A shocking scene of leaders and workers coming to blows has plunged the Bihar Congress into fresh controversy, just weeks after a severe electoral setback. A video capturing a physical altercation during an election review meeting in Madhubani has forced the party's central leadership to demand an immediate report on the incident.
Fisticuffs Over Ticket Distribution
The ugly incident unfolded on Tuesday in Madhubani, where approximately 500 leaders from the Congress's Bihar unit had gathered. The meeting, attended by state party chief Rajesh Ram and former Congress legislature party leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan, was intended to analyze the party's poor performance in the November Assembly polls. However, discussions quickly devolved into chaos.
According to eyewitness accounts, the scuffle began due to a heated disagreement over ticket distribution during the past elections. Former BPCC secretary and Madhubani leader Shashikant Jha Guddu, who was present, described the event as "unfortunate." He explained that supporters of former NSUI state president Rashid Faqri started shouting slogans against backers of another leader, Nalini Ranjan Jha, who had lost from the Benipatti constituency.
The video of the meeting shows Congress workers engaged in a fistfight, with a leader heard desperately appealing for calm in the background. Guddu noted that senior leaders eventually intervened to resolve the conflict, allowing the meeting and a subsequent foot march to proceed.
Leadership Condemns, Seeks Report
The brawl has drawn sharp condemnation from within the party. Former CLP leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan labeled the incident as "condemnable, objectionable and unfortunate." He emphasized that while everyone in a democracy has the right to express their views, such physical conflicts are unacceptable. "At a time when we need to fight the BJP's might, we are fighting ourselves," Khan lamented.
He confirmed that the Madhubani district unit has already sent a report to the state leadership. The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president is expected to submit a detailed account to the central leadership, which is reportedly upset over the incident. Khan warned that such internal clashes significantly weaken the party's structure and public image.
Fallout From a Major Electoral Defeat
This internal strife comes less than two months after the Congress faced a drubbing in the Bihar Assembly elections. The party, part of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-led Mahagathbandhan, saw its seat count plummet from 19 in the previous assembly to a mere 6. The alliance's total tally collapsed from 110 seats to 35. Both Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram and Shakeel Ahmad Khan were among the prominent losers.
In the aftermath of the electoral disaster, the Bihar Congress had already taken disciplinary action, expelling seven leaders and issuing notices to 36 others for alleged anti-party activities during the polls. The state unit has also held discussions with central leaders to review the debacle and chart a future course.
The Madhubani brawl underscores the deep-seated frustration and factionalism within the party's state unit, posing a significant challenge to its efforts to rebuild and present a united front against its political rivals.
