Where Is Rahul Gandhi Amid Congress Achieving ONLY 6 Seats In Bihar?

Opinion: Congress must evaluate why Rahul Gandhi’s rallies fail to produce results and why the party’s machinery cannot convert attendees into voters. Strengthening organizational outreach and addressing voter priorities will be critical for future elections.

The 2025 Bihar Assembly elections delivered a severe setback for Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi. Despite walking 1,300 kilometers across 25 districts and campaigning in 110 assembly constituencies during the “Vote Adhikar Yatra,” Congress won only 6 out of 61 contested seats, a strike rate of just 2%.

Analysts say the results raise serious questions about the effectiveness of Gandhi’s mass rallies. Crowds attended his events in large numbers, but those numbers failed to convert into votes. The party’s performance in Bihar marks one of its worst electoral outcomes in decades.

Viral posts and memes have highlighted Congress’s struggles in Bihar. One popular slogan reads, “Yatra Ke Aage Haar Hai,” meaning “Every march ends in defeat.” Memes show PM Modi, Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi Yadav, and Prashant Kishor running ahead while Rahul Gandhi runs backward. Another post claimed he has led Congress to defeats in 95 elections over 20 years, illustrating a persistent pattern.

These trends reflect public perception that Gandhi draws crowds but fails to deliver results at the ballot box. Analysts note that the party needs to rethink its campaign strategies if it hopes to regain influence in key states like Bihar.

Congress’s Vote Adhikar Yatra Fails to Deliver

The Vote Adhikar Yatra was designed to change Bihar’s political narrative. Rahul Gandhi walked 1,300 km, campaigned in 110 constituencies, and drew large crowds across 25 districts.

Congress leaders expected significant gains. However, after contesting 61 seats, the party secured only 6 victories, barely 10% of its efforts. 

While this is slightly better than 2010, when Congress won 4 seats, it remains a disappointing outcome. Analysts say the party overemphasized vote theft allegations under the SIR controversy while ignoring pressing voter concerns like jobs, inflation, and migration, which ultimately influenced the electorate’s choice.

Rahul Gandhi’s electoral strike rate remains troubling. In Bihar 2025, it was only 2%, meaning that despite campaigning actively, Congress won very few seats. Previous elections show similar trends: Maharashtra 2024: 10%, Haryana 2024: 30%, Punjab 2022: 15%, Uttarakhand 2022: 20%, Bihar 2020: 38%. 

Some Congress leaders still blame SIR for the loss, rather than acknowledging organizational and strategic failures. Controversies during campaigning, including remarks around Chhath Puja, also hurt the party’s local image. 

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