Bihar polls: Congress leads in 7 seats, early trends reveal

With the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) as the lead partner, the grand opposition coalition trails National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which has crossed the majority mark (122) in early trends

The Congress party is leading in only 7 seats out of the 71 it contested under the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) banner in Bihar, early trends of the Election Commission of India (ECI) stated.

(Getty photo | Representative)

With the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) as the lead partner, the grand opposition coalition trails National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which has crossed the majority mark (122) in early trends.

Political analysts attribute this dismal performance to strategic failures, internal dissensions and miscalculations that eroded the party’s momentum and alienated key stakeholders.

The initial buzz generated by senior party leader Rahul Gandhi’s Voter Adhikar Yatra, which aimed to galvanize voters on issues like employment and social justice, fizzled out due to infighting within the party ranks.

Experts point out that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) decision to empower Purnea MP Rajesh Ranjan, alias Pappu Yadav, in candidate selection and strategy for Seemanchal and north Bihar regions sparked resentment. A section of Congress leaders and RJD allies viewed this as undue interference, disrupting coordinated efforts.

“The Yatra sparked hype, but the Grand Alliance failed to capitalize on the buzz,” observed a senior party leader Kishore Kumar Jha.

Friendly contests with allies further fragmented votes, hurting Congress nominees. In at least 11 constituencies, INDIA bloc partners clashed, with Congress facing off against RJD in five seats including Narkatiaganj and Lalganj, and against CPI in four others.

Early counting shows Congress candidates trailing in these areas due to vote splits; for instance, in Lalganj, the Congress contender is lagging behind NDA’s frontrunner amid accusations of poor coordination. Similar tussles with CPI(ML) in one seat compounded the damage, diluting the alliance’s anti-NDA pitch.

Overemphasis on wooing Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) through schemes like

caste surveys alienated the party’s traditional upper-caste base, analysts argue.

“Too much focus on EBCs proved fatal, as it failed to retain trusted vote banks,” said Nawal Kishor Chaudhary, a political expert.

Projecting RJD’s Tejashwi Prasad Yadav as the chief ministerial face also dampened enthusiasm among non-Muslim-Yadav voters, limiting the alliance’s appeal beyond core demographics.

As the NDA consolidates its lead, Congress’s Bihar impending loss underscores deeper organisational frailties.

“Despite alliance arithmetic, Congress has failed to translate it into wins,” observed another analyst.