Congress Reviews Bihar Poll Debacle In Delhi; Rs 10,000 Transfer, Seat-Sharing Delay, 'Vote Chori' Flagged As Key Reasons

Following the crushing defeat in the Bihar Assembly Elections, Congress on Thursday held a review meeting in Delhi. During the meeting, party candidates from Bihar deliberated about the reasons for one of the biggest poll debacle in the state.

According to a report by Jagran.com, there were some reports of a fight between the two leaders during the review meeting held in the presence of Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress organisation in-charge KC Venugopal.

However, independent MP Pappu Yadav downplayed these reports, saying they were inaccurate. According to the Jagran Patna office inputs, a ruckus erupted among party leaders at Indira Bhawan before the meeting. Two party leaders, Sanjeev Singh and Jitendra Yadav, engaged in a heated exchange with barbs reaching to talks of gunfire. However, senior leaders intervened and separated the two leaders.

The meeting was attended by Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram, AICC leader in-charge of Bihar Krishna Allavaru, Congress MPs Akhilesh Prasad Singh and Tariq Anwar, and Independent MP from Purnia Pappu Yadav.

According to news agency PTI, several Congress leaders contesting the Bihar assembly elections told the party's top brass that the NDA government's transfer of Rs 10,000 to women beneficiaries, delays in seat-sharing among the Mahagathbandhan partners, internal strife, and 'vote chori' were among the reasons for the electoral defeat.

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The three top leaders met with the candidates in groups of 10. After the meeting, Venugopal stated that the four-hour review meeting made one thing absolutely clear that the election was not a genuine mandate; it was a grossly managed and fabricated outcome.

Congress' Araria MLA, Abidur Rahman, said, "There were several reasons for the defeat. The first reason is that 10,000 rupees were given in violation of the model code of conduct. The alliance could not be formed at the right time. There was a friendly contest in 10-11 seats, which sent the wrong message to the public."

Emphasising the impact of Rs 10,000, Rahman said that the situation was such that if a man voted for the Congress, his wife voted for the NDA.

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He also said that there was discord between the old and young party leaders.

Speaking about the delay in seat sharing, Rahman said, "The alliance should have been formed on time. The spread of religious and caste frenzy had an impact". The party also cited AIMIM's strong performance in the Seemanchal belt of Bihar.