Out of 28 legislative council seats across four states, results for 27 have been declared, while counting for second-preference votes in the Varanasi graduate constituency remains ongoing. The NDA secured a strong victory by winning 16 seats, with the Bharatiya Janata Party alone capturing 13. In contrast, the Congress party managed to secure only a single seat. Following these election outcomes, political observers are closely examining why Congress suffered such a severe defeat in these ballot-paper-based elections.
Fragmentation of the Grand Alliance in Bihar
The elections across eight legislative council seats in Bihar exposed deep fractures within the opposition alliance. Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, and leftist parties contested separately, leading to a massive division of votes. Congress and RJD fielded candidates in the Patna teachers, Patna graduates, Darbhanga teachers, Darbhanga graduates, and Kosi graduate constituencies. Notably, the sitting Congress MLC was in the fray from the Darbhanga teachers' seat. Although RJD initially did not field a candidate there, it entered the race after Congress decided to contest all five areas, while the CPI also announced its own candidate in Darbhanga. Consequently, veteran Congress leader Madan Mohan Jha received 2,187 votes, Ramdev Rai secured 1,498 votes, and RJD candidate Kumar Raut got just 126 votes. Capitalizing on this division, Congress lost the seat to a Jan Suraaj candidate by a narrow margin of 324 votes. Failing to respect its allies ultimately cost Congress its own seat. Out of the eight seats in Bihar, the BJP won three, while JD(U), RJD, and Jan Suraaj secured one each, with independents taking two. Congress failed to open its account in the state, while JD(U)’s Neeraj Kumar won the high-profile Patna graduate seat for a fourth time, and Anant Singh's associate and Jan Suraaj candidate Anuj Singh finished third.
Weak Grassroots Party Organization
Across the states where these council elections took place, the organizational presence of the Congress party at the grassroots level was notably weak. Even in Karnataka, where Congress is in power and maintains a stronger political footing, the party lost all four MLC seats. In the ballot-paper elections there, the BJP won three seats and its ally JD(S) won one. JD(S) candidate A.P. Ranganath defeated five-time Congress MLC and deputy opposition leader in the council Puttanna, demonstrating that governing a state does not automatically translate to grassroots electoral strength.
Flaws in Candidate Selection
Another major contributor to the defeat was poor judgment in selecting winnable candidates. Instead of favoring local leaders with proven ground support, the party relied heavily on favorites of senior leaders. This miscalculation proved costly, as Congress failed to exercise the same level of vigilance and strategic screening demonstrated by the BJP, Samajwadi Party, and other political rivals.
Failure to Ground Rahul Gandhi's Narratives Locally
National leaders like Rahul Gandhi have consistently raised pressing issues that resonate directly with the public, such as youth unemployment, question paper leaks in examinations, and irregularities in government recruitment. Over recent months, questions have also been raised regarding electoral integrity and the fairness of election machinery. However, local party functionaries proved entirely incapable of translating these national narratives into effective grassroots campaigns.
Controversial Statements by Leaders
As election dates draw closer, remarks made by certain Congress leaders frequently hand opponents political ammunition. The ruling party readily capitalizes on such statements. Recently, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge made controversial remarks targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which the BJP alleged involved insults directed at the Prime Minister's father. Similarly, recent comments by party leader Danish Ali concerning electoral malpractice provided further fodder to critics, compounding the party's troubles in these localized electoral battles.
