Following a crushing defeat in the recent Bihar Assembly elections, the Congress party is facing internal turmoil, with many leaders attributing the debacle to an excessive focus on allegations of "vote chori" (vote theft), while others point to a myriad of organizational and strategic failures. A high-level review meeting was held in Delhi on Thursday, where senior leaders, including Party President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, met with Bihar candidates and state leaders to assess the situation.
While the party high command has echoed claims of electoral malpractice, many within the Bihar Congress are highlighting other critical factors that contributed to the poor performance. Allegations of "vote chori" have been prominent, with some leaders directly blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and the Election Commission for manipulating the results. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, for instance, asserted that the Bihar election outcome reflected "vote chori on a gigantic scale".
However, during the review meeting, several leaders reportedly raised concerns about issues beyond alleged electoral manipulation. These included flawed ticket distribution, with preference given to "outsiders" over loyal party members, and a lack of coordination with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), a key ally in the Mahagathbandhan. Some leaders also criticized the leadership of the AICC in-charge for Bihar, Krishna Allavuru, suggesting ineffective management of the state unit.
Bihar Congress President Rajesh Ram has alleged that the Election Commission acted in favor of the ruling NDA, contributing significantly to the Grand Alliance's defeat. Ram claimed that large-scale "vote chori" took place during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process conducted by the Election Commission. He further alleged that the ruling NDA dispensed financial assistance to voters and Jeevika Didis, some of whom were allegedly deployed at polling stations to influence voters. Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot questioned why the Election Commission allowed the Bihar government to continue cash transfers while the Model Code of Conduct was in force. Congress MP Manickam Tagore blamed SIR for disenfranchising 65 lakh voters.
Despite these concerns, some Congress leaders maintain that the primary reason for the defeat was indeed electoral malfeasance. They argue that despite alleged biases by the Election Commission, the vote share of the Grand Alliance, especially the Congress, actually increased. This perspective suggests that even with an increase in vote share, the "vote chori" was significant enough to alter the outcome of the election.
Looking ahead, the Congress party views this review exercise as critical for recalibrating its future strategy in Bihar. While the party high command remains focused on the "vote chori" narrative, the internal discussions suggest a growing recognition of the need to address organizational weaknesses and improve coordination with alliance partners. The party leadership has assured that corrective steps will be taken to address the shortcomings identified during the review. The coming months will reveal whether the Congress can effectively reconcile these competing perspectives and revitalize its presence in Bihar.
