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INC Bihar election 2025

Indian National Congress

Founded in:1885
Founders/first leaders:AO Hume, Dadabhai Naoroji, Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee
Main leaders:Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Rajesh Kumar, Shakeel Ahmad Khan, Akhilesh Prasad Singh, Kanhaiya Kumar
Alliance:INDIA bloc or Mahagathbandhan
Description:After Independence, the Indian National Congress, INC or simply the 'Congress', held power in Bihar for decades, but the party's base weakened with the rise of the Mandal-Kamandal politics, of social justice versus religious agenda, in the 1990s. In the 2010 assembly election, the Congress won only four seats, although its vote share was 8.38%. In 2015, the party was part the Grand Alliance (RJD-JDU-Congress) and performed better by winning 27 of the 41 seats it contested, out of the 243; but its vote share decreased to 6.07%. Despite its historical legacy in Bihar, the Congress is currently limited to coalition politics and limited seats in its pact with the RJD. In the 2020 assembly election, the Congress contested 70 seats as part of the alliance, but could win only 19, a strike rate of 27%. The alliance fell 12 seats short of a majority, and the blame for the defeat fell on the weak performance of the Congress. For the 2025 assembly election, the Congress has set a target of winning 50 seats, as well as identified seats where the party's mass base is strong. It has an election strategy focused on social justice, secularism, and inclusive development. But its organisational weakness and a lack of local leadership remain its biggest challenge. Rahul Gandhi has focused and campaigned in Bihar for months ahead of the election.