Congress leaders clash over missed alliance with Nitish Kumar's JD(U) in Bihar
Senior Congress figure Digvijaya Singh said the party lost a chance to partner with Nitish Kumar's JD(U) for the 2025 Bihar poll, prompting rebuttals from Rahul Gandhi and KC Venugopal.
During a Congress Working Committee session, Digvijaya Singh claimed the party missed an opportunity to form an alliance with Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) for the 2025 Bihar election, a statement that was promptly denied by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and CWC general secretary KC Venugopal, who said Kumar had never shown interest in a pact. Singh used a SWOT analysis of the ruling BJP to argue that the government is now on the backfoot, recalling past BJP-JD(U) collaborations and Congress's failure to retain its ties with RJD and JD(U).
Gandhi recounted internal debates over alleged vote-theft, noting that the issue has gained consensus among CWC members and that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has become a major opposition focus. He also described a recent confrontation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a constitutional appointment, referencing a historic parallel with former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Other senior leaders, such as Jairam Ramesh, Abhishek Singhvi, and K Raju, discussed strategies to pressure the BJP, including supporting an impeachment notice against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and reaching out to disenfranchised voters.
Why it matters
The dispute reveals internal Congress tensions and strategic disagreements ahead of a crucial Bihar election.
How the sides frame it
LOW AGREEMENTLeft-leaning coverage frames the story as an internal clash over a missed alliance and internal criticism, while centrist coverage frames it as a debate over whether Congress could have prevented Nitish Kumar’s shift to the BJP.
LEFT
Focuses on the dispute within the Congress Working Committee over a missed alliance with Nitish Kumar and highlights internal criticism and strategic analysis.
CENTER
Centers on Digvijaya Singh’s claim that accommodating Kumar might have stopped his defection and the rebuttal of that claim by senior leaders.
The left emphasises
- Digvijaya Singh said the party missed an alliance with Nitish Kumar’s JD(U).
- Rahul Gandhi and KC Venugopal denied Kumar ever showed interest in a pact.
- Singh used a SWOT analysis of the BJP and mentioned the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) as a major opposition focus.
In this story
