Internal Rift Leaves Bihar Congress MLAs Unable to Select Leader, Strategy for Budget Session Unclear

Patna, Bihar: More than two months after the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, the Congress party continues to face internal turmoil. Party MLAs have been unable to select a leader for their legislative group, and disagreements over the strategy to corner the government during the ongoing budget session remain unresolved.

A recent meeting of Congress MLAs at a Patna hotel on Monday failed to reach any conclusions. Two key issues were on the agenda: the selection of the legislative party leader and the political direction for the coming months. However, the six MLAs elected in 2025 could not reach a consensus. Several MLAs did not attend the meeting, resulting in its inconclusive outcome.

Leadership Vacuum Persists

Congress suffered a poor performance in the 2025 elections, winning only six seats. Since then, coordination among these MLAs has remained weak. Despite the start of the budget session, the party has yet to appoint a leader for its legislative group. Even after a meeting with party leadership in Delhi, internal differences persist, and the question of who will lead the Congress MLAs remains unresolved.

Disagreement on Alliance Strategy

The state leadership had hoped that Congress would align with the Mahagathbandhan during the budget session to jointly challenge the NDA government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. However, the six MLAs expressed a desire to maintain an independent identity and not simply follow RJD’s line of opposition. They insisted on pursuing their own style of dissent rather than automatically agreeing with allies.

Central Leadership to Decide

Speculation continues about potential defections, with some MLAs reportedly considering joining the JDU if differences remain unresolved. With internal consensus absent, the matter has now been referred to Congress central leadership, including party presidents Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, who will ultimately determine the legislative party leader and the party’s strategy for the ongoing session.

The unresolved leadership and strategy issues underscore ongoing instability within Bihar Congress, highlighting the challenges the party faces in presenting a united front in the state Assembly.