Internal Review Reveals Seat-Sharing, ‘Rigging’ Blamed for Bihar Loss

The Congress party held an in-depth review meeting to scrutinize its disappointing performance in the Bihar Assembly elections. Key party figures, including Rahul Gandhi and KC Venugopal, engaged with candidates and state leaders to understand the root causes of the electoral defeat. A central theme emerging from the discussions was the perceived delay in finalizing the seat-sharing formula for the Mahagathbandhan, which reportedly impacted campaign strategies. Candidates also voiced strong allegations of ‘electoral malpractices’ and a Rs 10,000 cash distribution scheme aimed at women voters. The meeting, which included Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram and veteran leaders like Akhilesh Prasad Singh and Tariq Anwar, also saw participants highlighting issues such as voter list manipulations and violations of electoral conduct. The party leadership expressed concern over these alleged irregularities, implying that the election outcome might not reflect the true will of the voters.