New Delhi, Nov 27 The Congress has intensified its criticism of the Bihar Assembly election results, with party general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal alleging that the mandate was "managed, fabricated and deeply compromised."
His remarks came through a post on X following a four-hour review meeting with Congress candidates and senior leaders from Bihar, chaired by the Congress President and the Leader of the Opposition.
According to Venugopal, the detailed accounts shared during the meeting collectively pointed to what the party described as a "distorted electoral process" rather than a genuine expression of voter will. He said the feedback from candidates raised questions about voter deletions, last-minute additions, and the manner in which government schemes were allegedly used to influence voters.
The Congress leader referred specifically to complaints about the State Identification Register (SIR), which candidates claimed was used in a targeted manner to delete names of traditional supporters while enabling "dubious additions". Several candidates reportedly cited instances where voters found their names missing despite holding consistent documentation and having voted in the previous election cycle.
Venugopal also highlighted allegations surrounding the MMRY (Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana) scheme, with party leaders claiming that funds were distributed close to polling day in a manner that, they argued, amounted to cash inducements. Some candidates reportedly told the leadership that such benefits were given out even near polling booths, raising concerns for them about the sanctity of polling-day procedures.
Another issue repeatedly flagged, Venugopal said, was the pattern of similar victory margins across numerous constituencies. The Congress asserted that such uniformity was statistically unusual and merited scrutiny, especially in an election featuring significant local variations, candidate profiles and caste equations.
While these remain the Congress's allegations, the party has framed them as indicators of what it described as "organised electoral malpractice".
Venugopal's X post also strongly criticised the Election Commission of India, claiming that its conduct appeared "partisan" and "aligned with the ruling BJP", particularly with regard to oversight of the Model Code of Conduct and election-day mechanisms.
He accused the ECI of acting "less as a neutral constitutional arbiter and more as an enabler of the ruling party's strategy".
The Congress has said it will continue to pursue legal, political and organisational avenues to challenge what it terms a "stolen mandate", emphasising that it views the Bihar developments as part of a larger national concern over electoral integrity.
"What happened in Bihar is a direct assault on democracy," Venugopal wrote on X, asserting that the party would resist attempts to normalise such a precedent.
He added that the Congress's fight to "protect India’s democratic foundations" would continue "fearlessly, relentlessly and with the people by our side".
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