These were the reasons for the defeat: Congress enumerated the main points behind the crushing defeat in Bihar elections.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and national president Mallikarjun Kharge held an important meeting with leaders of the party’s Bihar unit to discuss the current political scenario in the state, where the grand old party faced a crushing defeat in the recently concluded assembly elections. This meeting took place at Kharge’s New Delhi residence. During the meeting, prominent party leaders from Bihar, including Congress state unit chief Rajesh Ram and Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru, participated. It is noteworthy that this is the second important meeting held by top Congress leaders to discuss the party’s crushing defeat in the 2025 Bihar elections.

 

Congress leaders blamed the delay in ticket distribution, infighting and differences within the party for the defeat in Bihar elections. The leaders also blamed the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)’s Rs 10,000 incentive scheme for women. Contesting 61 seats, the grand old party won only six, and its strike rate was less than 10 percent. The performance of its alliance partner, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), was also very poor and it won only 25 seats out of 143 it contested. Overall, the Grand Alliance won only 35 out of 243 seats.

 

Smaller allies such as the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) (Liberation) won two seats, and the Inclusive Party of India (IIP) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) won one seat each. NDA retained its power in the state by winning more than 200 seats. BJP emerged as the largest party with 89 seats, while Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal United (JDU) won 85 seats. Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) led by Union Minister Chirag Paswan also maintained its dominance by winning 19 seats. Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) won five and four seats respectively.