Congress Panic in Bihar: Why Rahul is Airlifting MLAs to Delhi

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The Bihar Congress crisis exposes organisational hollowness, fear of defections, and a politics driven more by survival than public accountability.

By RAJESHWAR JAISWAL

Patna, January 20, 2026 — The sudden decision by Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge to summon all six Congress MLAs from Bihar to Delhi on January 23 has triggered intense political speculation. Officially, the explanation is reassuring—“organisational responsibility” will be handed over to these legislators. Unofficially, the message is far starker: the Congress leadership fears a break-up.

Reports of possible defections in Bihar appear to have rattled the party’s top brass. The response was swift and telling—not a revival plan for Bihar, not a statewide agitation, but a hurried call to Delhi. The question being asked quietly, even within Congress circles, is brutal: does the party still have an organisation in Bihar at all?

Giving “big responsibilities” sounds impressive in press releases. But responsibilities where? In Bihar? Or somewhere in the national organisation where relevance is equally uncertain? The uncomfortable truth is that these MLAs themselves may be wondering what exactly they are being asked to manage—and with what authority.

There is also a more cynical, yet widely acknowledged, layer to this crisis. Every MLA in Bihar controls a fund—roughly ₹4 crore annually, amounting to ₹15–20 crore over five years. That money ensures survival, influence, and patronage. But real political power—and real money—flows when a party is in government. Schemes expand, pipelines open, and “systems” operate smoothly. Every Bihari politician understands this ecosystem.

Congress, however, is nowhere near power in Bihar. The organisation offers no mass movement, no street energy, no assurance of political future. In such a scenario, expecting MLAs to remain loyal out of ideological commitment alone borders on fantasy.

And what is Congress’s organisational presence doing on the ground? When girls face horrific accidents, when reports of child murders and suicides surface, when hospitals fail patients daily, does the party mount sustained protests? Does it shake the administration? Does it force accountability?

The honest answer—even Congress supporters admit this privately—is no.

At best, there may be token outrage. At worst, there is silence. The Congress organisation in Bihar has neither the capacity nor the will to become a disruptive force. It does not frighten the government, energise citizens, or even dominate headlines. It merely exists, thinly.

That is why the Delhi summons matter. This is not about empowering MLAs. This is about containing damage. It is about keeping legislators close, reassured, and—most importantly—away from alternative political doors that may be opening quietly.

Rahul Gandhi and Kharge know that once defections begin, Congress’s Bihar chapter could collapse entirely. Six MLAs may seem numerically insignificant, but symbolically, they represent survival. Losing them would confirm what many already believe: that Congress in Bihar is no longer a fighting political force, but a transit camp.

So, what will these MLAs gain in Delhi? Prestige? Visibility? Or merely time?

The bitter irony is that while Congress leadership is busy firefighting defections, Bihar’s real issues—crime, women’s safety, healthcare collapse—remain unaddressed. Organisation-building has been replaced by personnel management. Politics has been reduced to damage control.

Perhaps the MLAs understand this better than anyone. Perhaps that is why Delhi suddenly feels safer than Patna.

In today’s Bihar, leaving quietly may seem more rational than staying to defend an organisation that no longer knows how to fight.

(This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are author’s own)