Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, along with nearly 170 members of the Congress Working Committee, gathered in Patna on Wednesday for a historic meeting seen as an attempt to replicate the party’s 2023 Telangana Assembly election success.
The extended CWC meeting, taking place at Sadaqat Ashram, marks the first such gathering in Bihar since Independence. The last time the CWC met in the state was in 1940.
The meeting began at 10 a.m. at the historic Ashram, a hub of India’s Independence movement where Mahatma Gandhi, Rajendra Prasad and Jawaharlal Nehru once strategised for the freedom struggle.
With the Bihar Assembly elections due later this year, Congress leaders hope the session will energise the party’s campaign in the state. Sources said the CWC is expected to deliver a strong message against “vote chori” and the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
The committee is also likely to acknowledge Rahul Gandhi’s 16-day ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’, which covered 1,300 kilometres and more than 25 districts to raise awareness about alleged voter theft and the revision exercise. Party leaders believe this outreach, coupled with Wednesday’s meeting, will help sustain momentum ahead of the polls.
In addition to Bihar, the agenda is expected to cover broader national issues such as inflation, unemployment, crimes against women and alleged diplomatic failures.
Congress has also lined up press conferences in at least 20 districts to highlight the vote theft issue and to launch its ‘Ghar Ghar Adhikar Abhiyan’.
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Bihar Congress in-charge Krishna Allavaru compared the extended CWC meeting to a struggle for independence, while state unit chief Rajesh Ram recalled that freedom fighter Maulana Mazharul Haq donated 21 acres of land to establish Sadaqat Ashram in 1921.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said the meeting symbolises a battle between “the politics of hope, social justice and development” and “hatred, violence and histrionic unemployment.” He added that the party intends to send a message about its commitment to Bihar’s welfare.
In 2023, Congress held a similar extended CWC in Telangana, followed by a massive rally addressed by Sonia Gandhi. At that meeting she announced guarantees that helped the party secure a sweeping victory, leading to Revanth Reddy’s swearing-in as Chief Minister.
This time, the meeting comes as the opposition Mahagathbandhan alliance is engaged in seat-sharing talks for the Bihar election. In 2020, the bloc fell short of a majority, with analysts blaming Congress’s low strike rate for weakening the alliance.
Polling for the 243-member Bihar Assembly is expected in October or November, with the Election Commission likely to announce dates in early October following the visit of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The Mahagathbandhan is seeking to oust the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government in the state.
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