The Bihar election results have delivered a major blow to the Congress, particularly to Rahul Gandhi, whose Voter Adhikar Yatra covered 1,300 km across 25 districts earlier this year. Designed to amplify his allegation of “vote theft” by the BJP and the Election Commission, the yatra was positioned as a mass-awareness campaign similar to his earlier Bharat Jodo initiatives. However, despite passing through 110 assembly constituencies, not a single seat along the yatra route is currently showing a Congress lead. Out of the 61 seats the party contested, it is ahead in only four Valmiki Nagar, Kishanganj, Manihari, and Begusarai illustrating the scale of the setback.
The Congress had previously drawn confidence from its strong showings during the Bharat Jodo yatras, which helped it perform well in the 2024 Lok Sabha election and secure a victory in the 2023 Telangana polls. Party strategists expected a similar uptick in Bihar. Instead, the electorate appears to have responded differently, with the NDA sweeping across regions where Congress expected momentum. The BJP leads in 91 seats, JDU in 80, and all key NDA partners have also performed strongly. Chirag Paswan’s LJP (Ram Vilas) is leading in 22 of 28 seats, Upendra Kushwaha’s RLM in 3 of 6, and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s HAM in 5 of 6, showcasing widespread support for the alliance.
Rahul Gandhi’s message of “vote theft” did not resonate with Bihar’s electorate. The Voter Adhikar Yatra was meant to challenge what the Congress claimed was a systematic attempt to disenfranchise voters through the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Party leaders described the initiative as a moral battle to protect democratic rights, but the Election Commission rejected the allegations as unfounded. Voters, too, seem to have dismissed the charge, as reflected in the lack of traction for the Congress and the alliance it belongs to.
Internal weaknesses within the Mahagathbandhan were another major factor behind the Congress’s poor performance. The reluctance of the Congress to back Tejashwi Yadav as the alliance’s chief ministerial face created tension, weakening the coherence of the campaign. A fragmented strategy prevented the Grand Alliance from delivering a unified message. While the yatra briefly energised Congress workers, the momentum faded by the time the main campaign began. With enthusiasm waning and party visibility dropping sharply, the Congress failed to maintain voter engagement.
