Patna – As the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 approach, the Congress party, under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, stands at a perilous crossroads. Its reckless attacks on the Election Commission and alignment with the Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD) inflammatory tactics threaten to dismantle its credibility and undermine India’s democratic framework.
Undermining Democracy with Baseless Claims
Rahul Gandhi’s recent assault on the Election Commission, branding its commissioners as “agents of the BJP,” is a shameful low. Wielding the Constitution as a prop, he accused the Commission of conspiring to enable “vote theft” in Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. His 16-day “Voter Rights Yatra” across 23 districts, billed as a defense of democracy, is a thinly veiled attempt to mask Congress’s frustration from repeated defeats. The Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, on August 17, 2025, dismissed these allegations as baseless, affirming that the SIR aims to purify voter lists and that all parties had opportunities to review them. Gandhi’s refusal to submit an affidavit with evidence, hiding behind a vague “oath to the Constitution,” exposes his unwillingness to engage in good faith.
Derogatory Rhetoric and Lost Credibility
The opposition’s language has plummeted to new depths. An RJD spokesperson’s use of terms like “luckiness,” “shit,” and “impudence” against the Election Commission during a TV debate was rightly rebuked by the host as “unnecessary.” Such crassness, coupled with Congress’s silence, reflects a culture of disrespect that erodes public trust. The repeated cry of “vote theft” is a desperate tactic, echoing failed slogans like “Chowkidar Chor” and “EVM tampering.” Congress’s history of booth capturing during the ballot era makes its current accusations hypocritical. Bihar Minister Neeraj Singh Bablu rightly noted that these parties are defaming constitutional bodies to deflect their failures, while Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav attributed Gandhi’s attacks to fear of defeat.
The Role of External Agitators
Suspicion surrounds certain YouTubers and NGOs amplifying the “vote theft” narrative. With foreign funding restricted under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, these groups appear to be aligning with Gandhi’s campaign, possibly eyeing the 2029 Lok Sabha elections as a decisive battle. At 55, Gandhi faces a narrowing window—59 in 2029, 64 in 2034—to secure power. Analysts suggest a strategy to divide Hindu voters and consolidate Muslim-Christian support, using electoral controversies to sow chaos. Congress must disavow these divisive tactics and focus on constructive governance.
Media’s Role in Spreading Misinformation
The media’s complicity in this saga cannot be ignored. Many anchors, ignorant of the distinction between the Criminal Penal Code and election laws, amplify the opposition’s narrative through uninformed debates. This misinformation misleads the public and weakens democratic discourse. Congress, claiming to champion constitutional values, must demand accountability from these platforms instead of exploiting their ignorance.
A History of Electoral Malpractice
Congress and RJD’s accusations ring hollow given their past. The “fodder theft” and “booth loot” scandals of their era in Bihar remain fresh in public memory. The Election Commission’s transparent, technology-driven processes have rendered such malpractices obsolete, yet the opposition cannot accept defeat gracefully. The Commission’s call for formal complaints has been met with street protests, not evidence, revealing a strategy rooted in chaos, not democracy.
A Call for Urgent Reform
Congress stands at a precipice. Its leadership must retract its baseless allegations, discipline allies like RJD, and engage with the Election Commission through legal channels. The party’s failure to heed its ground-level workers, who collaborate with the Commission on voter list revisions, exposes a disconnect that must be bridged. Rahul Gandhi’s refusal to present evidence undermines his claim to protect the Constitution he so publicly venerates.
The voters of Bihar, aware of Congress and RJD’s tainted history, are unlikely to be swayed by this rhetoric. The Election Commission’s impartiality is sacrosanct, and attempts to tarnish it threaten the democratic fabric. Congress must act decisively: purge divisive elements, abandon inflammatory slogans, and offer a vision that respects India’s institutions. Failure to do so will cement its irrelevance in Bihar 2025 and beyond.
The Verdict Lies with the Electorate
The people of Bihar hold the power to reject this politics of desperation. They must remain vigilant against misleading narratives and uphold the sanctity of their vote. Congress has one last chance to reform—acknowledge its mistakes, restore dignity to its discourse, and realign with democratic principles. The clock is ticking, and the electorate will deliver its judgment. The time for reckoning is now.
