The Bihar election results have shaken the Opposition alliance. The Grand Alliance, or Mahagatbandhan, suffered a major defeat. The Congress, a key member of the INDIA bloc, performed especially poorly and won only 6 out of the 61 seats it contested. Its strike rate was just 9.8 percent.

This setback has renewed discussions inside the bloc about leadership. Many parties now argue that the Congress can no longer guide the Opposition strategy.

TMC Pushes for Mamata Banerjee to Lead

Trinamool Congress leaders openly questioned the Congress’ ability to take on the BJP. TMC Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee 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.”

Another senior TMC leader argued that Mamata Banerjee has kept the BJP out of power in West Bengal for six consecutive elections, including three assembly polls and three Lok Sabha contests.

Smaller Parties Form Their Own Strategy

For months, a smaller group within the INDIA bloc—made up of the TMC, AAP, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Samajwadi Party—has followed its own political line. These parties have been focusing on regional issues and shaping joint strategies without relying on the Congress.

Together, they hold 77 Lok Sabha seats. This gives them enough numbers to act as a pressure group inside the larger coalition. One major example of this smaller alliance’s independent approach came during the 2024 Delhi election when they backed AAP over the Congress.

Setback Ahead of More State Elections

The Bihar defeat comes at a sensitive time. Several important elections are scheduled next year, including Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Puducherry, and Kerala. More major states—Goa, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Gujarat—will vote in 2027. The INDIA bloc now faces a tough challenge as it prepares for these contests.

Calls for Introspection Inside INDIA Bloc

CPIM leader MA Baby said the alliance must reflect on what went wrong. “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 said.

He added that the “vote chor, gaddi chhor” campaign was planned well, but voters did not respond to it. His comment referred to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s claim that recent BJP victories were the result of large-scale manipulation—an argument that has failed to gain public support.

Seat-Sharing Negotiations Likely to Become Harder

Analysts believe the Bihar results will make other regional partners less willing to share seats with the Congress in upcoming elections. A Congress leader admitted that the party’s performance weakens its position in alliance talks. “We bargained hard for 61 seats in Bihar. But our performance may not help us to bargain hard for extra seats in Uttar Pradesh or other Hindi-belt states,” he said.

Experts also pointed out that the Congress has no strong presence in Bihar. Political analyst Manindra Thakur said, “In Uttar Pradesh, the Congress could still be beneficial to the Samajwadi Party. In Bihar, the Congress entirely banked on RJD.”

Muslim Voter Shift Raises More Concerns

An Opposition leader, speaking anonymously, said the Bihar results show deeper problems for the INDIA bloc. He pointed to the AIMIM winning five seats in the Seemanchal region. “It underlines that a section of Muslim voters are looking beyond INDIA bloc for electoral options,” he said.