Congress leaders express deep frustration, demanding responsibility after Bihar poll setback.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi & Mallikarjun Kharge (Photo: File)
NEW DELHI: With 'vote chori' at the core of the Congress campaign to corner the Election Commission and the BJP in the wake of the Bihar debacle, party sources said there is a growing demand for fixing accountability for the poor performance. However, given the circumstances and the way in which the grand old party has functioned in recent years, many leaders feel that those already holding major positions may once again be rewarded, despite past results.
The Congress has been aggressively raising the 'vote chori' issue since losses in the Maharashtra and Haryana assembly polls last year. Once again, the party blamed the Election Commission after the NDA returned to power in Bihar with a thumping majority.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi led the 10-day "Voter Adhikar Yatra", covering 1,300 km across more than 25 districts and 140 assembly seats, highlighting alleged voter roll manipulation and the removal of eligible voters to benefit the ruling NDA. Sources said Rahul Gandhi gave the party the much-needed momentum ahead of the high-stakes contest.
But Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru, state unit chief Rajesh Ram, Screening Committee chairman Ajay Maken and Bihar chief media coordinator Abhay Dubey, according to sources, could not capitalise on that momentum or on the support lent by senior leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who also joined the yatra.
On Friday afternoon, several agitated Congress workers protested at Sadaqat Ashram in Patna, demanding accountability for the party's poor show in Bihar, where the tally dropped to six seats 13 fewer than in the 2020 assembly elections. Independent MP from Purnia Pappu Yadav also faced anger at the state Congress office as party workers shouted "go back".
Sources said many senior leaders, including Tariq Anwar, have been demanding accountability and want Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge to review the reasons for defeat in Bihar. They pointed out that a meeting held just a day after the results suggested the party is still reluctant to introspect, as leaders announced another review and vowed to present evidence of vote chori. Party general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal and Ajay Maken, who is also the treasurer, asserted the results were "unbelievable" and said the party would gather data, including Forms 16 and 17, to prove its allegations within weeks. "The Election Commission is totally one-sided... This process is questionable," Venugopal alleged.
However, sources within the party argue that blaming 'vote chori' alone will not help the Congress understand deeper organisational weaknesses. They pointed to candidates engaging less with local leaders, leaving booth-level workers disconnected and reducing mobilisation on polling day. They also blamed Allavaru, Rajesh Ram, Maken, and leaders such as Akhilesh Prasad Singh and Pappu Yadav for dominating ticket distribution and ignoring ground-level feedback.
Another cause of resentment was the issuance of show cause notices to 43 leaders for not following the party line during the polls. Poor communication was cited as a major issue, especially under Allavaru, who was said to lack sufficient knowledge of Bihar's political dynamics. Leaders also emphasised that replacing Madan Mohan Jha and Bhakta Charan Das as state chiefs barely eight months before the election disrupted coordination and further alienated grassroots workers.
Despite the backlash, sources believe those responsible for yet another disappointing electoral outcome may still secure plum posts or even Rajya Sabha seats in the coming months. Bihar Congress leaders continue to urge a genuine introspection and strong, accountable leadership to revive the party's slipping fortunes in the state.
