A six-seat performance in Bihar exposes the party’s leadership drift, failed strategies, and refusal to confront its own decline.
THE PATHETIC PERFORMANCE of the Congress in the recent Bihar elections, where it won just six seats in the 243-member Assembly, is part of a continuing pattern of its downward slide, barring occasional blips that had more to do with external factors than with any revival of the country’s oldest political party.
The party, which ruled Bihar for the first 30 years after Independence and should have laid a strong foundation for the country’s most backward state, failed to capitalise on its mandate and has now delivered one of its worst performances. In the 2020 Assembly elections, the Congress had secured 19 seats, compared to 27 in 2015.
Mahagathbandhan failed to make electoral gains in Bihar’s latest assembly polls.
This time, the Congress contested 61 seats as part of the Mahagathbandhan alliance but could win only six. Its vote share stood at 8.46 per cent, while the newcomer Jan Sooraj Party of Prashant Kishor managed a 3.44 per cent vote share.
Given the party’s continued decline—except for victories in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh and a slightly better performance in the latest Lok Sabha elections—it should have begun the task of serious introspection and undertaken urgent reforms.
However, it continues to bury its head in the sand, making no sincere effort to revitalise itself.
By now, the party leadership should have realised that the issues taken up by its former president Rahul Gandhi, now Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, are failing to resonate with voters.
His padyatra before the Lok Sabha elections made some impact, but such efforts are rare and far between. For long stretches, he disappears from public engagement and functions like a part-time political leader.
Slogans such as “Chowkidar chor hai’’ and “vote chori’’ have cut little ice and reflect the lowering standards of national political debate.
Narendra Modi may be accused of many things, but calling him corrupt through the slogan “Chowkidar chor hai’’ was a hare-brained idea. It appears that even a substantial section within the Congress opposed leading the campaign with such an allegation.
Similarly, the “vote chori’’ charge failed to convince voters. Though Rahul Gandhi portrayed it as a major investigative revelation, he could not link the alleged irregularities in the voter lists to fake polling or demonstrate how these supposedly benefited Bharatiya Janata Party candidates.
His so-called H-bomb also turned out to be a damp squib.
Though he produced copies of electoral rolls showing pictures of a Brazilian model, he failed to prove that any fake votes were actually cast in favour of BJP candidates.
Journalists from various media platforms who cross-checked the allegations found no instance of a fake vote being polled.
Even though the printed electoral rolls carried the model’s photo, the voter ID cards with the same numbers displayed the genuine voters, who had indeed cast their votes.
The Congress and Rahul Gandhi’s attempt to claim that large-scale “vote chori’’ was planned in Bihar too found few takers. The record voter turnout and the huge mandate for the NDA make it clear that voters were unconvinced by the Congress leader’s arguments.
Rahul Gandhi’s “Samvidhan Bachao’’ campaign had a limited impact, but his insistence on continuing with it despite the lack of visible contrary actions by the ruling dispensation also took the wind out of its sails.
Congress leadership faces a moment of introspection after the Bihar verdict.
The choice of issues and the tendency to level wild allegations reflect poorly on the leadership. Most of those advising the Gandhi family are either failed leaders or have never contested elections. Obviously, they lack an ear to the ground.
Repeated calls for the Congress to put its house in order have failed to elicit any credible response. The dynastic mindset within the leadership has been dragging the party down, forcing several capable leaders to part ways—and perhaps more are on their way out.
The party and its leaders must realise that they owe a responsibility to the nation, as they remain the only possible national alternative to the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is in the best interest of Indian democracy that the Congress is able to play an effective role. 
_________
Also Read:
Anandpur Sahib Special Session — A Political Stunt in the Name of Piety
Vipin Pubby
The author, a freelance journalist, is a former Resident Editor of Indian Express, Chandigarh, and reported on the political developments in Jammu and Kashmir, North-Eastern India, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab in his long, illustrious career.
Disclaimer : PunjabTodayNews.com and other platforms of the Punjab Today group strive to include views and opinions from across the entire spectrum, but by no means do we agree with everything we publish. Our efforts and editorial choices consistently underscore our authors’ right to the freedom of speech. However, it should be clear to all readers that individual authors are responsible for the information, ideas or opinions in their articles, and very often, these do not reflect the views of PunjabTodayNews.com or other platforms of the group. Punjab Today does not assume any responsibility or liability for the views of authors whose work appears here.
Punjab Today believes in serious, engaging, narrative journalism at a time when mainstream media houses seem to have given up on long-form writing and news television has blurred or altogether erased the lines between news and slapstick entertainment. We at Punjab Today believe that readers such as yourself appreciate cerebral journalism, and would like you to hold us against the best international industry standards. Brickbats are welcome even more than bouquets, though an occasional pat on the back is always encouraging. Good journalism can be a lifeline in these uncertain times worldwide. You can support us in myriad ways. To begin with, by spreading word about us and forwarding this reportage. Stay engaged.
— Team PT