Bihar’s Congress MLAs reaffirm loyalty amid persistent defection rumours

Following the last assembly elections, where the party was reduced to just six seats in the 243-member House, rumours have circulated that the entire group might switch to the ruling NDA — particularly the JD(U) — as part of efforts to make the state “Congress-free.”

In a clear effort to scotch weeks of speculation about possible defections, all six of the Congress party’s MLAs from Bihar met with national president Mallikarjun Kharge at his Delhi residence on Friday. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, joined the gathering, signalling strong backing from the party’s top leadership.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, and party general secretary K C Venugopal during a strategic meeting related to Bihar Congress in New Delhi on Friday. (AICC)

The meeting comes at a sensitive time for the party in the state. Following the last assembly elections, where the party was reduced to just six seats in the 243-member House, rumours have circulated that the entire group might switch to the ruling NDA — particularly the JD(U) — as part of efforts to make the state “Congress-free.”

The NDA, led by chief minister Nitish Kumar, retained power with a thumping majority, while the opposition Mahagathbandhan struggled for survival in the polls.

During the discussions, the MLAs — Abidur Rahman (Araria), Qamrul Hoda (Kishanganj), Manohar Prasad Singh (Manihari), Manoj Biswas (Forbesganj), Abhishek Ranjan (Chanpatia), and Surendra Prasad Kushwaha (Valmikinagar) — firmly rejected any talks of leaving the party. They described the defection talk as groundless, blaming it on certain NDA leaders and parts of the media trying to create unease.

Rahul Gandhi reportedly told the group not to feel discouraged by the party’s smaller presence in the assembly. He stressed the need to build direct connections with ordinary people by raising grassroots issues, and promised to stand by them fully. “I’ll come to Bihar whenever you need me,” he is said to have assured them, adding that the party is committed to rebuilding its organisation across the state in the months ahead.

Kharge, meanwhile, directed Bihar Congress president Rajesh Ram to finalise the selection of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader through consensus as soon as possible. One senior leader who was present said the name would almost certainly be announced before the budget session kicks off on February 2.

Several other prominent figures attended, including AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru, AICC in-charge of NSUI Kanhaiya Kumar, council legislature party leader Madan Mohan Jha, and Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members such as Tariq Anwar, Akhilesh Prasad Singh and Ranjeet Ranjan.

Notably, the fear of mass desertion gained traction in recent weeks due to the conspicuous absence of several MLAs at important party events in Patna. None of the six turned up for the traditional Dahi-Chura feast organised at Sadaqat Ashram, the Bihar Congress headquarters, on Makar Sankranti. They also skipped a key strategy meeting convened by BPCC chief Ram to plan a state-wide campaign against the reported moves to scrap or drastically curtail the MGNREGA scheme. These no-shows were widely interpreted as signs of discontent and imminent desertion.

The rumours were further fuelled by an open claim from Bihar’s PHED minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Sanjay Kumar, who declared shortly after Makar Sankranti that all Congress MLAs would soon join the NDA fold.

The closed-door session appears to have achieved its immediate goal: projecting unity at a moment when the Congress is working hard to steady itself in Bihar after a tough electoral setback. With the budget session approaching, the party will be looking to use the platform to highlight public concerns and begin the longer task of revival.