The 2025 Bihar assembly elections have delivered a stunning verdict, with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) cruising towards a clean sweep and the Congress party facing one of its bleakest political performances. Despite a high-profile 1,300-kilometer campaign march by Rahul Gandhi, the party's message was overwhelmingly rejected by voters across the state's 25 districts and 110 seats.
The Yatra That Couldn't Connect
Rahul Gandhi's Vote Adhikar Yatra spanned an impressive 1,300 kilometres, weaving through the heartland of Bihar. The Nehru-Gandhi scion employed every tool of Bihari cultural connection at his disposal—from the traditional gamcha and fluent Bhojpuri to public snacking on makhana, staged fishing expeditions, and casual bike rides. His campaign echoed the slogan "vote chor, gaddi chhod" (vote thieves, leave the seat), targeting the ruling alliance.
Yet, this carefully orchestrated performance fell flat. Voters took a different route, heading straight to the polling booths but decisively moving away from the Congress. The party is now struggling to even hit double digits in seat count, a dramatic collapse from its 2020 performance where it secured 27 out of 70 seats it contested, achieving a 38% strike rate.
Anatomy of a Political Failure
The initial phase of the Voter Adhikar Yatra showed promise, drawing strong crowds and generating genuine enthusiasm that hinted at a potential Congress revival. However, this initial spark proved fleeting. The campaign relied too heavily on symbolic gestures while failing to establish a sustained, grassroots presence. With only scattered appearances from senior leaders, the party could not maintain momentum or forge a deeper, more meaningful connection with the electorate.
This slowdown was severely exacerbated by internal rifts and a lack of coordination within the Mahagathbandhan (MGB). Resentment festered within the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), candidate selection was confused, and a weak organizational synergy ultimately blunted any potential gains the yatra might have created. Compounding these issues were shifting local dynamics, including the rise of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and a strategic recalibration by the NDA, which further eroded Congress's appeal.
The Bigger Picture: Yatras and Electoral Reality
The Bihar result is the latest chapter in Rahul Gandhi's trilogy of nationwide marches. The Bharat Jodo Yatra (2022–23), the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra (2024), and the recent Vote Adhikar Yatra (2025) were all crafted to reposition him as a politician of the people. While they successfully transformed his image from a detached leader to an engaged campaigner and revived enthusiasm among party cadres, they also starkly revealed the limits of symbolic politics.
This stands in sharp contrast to Congress's successes in states like Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana, where strong local leadership and potent anti-incumbency sentiments led to decisive victories. These wins, however, have failed to translate to the crucial Hindi heartland. The 2025 assembly results in Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Delhi have exposed the party's deep organizational decay. The sole exception was Jharkhand, where a Congress-JMM alliance retained power by focusing on welfare and regional identity—proof that the party still performs best when piggybacking on strong local allies.
In the final analysis, Rahul Gandhi's yatras have given him a new moral vocabulary and increased visibility, earning him public empathy. However, they have not yet provided a winning electoral formula. The Congress party's machinery remains sluggish and fragmented, overly dependent on his charisma. Unless the party learns to convert this moral momentum into tangible organizational muscle, these grand marches may remain little more than political spectacles without a lasting payoff.
