Bihar Assembly Election 2025: The Congress party has performed very poorly in the assembly elections held in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Delhi over the past four months. With the Bihar assembly elections just a few months away, the Congress has now started taking steps to prepare. In Bihar, the party will contest the upcoming elections as part of the Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has visited Bihar twice in recent weeks for various events. However, the Congress’s organizational structure in Bihar remains weak. The party leadership has not formed a working committee for the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) since 2017. Although Akhilesh Singh was appointed as the Bihar state president by All India Congress Committee (AICC) chief Mallikarjun Kharge in December 2022, the party lacks a fully functioning executive committee.
Several Congress leaders told The Indian Express that Bihar Congress has not had a major Pradesh Congress Committee for the past eight years. A senior Bihar Congress leader said he had informed the party high command about the non-existence of a Pradesh Congress Committee but “did not receive any response.” He added, “I told many leaders that if we want to perform well in the assembly elections, we must strengthen the party organization in Bihar. However, I did not receive any response.”
Former Bihar Congress vice-president Brajesh Pandey has stated that the state Congress executive committee will be formed soon.
Congress’ Performance in Bihar
The Congress has underperformed in many Bihar elections over the years, while the RJD, led by Lalu Prasad Yadav, remains a dominant force in the state. As a result, the Congress is largely dependent on the RJD in Bihar.
In the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, the Congress won 19 out of 70 seats it contested, while its senior ally, the RJD, emerged as the single largest party by winning 75 out of 144 seats. However, the NDA secured 15 more seats than the Mahagathbandhan in the 143-member Bihar Assembly. After the election, the Congress faced widespread criticism for its poor strike rate.
Performance in Lok Sabha Elections
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress won three out of the nine seats it contested. The RJD won four out of the 23 seats it contested, while its ally CPI(ML) secured two out of three. In contrast, the NDA won 30 out of Bihar’s 40 seats.
With the Bihar assembly elections scheduled for October-November, the Congress leadership is under growing pressure to negotiate a strong alliance with the RJD and strengthen its state-level organization.
The Challenge from the Jansurajya Party
Another challenge for the Congress and its Grand Alliance allies has emerged in the form of the Jansurajya Party, founded by election strategist Prashant Kishor. As he builds his party in Bihar, Kishor is reportedly focusing on communities such as Dalits and Muslims, which form a significant portion of the Grand Alliance’s vote bank.
