The Mahagathbandhan’s crushing defeat in the Bihar Assembly Elections has prompted a sharp response from Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who claimed the contest had been “unfair from the very beginning”.
As counting trends solidified, showing the Mahagathbandhan unlikely to cross even 40 seats, while the NDA swept to a dominant 202 in the 243-member Assembly, Gandhi posted his first public reaction on X, calling the outcome “surprising” and framing the larger political battle as one for safeguarding democratic values. “This result in Bihar is truly surprising. We could not achieve victory in an election that was not fair from the very beginning,” said Rahul Gandhi.
Expressing gratitude to voters, he wrote, “I express my heartfelt gratitude to those millions of voters in Bihar who expressed their trust in the Mahagathbandhan. This result in Bihar is truly surprising. We could not achieve victory in an election that was not fair from the very beginning.”
Although he stopped short of directly alleging “vote theft”, a theme he had highlighted during his Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar, Gandhi insisted the political struggle would continue. “This fight is for the protection of the Constitution and democracy. The Congress party and the INDIA alliance will deeply review this result and make their efforts to save democracy even more effective.”
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge voiced similar concerns, accusing the ruling establishment of misusing key institutions. Posting on X, Mallikarjun Kharge said, “We respect the decision of the people of Bihar and will continue our fight against those forces that are engaged in weakening democracy by misusing constitutional institutions.” Kharge added that the party would conduct a comprehensive analysis of its performance. “We will conduct a thorough study of the election results and will present a detailed perspective after understanding the reasons for the outcomes.”
In a message aimed at boosting morale within the Congress ranks, Kharge addressed party workers directly, “I want to tell every Congress worker that there is no need for you to feel discouraged. You are our pride, honour, and glory. Your hard work is our strength. We will leave no stone unturned in raising awareness among the people. We will continue the struggle to save the Constitution and democracy by staying among the people. This fight is long, and we will fight it with complete dedication, courage, and truth.”
