What’s left for Congress after Bihar? The verdict is out and Congress faces a humiliating defeat. The implications of the Bihar poll results could be far-reaching. After Uttar Pradesh, Bihar holds much political significance in the country.
The defeat is bound to lower the morale of the Grand Old Party’s rank and file. Telangana, Karnataka & Himachal Pradesh are the three prominent states where Congress still governs. Meanwhile, the power struggle in Karnataka is like a simmering volcano. While Siddaramaiah is in no mood to leave the chair, the leader in waiting DK Shivakumar, is getting anxious with each passing day. The Bihar debacle is bound to encourage unrest in the faction-ridden party.
Coming to Telangana, Congress high command has been trying to portray Telangana’s caste census as a sort of role model for the country. This was deliberately done to push the nation into a caste cauldron and reap electoral benefits. But with the caste plank falling flat in the Bihar polls, the Telangana caste model is no longer relevant. Even in Himachal, the tussle between Late Virabhadra Singh’s family & followers and CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s camp would get more bitter as they see the Congress high command getting more weaker.
A weak Congress at the national level is also bound to encourage its allies to bargain more in future polls anywhere in the country. In Kerala, Congress’s close ally IUML is already seeking assembly seats of its choice from Congress-led United Democratic Front. Kerala goes to the polls next year. Even in states like Tamil Nadu, where its ally DMK already has a big say, Congress presence would now be symbolic. Talking of West Bengal, TMC supremo Mamata Banerji would further push Congress to the margins.
The biggest fallout of INDI alliance’s Bihar poll failure will be in Uttar Pradesh, where assembly polls are slated for 2027. Despite have no stakes, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav addressed flurry of rallies as he saw INDI alliance’s Bihar poll success setting momentum for his party in the coming Uttar Pradesh assembly polls. While himself leading the campaign, he also pressed into service his other MPs like Ikra Hassan. While Akhilesh tried to woo Yadav votes, Ikra Hussain took to muslim predominant constituencies to prove her point. Both failed miserably. This when UP chief minister and BJP’s star campaigner Yogi Adityanath was one of the most sought-after campaigners for BJP candidates across Bihar.
After 2024 Lok Sabha success, the Bihar debacle has brought Akhilesh Yadav on a backfoot now. A shrewd politician, he too understands that such a huge mandate for BJP reveals that people cutting across caste lines have voted for NDA, which certainly is a warning sign for the Samajwadi party.
Another aspect is Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen). The party has won five seats & muslims seem to have preferred AIMIM over Congress in several seats. This is bound to encourage AIMIM to take to the turf of Uttar Pradesh in 2027 assembly polls. This again is certainly not a good sign for Akhilesh Yadav.
The most interesting party is that the outcome of Bihar polls have brought EBCs more closer to BJP. The extreme backward castes have been close to JD(U)-BJP combine for years and this sentiment in Bihar will further strengthen their bond in UP as the two states share borders and common culture.
Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal & Assam are some of the prominent states that will go to polls next year (2026). Barring Assam,all others are ruled by INDI alliance parties. Tamil Nadu CM Stalin too had come to campaign in Bihar & if not less, the INDI allinace loss in certainly a loss of face for him.
Not long after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi held a press conference on the evening hours of the verdict day. Remember what he said – “UP waloon ne kamaal kar dikha diya”. Would he now say Bihar Ney kamaal kar dikha diya”? Congress mukt Bharat is all what one can say at this moment as the party loses relevance by the day.
