Congress sends mixed signals after Bihar poll debacle: From ‘unfair polls’ to ‘we accept the mandate’

LoP Rahul Gandhi with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.

Following Congress's embarrassing performance in the Bihar Assembly elections, reactions from senior leaders have revealed a significant divide within the party. Each leader has presented a vastly different perspective on what went wrong. This range of responses highlights a party in turmoil, with reactions varying from outright rejection of the election results to self-reflective analysis and public blame.

Rahul Gandhi: Blame it on unfairness

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi was among the first to break his silence. In an X post, he thanked “millions of voters in Bihar who expressed their trust in the Mahagathbandhan,” but slammed the process, saying, “we could not achieve victory in an election that was not fair from the very beginning.”

He framed the fight as one “for the protection of the Constitution and democracy,” and promised a “deep review” of the results to make their efforts to “save democracy even more effective.”

Mallikarjun Kharge: Accepting the verdict, but vowing to fight

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge struck a more conciliatory tone. Saying he respects the decision of Bihar’s people, Kharge made it clear that Congress will continue its struggle “against those forces that are engaged in weakening democracy by misusing constitutional institutions.”

He also promised a “thorough study of the election results” and pledged to present a detailed postmortem once the party understands what led to its poor performance.

In a message to party workers, he urged them not to be discouraged: “You are our pride, honour, and glory… This fight is long — and we will fight it with complete dedication, courage, and truth.”

Shashi Tharoor: Calls for serious introspection

Senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor was unusually blunt. He noted that the party must analyse not just what went wrong, but how, including tactical, messaging, and organisational failures.

“There will have to be some very serious introspection … not just sitting and thinking, but studying what went wrong,” he said. Tharoor also revealed he was not invited to campaign in Bihar, which he implied further weakened the party: “There are issues of popular mood, organisation and messaging that must be examined.”

K C Venugopal: Questions electoral legitimacy

Congress general secretary K C Venugopal turned sharply critical, questioning the BJP’s reported “90% strike rate” in Bihar, a phenomenon he called “unprecedented in Indian electoral history.” He alleged the Election Commission lacked transparency and said the party is collecting data to back its claims. “Within one or two weeks, we will come with concrete proof … the process is questionable,” he told the media.

Jairam Ramesh: Alleges vote “chori” on a gigantic scale

Congress veteran Jairam Ramesh took the most aggressive line. In a post on X, he accused the NDA — and particularly the Prime Minister, the Home Minister, and the Election Commission — of orchestrating large-scale “vote chori” (voter theft). “This is not just a defeat; democracy has been undermined,” he wrote, pledging to escalate the fight to “protect the Constitution.”

While Gandhi and Ramesh focus on institutional failures, others, like Kharge, are urging unity and a long-term struggle. This lack of a united narrative could hurt Congress’s ability to mount a coherent challenge going forward, especially amid growing concerns about its organisational strength.