New Delhi : The results of the Bihar Assembly elections were declared on Friday, and the performance of the Congress was far from impressive. Contesting as part of the Mahagathbandhan alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the grand old party managed to secure only six seats in the state of 61 it contested.
The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) registered a landslide victory, delivering a major blow to the Mahagathbandhan. The NDA comfortably crossed the majority mark of 122 seats, securing its position to form the next government in Bihar.
Of the 61 seats it contested, Congress only managed to win these:
- Valmiki Nagar – Surendra Prasad
- Chanpatia – Abhishek Ranjan
- Forbesganj – Manoj Bishwas
- Araria – Abidur Rahman
- Kishanganj – Md. Qamrul Hoda
- Manihari – Manohar Prasad Singh
PM Modi’s ‘Split’ Prediction
After the results were announced, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed BJP workers at the party headquarters in New Delhi. He suggested that internal ideological differences within the Congress could lead to a “major split.”
“Today, the Congress has become MMC — Muslim League Maoist Congress — and the entire agenda of the Congress now revolves around this. Therefore, within the Congress as well, a separate faction is emerging that is uncomfortable with this negative politics,” he said.
“I fear that there could be another major split in the Congress,” the Prime Minister added.
Notably, the party’s poor performance has also raised questions mark on Congress’s credibility to lead the INDIA bloc, with parties like TMC openly asking for a leadership change.
Congress’ Loss — A Repeat Pattern
Congress’ disappointing performance in Bihar is not an isolated case. The party has struggled to convert alliances into electoral gains in several states over the past few years.
In Uttar Pradesh, Congress managed to win only two seats in the 2022 Assembly elections despite attempts to revive its presence.
In the Jharkhand election of 2024, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) won 34 seats, its alliance partner Congress secured 16 seats of the 30 it had contested on.
In the Tamil Nadu Assembly election 2021, although part of a strong alliance, the party’s independent influence remained limited, and it bagged 18 seats of the 25 it had contested. In Kerala, the party has failed to uproot the Left government led by Pinarayi Vijayan.
In West Bengal, the Congress is not even an opposition force. In Odisha, it’s been out of power for decades.
These repeated setbacks highlight the party’s broader challenge of regaining trust and relevance at the regional level.
The Bihar verdict adds to a growing list of state-level disappointments for Congress, raising questions about its electoral strategy, alliance management, and grassroots connect. As regional parties strengthen and national rivals consolidate their position, Congress faces the urgent task of introspection and reinvention if it hopes to remain competitive in the upcoming electoral cycles.
