Patna, November 29, 2025 – Cracks have appeared within Bihar's Grand Alliance, as a senior leader from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has publicly blamed the Indian National Congress for the coalition's defeat in the recently concluded Bihar Assembly elections. This accusation marks a significant escalation in the post-election blame game, with both parties now pointing fingers at each other for the crushing defeat.

The RJD leader, Mangni Lal Mandal, the Bihar RJD president, refuted allegations that his party was responsible for the Congress candidates' poor performance. Mandal stated that the Congress party had actually won six seats because the RJD votes were transferred to the party and that Congress has no mass base in Bihar. He also pointed out that the Congress party lost most of the seats it contested in the 2020 Bihar assembly elections.

The Congress party had earlier initiated the blame game, with leaders alleging that the RJD did not provide adequate support in constituencies where Congress candidates were contesting. Some Congress leaders are of the opinion that the party should contest alone in Bihar, without RJD. Mandal responded to this by stating that the Congress is free to do so.

The Congress party's high command convened in Delhi to analyze their poor performance in the Bihar elections. The meeting involved senior leaders like Akhilesh Prasad Singh and Tariq Anwar, who shared feedback and discussed corrective measures. The high command will make the decision about the alliance with RJD.

Tariq Anwar said that discussions were held in groups of ten leaders each, and everyone was allowed to share their suggestions freely. When asked if the alliance with the RJD would continue, he responded that no decision had been taken yet, as this meeting was purely a review exercise.

The Congress's poor performance in Bihar has triggered internal turmoil, with reports of heated arguments and accusations flying among party leaders. Some leaders have criticized the distribution of tickets, alleging that "outsiders" were favored and that there was a lack of coordination with the RJD.

Adding to the complexity, some Congress leaders attribute the NDA's success to cash transfers of ₹10,000 to women under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana. Following the review, Congress leaders alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was used to carry out "vote theft". K C Venugopal stated that SIR “enabled targeted voter deletions and dubious additions” and blames “organised electoral malpractices” for defeat.

Rahul Gandhi acknowledged his equal responsibility for the party's loss in Bihar and urged party members to focus on the future. He stressed the importance of learning from the mistakes made in Bihar to avoid repeating them in upcoming state elections.

The AIMIM's influence in the Seemanchal region and the Congress's defeat there was also discussed. One leader said that the language and tone used by the AIMIM party had caused harm.

The blame game and internal conflicts within the Congress party highlight the challenges facing the Grand Alliance in Bihar. With both the RJD and Congress seemingly at odds, the future of their alliance remains uncertain. The coming days will be crucial in determining whether the two parties can resolve their differences and present a united front or whether they will choose to go their separate ways.