The Indian National Congress has suffered a catastrophic defeat in Bihar during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, failing to win any of the five seats it contested despite being part of the opposition Mahagathbandhan alliance. This complete wipeout marks a dramatic decline for the party that had won these same five constituencies just five years earlier in 2019.
The Stunning Electoral Collapse
Congress contested five crucial seats in Bihar - Kishanganj, Katihar, Bhagalpur, Samastipur, and Sasaram - as part of its seat-sharing arrangement with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and other alliance partners. The party lost all five constituencies, with its candidates failing to put up competitive fights in most contests.
The defeat is particularly shocking because Congress had successfully won these exact same five seats in the 2019 general elections. The 2024 results represent a 100% loss rate for the party in Bihar, reducing its parliamentary presence from five members to zero.
Key Constituencies and Voting Patterns
In Kishanganj, a constituency with substantial minority voters that Congress had considered its stronghold, the party's candidate lost decisively. Similarly, in Katihar, another traditional Congress bastion, the party faced humiliating defeat.
The Bhagalpur contest saw Congress candidate Ajay Sharma lose badly, while in Samastipur, the party candidate finished a distant third. The Sasaram constituency, which Congress had won in 2019, also slipped from its grasp despite the party's historical connection to the area as the former constituency of Indira Gandhi.
Political analysts note that Congress failed to transfer its votes to alliance partners in constituencies where it wasn't contesting, thereby damaging the Mahagathbandhan's overall performance across Bihar.
Root Causes of the Debacle
Multiple factors contributed to Congress's complete rout in Bihar. The party suffered from weak organizational structure and inadequate grassroots presence across the state. Unlike its alliance partner RJD, which maintains robust organizational machinery, Congress has neglected its Bihar unit for years.
The leadership crisis within Congress's state unit proved particularly damaging. With no strong state-level leaders to rally behind, the party's campaign lacked direction and energy. Compounding these problems was the failure to connect with younger voters and address local issues that matter to Bihar's electorate.
Congress also made strategic errors in candidate selection, fielding nominees who lacked strong local connections or failed to inspire confidence among voters. The party's national leadership remained largely absent from campaigning in these constituencies until the final stages, leaving local workers demoralized.
Broader Implications for Congress
This electoral disaster in Bihar reflects the larger national crisis facing the Indian National Congress. The party's continued decline in crucial Hindi-heartland states like Bihar raises serious questions about its future as a viable national alternative to the BJP.
The complete wipeout in Bihar has damaged Congress's bargaining power within opposition alliances. The party now holds zero Lok Sabha seats from India's third most populous state, weakening its position in future political negotiations.
Internally, the Bihar results are likely to intensify calls for organizational overhaul and leadership changes. The defeat exposes the limitations of relying solely on the Gandhi family's appeal and highlights the urgent need for developing strong state-level leadership.
Road Ahead for Congress in Bihar
Rebuilding from this historic low will require massive organizational restructuring and sustained engagement with Bihar's voters. Congress must address its grassroots connectivity gap and develop a coherent state-specific strategy rather than relying on national narratives.
The party faces the immediate challenge of preparing for upcoming state assembly elections, where it will need to demonstrate significant recovery to remain relevant in Bihar's political landscape. Failure to reverse this downward trend could see Congress becoming a marginal player in one of India's most politically significant states.
As political observers analyze the 2024 election aftermath, Congress's Bihar collapse serves as a stark warning about what happens when a national party loses touch with regional realities and fails to adapt to changing political dynamics.
