Rahul Gandhi said on Thursday that he is “genuinely astonished” by the NDA’s overwhelming Bihar victory on what he termed “not fair from the beginning”. The Congress party won just 6 out of the 61 it contested. While he described the outcome as “astonishing,” he nevertheless expressed a “sincere and firm thank you to all the voters of Bihar” that formed the Mahagathbandhan–the alliance of opposition parties there. His response combined frustration and gratitude as Congress tried to convert levels of support to actually winning something.
Trouble with Bias and Obstacles
He said, “A whole bunch of procedural matters” had hurt the Congress party’s campaign. He repeated that the obstacles during the voting period itself obstructed the opposition from winning seats. In any event, he thanked all the voters that voted for the alliance and he noted, “The Congress party will continue to struggle to protect and defend democratic space.”
Emphasizing that the party was framing it as part of the larger struggle to defend the Constitution, Gandhi said democratic spaces were “under pressure” during the current government. A full analysis of the results would be done, but at that moment, the INDIA alliance in Bihar would be building on their strategy and improving coordination in the State, and a future evaluation would come soon enough.
Kharge Claims Widespread ‘Vote Theft’
Mallikarjun Kharge went further, accusing “large-scale vote theft” and proceeded to blame Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Shah, and the Election Commission. He went ahead to say that the institutions of democracy were politicized. He still accepted the people’s verdict and thanked all who voted for the alliance.
Congress Promises In-depth Internal Probe
Kharge said that the party will study the Bihar outcome in minute detail, and an elaborate report will be shared before the public very soon. He thanked supporters who remained with the Mahagathbandhan in a hostile climate. He asserted that the party would keep struggling against actions that dent the norms of democracy.
Opposition Plans to Reorganize and Move on
The INDIA bloc believes the verdict is a warning on the levels of democracy and fairness in elections. The outcome, according to leaders, shows that we need better organisational strength and stronger presence on the ground. Signals were sent by Gandhi and Kharge that they are renewed in their commitment to fight the ruling coalition, better organised and more united against them.
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