The political atmosphere in India has heated up following the NDA’s sweeping victory in the Bihar Assembly elections. With the NDA securing 202 seats and the Mahagathbandhan managing only 35, the Congress party has openly questioned the fairness of the poll process. Rahul Gandhi, after a series of party meetings, claimed the election was “not fair from the beginning” and alleged widespread “vote chori” (vote theft) supposedly masterminded by the Prime Minister, the Home Minister, and the Election Commission (EC).
A day after the results, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge joined Gandhi and senior party functionaries in a strategy huddle, expressing disappointment and plotting a path ahead. The party alleges that the results are “a reflection of vote theft on a gigantic scale.” Congress plans to convene a review meeting with in-charges and state unit chiefs from 12 states—among them, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Rajasthan, and West Bengal—to discuss grievances and realign for upcoming state elections.
Amid these allegations, the EC stated that over 95% of electors received enumeration forms for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in nine states and three Union Territories. The coming weeks will see Congress pursuing legal and procedural avenues to address their complaints while continuing grassroots campaigns under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership.
The post-election controversy keeps Bihar—and indeed national—politics in the limelight, as parties and analysts debate the integrity of the democratic process.
