Gandhi’s have on the Congress party. . The Gandhi scion picks the issues he likes and goes ahead whether it clicks or not. None in the party has the spine to walk up to him and say he is going off- track. And his allegations on NDA and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are not working.
When US President Donald trump mentioned India as Dead economy , Rahul Gandhi echoed his words. It is baffling that when it came to economy the likes of seasoned P Chidambaram, former Finance Minister did not rebuff Rahul Gandhi. Whether one likes it or not India is now the fourth largest economy and yes there are several issues that needs to be addressed and are of concern like the value of the Rupee against the Dollar. But Rahul Gandhi remains unfazed by the criticism and endless memes of losing 95 polls under his watch been highlighted in social media.
After the Bihar results, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he anticipates a split in the Congress in the near future . Such grave remarks on the GOP should have seen a retort from Mallikarjun Kharge . But that did not come. Party instead is sticking to Rahul Gandhi’s vote Chori charge and slamming ECI for listening to BJP’s diktat’s.
At the AICC session Ahmedabad earlier this year , Shashi Tharoor , Senior Congress leader and four-time Lok sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala in his speech clearly showed the way forward for the party when he was quoted as saying : Congress must be of hope, not of resentment, a party of positivity, not just negative criticism, a party for the future, not just of the past. “It should be a party with a positive narrative and not just criticism. I hope we will send a message that we will fight and we are for the future.”
Lastly , As the GOP declines politically with electoral losses . What is hurting the party big time is that the party which one was symbol of Nationalism and was the central figure of freedom movement has today created a perception in the eyes of the people as anti- national . Untill they address this image issue resurgence is unlikely . So for Congress it is battle for survival as a political party. Will they succeed remains to be seen.
