Bihar Election 2025: The soil of Bihar sometimes testified to Karpoori Thakur’s socialism, sometimes Lalu Yadav’s political tricks were made. The temperature of politics here runs separately from the rest of the country. When waves are going on across the country, Bihar decides its own leaks. And now, when the 2025 assembly electoral board has started laying, every party is intensifying its tricks. But there is a party in this entire political Mahabharata which appears to be entangled in its own illusion. The question is not how many seats the Congress will win, but the question is, who is in the hands of the Congress in Bihar? And who is the real captain, Rahul Gandhi or someone else?
Yes, this is the same Congress that had ever set the way from Bihar to the power of the Center. This is the same Congress that saved its roots in Bihar from independence of the country to emergency and in the era of Mandal-Kandal politics. But today’s Congress is not only marginalized in Bihar but also struggling with internal and leadership crisis. This crisis is so deep that now this question has started arising within the party, “Can Rahul Gandhi really lead the Congress in Bihar or do the party need another local face?”
The spark of rebellion is burning inside
A large section within the Congress believes that Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Journey Yatra’ and social media image building do not work in a state like Bihar. Politics there is still fought on the strength of ‘Khat Panchayat’, ethnic mathematics and ground grip. Many senior leaders of the party have said on the condition of the name of not printing that the condition of the Congress in Bihar is of a helpless spectator who is neither able to fight themselves nor honor in the alliance. Currently, the Congress is part of the RJD -led grand alliance in Bihar. But for the last few months, this alliance has also been seen filling with cracks. Tejashwi Yadav’s growing ambition and ‘minor seats’ to the Congress are giving air to dissatisfaction within the party.
Rahul Gandhi vs ‘local leadership’
Some young leaders of Bihar Congress support Rahul Gandhi’s social media-inspired movement and ‘remote control’ leadership being run from Delhi. But on the other hand, the old, regional and grassroots leaders of the party want any local ‘face’ command to take over the party in Bihar. Some of these leaders have also suggested that if the party is going to contest elections under the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav, then the Congress should give up its independent identity in Bihar and this is not acceptable to them. In such a situation, the question arises whether Rahul Gandhi is really able to understand the politics of Bihar? Are they able to keep pace with the ethnic equations, the ambition of regional satraps and the thinking of the rural voter?
‘Captain’ battle is going on behind the curtain
If sources are to be believed, there is a silent war within between Rahul Gandhi’s team and many senior leaders of Bihar Congress. A senior party leader said, “The politics of Bihar cannot be understood by sitting in Delhi. Here people still talk about caste and panchayat, do not see Instagram reel.” There are some of these angry leaders who want the old leaders like former Union Minister Ashok Chaudhary to be activated again, while some leaders are advocating the external, but popular face like Pappu Yadav and are advocating to hand over the leadership to the party. This demand uncomfortable Rahul Gandhi’s camp.
Can Priyanka Gandhi become ‘Reel Captain’?
There is also a discussion in some circles that Priyanka Gandhi should be activated instead of Rahul Gandhi in Bihar, because they have more ability to connect with ground politics. Despite the unsuccessful use in UP, Priyanka’s image is ‘fresh’ among some sections in Bihar. Especially in women voters and Muslim community, positive feelings have been seen about them. But the question is the same, is the Congress ready for this experiment? And would Priyanka Gandhi herself like to take this risk?
Social media vs truth
Rahul Gandhi’s team is presenting him on social media as a strong, vocal leader who talks about youth, unemployment, constitution and secularism. But in the ground politics of Bihar, the grip of chaupal, panchayat and ethnic equations is much stronger than social media. A Congress worker said, “We post anything on social media, people in the village ask, ‘When will the electricity come, who will give the job, and who is the caste?’ There is no answer to this. “
Respect or different path in alliance?
The biggest crisis for the Congress is that it is neither on par with RJD nor standing in front of BJP like a strong opposition. In the case of seat sharing, the Congress got only 70 seats in 2020, out of which it won only 19 seats. This time too, the situation does not look different. In such a situation, a large section within the party is demanding that the Congress should ‘prepare to fight on its own in Bihar. However, there is a huge shortage of organization, resources and local networks for this, making the party leadership nervous.
Will the Congress fight itself or defeat itself?
The biggest crisis for the Congress in Bihar is not the BJP or RJD, but its own leadership and direction. Rahul Gandhi will have to get out of the role of ‘Reel Captain’ and become ‘Ground Captain’ or else party workers, voters and leaders will all keep asking that *”Who is the real leader of the Congress in Bihar?” This fight is not just to win the election, but to save existence. And the question is now whether the Congress will understand it in time or will remain a part of another history in Bihar politics like a forgotten legacy.
