The outcome of the Bihar election has created new tensions within the Opposition’s INDIA bloc. The massive defeat of the Grand Alliance (Maha Gathbandhan) and the Congress party’s weak performance in the Hindi heartland are expected to push the alliance toward a major leadership rethink. Congress won only 6 out of 61 seats it contested, achieving a low strike rate of 9.8%.
TMC Pushes for Mamata Banerjee as New Opposition Leader
Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee questioned Congress’s leadership role. He said, “It is clear that the Congress can’t stop the BJP. The leadership position must go to a party which has a track record of defeating the BJP. Only Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has an unblemished record of defeating the BJP. Time has come for Banerjee to lead the Opposition group.”
A senior TMC leader added that Mamata Banerjee has kept the BJP from gaining ground in West Bengal for six straight elections three Assembly and three Lok Sabha polls.
Regional Parties Build Their Own Strategy Inside INDIA Bloc
For months, TMC, AAP, Shiv Sena (UBT), and Samajwadi Party have been forming a separate internal strategy within the INDIA bloc. They focused on regional needs rather than following Congress, which has 99 Lok Sabha seats. Together, these four parties hold 77 seats enough to influence decisions in the alliance. Their independent approach was clear during the 2024 Delhi election when they backed AAP over Congress.
Bihar Loss Comes Before Crucial State Elections
The defeat arrives at a critical moment. Key elections are scheduled next year in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Puducherry, and Kerala. This will be followed by polls in Goa, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Gujarat in 2027.
INDIA Bloc Leaders Call for Deep Review
CPIM leader MA Baby advised all parties to introspect. He said, “INDIA bloc wanted to fight Bihar poll and wanted to send a message to the country by defeating the BJP. But it didn’t happen. We need to discuss the results within each party and then collectively at a meeting of the bloc.” He added that the “vote chor, gaddi chhor” campaign did not resonate with voters, referring to Rahul Gandhi’s effort to portray BJP victories as the result of manipulation.
Congress Faces Weak Negotiation Power After Poor Performance
Analysts say Bihar’s results will make seat-sharing tougher for Congress in states like Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. A Congress leader admitted that their poor performance will limit their ability to negotiate more seats.
He said the party had to bargain hard for 61 seats in Bihar, and such results weaken their case in upcoming negotiations across the Hindi belt.
Congress Lacks a Strong Base in Bihar
Experts highlight that Congress has almost no independent base in Bihar. Political analyst Manindra Thakur of Jawaharlal Nehru University noted that Congress still helps the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, but in Bihar, it relied entirely on the RJD.
Rise of AIMIM Shows Shift in Muslim Voters
Another Opposition leader, requesting anonymity, said the Bihar results reveal a worrying sign for the INDIA bloc.
With AIMIM winning five seats in the Seemanchal region, he said, “It underlines that a section of Muslim voters are looking beyond INDIA bloc for electoral options.”
