Introspection and Course Correction within Congress After Defeat in Bihar

PTI, NEW DELHI, NOV 14, 2025 :  As the Congress and the Mahagathbandhan suffered a humiliating defeat in the Bihar elections on Friday, calls for introspection and course correction started emerging from the opposition bloc, with some criticizing the concentration of power in a few hands. Congress stalwart late Ahmed Patel's daughter Mumtaz Patel alleged that the party's failures are a result of giving power in the hands of leaders who are totally disconnected from the ground reality.

In a post on X, she said it is time to look within and accept the reality. She asked how long the loyal party workers have to wait to witness success.

The NDA is set to sweep the Bihar assembly polls, surging ahead in close to 200 of 243 seats. The BJP emerged as the single largest party with nearly a 95 percent strike rate, reaffirming the popularity and campaign clout of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was the face of the ruling alliance through the poll battle in the highly sensitive political state.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi, who was formerly with the Congress, urged opposition leaders to speak to the women of the country.

"Dear Opposition Leaders. Unsolicited advice. Speak to the women of the country. An alternative cannot be without them. Thank you," she said in a post on X.

The Mahagathbandhan, which includes RJD, Congress, and three Left parties, has suffered a crushing defeat, struggling to cross the 35-seat mark.

"No excuses, No blame game, No introspection, it's time to look within and accept reality," Mumtaz Patel said.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said the party would examine the results, do some serious introspection, and look into the organizational mistakes that led to such a verdict. He also said he was not invited to campaign in the Bihar election, while noting that the Congress would examine the reasons for its defeat. According to him, in a mandate like Bihar's, it is important to examine the totality of the party's performance. He noted that elections are about a number of factors.