After disappointing results in recent Assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Delhi, the Congress party is now focusing on the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. The party will contest as part of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-led Mahagathbandhan, or grand alliance.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has visited Bihar twice in the past few weeks to attend events and strengthen the party's presence. However, the party's organizational structure in Bihar remains weak.
The Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) has not had an executive committee since 2017. In December 2022, Akhilesh Singh, a Bhumihar and Rajya Sabha MP, was appointed as BPCC president by All India Congress Committee (AICC) chief Mallikarjun Kharge.
Several Congress insiders have expressed concern that the Bihar Congress has lacked a key executive committee for eight years, and this has hurt the party’s performance. One leader mentioned that despite raising the issue with top party leaders, there has been no response.
Some district Congress committees (DCCs) are also yet to be appointed. However, former Bihar Congress vice-president Brajesh Pandey assured that the BPCC executive committee would be formed soon.
Congress has struggled in recent Bihar elections, often relying on its alliance with the RJD, led by Lalu Prasad, for political relevance. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Congress won only one out of nine seats in Bihar, while the NDA, consisting of the BJP, JD(U), and LJP, swept the polls with 39 out of 40 seats.
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In the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, Congress won 19 out of 70 seats it contested, while its ally RJD won 75 out of 144 seats. Despite this, the Mahagathbandhan was still outperformed by the NDA by 15 seats.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Congress won three out of nine seats, while RJD secured four out of 23, and its Left ally CPI(ML) Liberation won two out of three. The NDA bagged 30 seats.
With the Bihar Assembly elections approaching in October-November, Congress faces pressure to strengthen its position within the Mahagathbandhan and to secure a more prominent role in the state.
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Within the Bihar Congress, there is growing discontent, with some leaders calling for Akhilesh Singh’s replacement as BPCC president due to his ties with the RJD and his upper-caste Bhumihar background. Some party leaders have suggested replacing him with someone from the OBC, Dalit, or minority communities.
Akhilesh Singh has a long history with the RJD, having been elected as an MLA from Arwal in 2000 on an RJD ticket and later becoming a minister in the Rabri Devi-led government. He also served as a Union minister in the Congress-led UPA government after winning the 2004 Lok Sabha elections from East Champaran as an RJD candidate.
A senior Bihar Congress leader remarked that the party would need to negotiate with the RJD over seat distribution, but there is a lack of trust in Akhilesh Singh due to his past association with the Lalu Prasad family.
Additionally, the Jan Suraaj Party (JSP), founded by poll strategist Prashant Kishor, is emerging as a new concern for the Congress and its allies.
In the 2022 by-elections to four Assembly seats, the JSP was seen as damaging the RJD’s chances, particularly in its strongholds. Kishor is focusing on building support among Dalits and Muslims, key groups in the Mahagathbandhan’s voter base, further complicating the political landscape in Bihar.
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