Stop making excuses and look within: Congress leaders demand introspection after party’s debacle in Bihar elections

The Congress Party has once again hit hard in the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025, has sparked strong reactions from within the party. While the party was hoping for a revival in the state, the results have been disappointing, with Congress winning only six seats failing to even touch double digits. Several senior Congress leaders, including Shashi Tharoor, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Nikhil Kumar, Kripanath Pathak, and Mumtaz Patel, have spoken openly about the party’s internal issues. Their statements clearly show growing frustration, loss of confidence in leadership, and concern about the weakening organization. Bihar defeat sparks fresh questions within Congress Congress had aimed to strengthen its presence in Bihar but ended up facing a major setback. While some party members have tried to blame external factors like the Election Commission, many others believe the real problem lies within the organization itself. After the results were announced, several Congress leaders called the situation “very serious.” They said the party should stop making excuses and instead take tough steps to correct its mistakes. Many leaders also said that this is not the time for routine introspection but for facing the truth and taking real action. Mani Shankar Aiyar: “My Own Party Removed Me” Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar expressed his unhappiness openly. He said that the party has sidelined him for a long time. Aiyar stated, “Once upon a time I was very senior, but recently I have been made one-sided. I have not come here representing Congress; I am here personally.” कांग्रेस ने मुझे उस लायक नहीं समझा -मणिशंकर अय्यर #BiharElection2025 #BiharResult #ResultsWithNews18 @KishoreAjwani | @RubikaLiyaquat pic.twitter.com/HR4yyKL2EJ— News18 India (@News18India) November 14, 2025 He went on to add, “I am a very small man, my own party has removed me. Modi ji says wrong things about me, and my own party accepts it.” His statement reflects deep frustration not only about his personal position but also about how the party treats its senior and experienced members. Tharoor calls for honest analysis of mistakes Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also urged the party to carry out a serious and honest assessment. After the Bihar results, he said, “It is clear that NDA’s lead is huge. It’s very frustrating, and if this is the final result, then the party needs real introspection not just sitting down and thinking, but also studying what strategic, messaging, or organizational mistakes were made.” #WATCH | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: On #BiharElections, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, "… it's very clear that the lead is overwhelmingly with the NDA. It's obviously seriously disappointing, and if that turns out to be the final result, then I think there will have to be… pic.twitter.com/10rnFhMEs1— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2025 Tharoor added that he was not personally involved in the Bihar campaign as he was not invited, but based on conversations with colleagues, he believes the party must urgently analyze its own shortcomings. Kripanath Pathak: “State leaders did not give proper information” Congress leader Kripanath Pathak blamed the weak coordination between Bihar’s ground leaders and the central leadership. He told the media, “We believe those responsible in the state did not give correct information or identify the right people. Whether it was a mistake or carelessness, it caused big problems.” Patna, Bihar: On the #BiharAssemblyElections, Congress leader Kripananth Pathak says, "We believe that those in the state who were responsible did not convey the correct information. They did not gather accurate details about the right people. Whether it was by mistake or… pic.twitter.com/iGCtAdAiFy— IANS (@ians_india) November 14, 2025 Pathak also said many local workers had been complaining, but their issues never reached higher authorities properly. He warned that if the leadership does not address this soon, it could lead to an even bigger crisis for the party. Nikhil Kumar: Weak organization cost us dearly Former Bihar Governor and Congress leader Nikhil Kumar pointed out that the party’s poor organizational strength was a key reason for the defeat. “In any election, a party depends on its organization. If the organization is weak and cannot work effectively, the overall result suffers,” he said. Patna, Bihar: On state Assembly elections, Congress leader and former Governor Nikhil Kumar says, "This reflects the weakness of our organization. In any election, a political party relies on its organizational strength. If the organization is weak and cannot function… pic.twitter.com/s0FMnjTytd— IANS (@ians_india) November 14, 2025 Kumar added that though all the candidates were capable, better choices could have been made. According to him, strategic and intelligent decisions were needed to maintain the party’s presence in all constituencies. “Some of our candidates may not have been the

Nov 15, 2025 3

Stop making excuses and look within: Congress leaders demand introspection after party’s debacle in Bihar elections

The Congress Party has once again hit hard in the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025, has sparked strong reactions from within the party. While the party was hoping for a revival in the state, the results have been disappointing, with Congress winning only six seats failing to even touch double digits.

Several senior Congress leaders, including Shashi Tharoor, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Nikhil Kumar, Kripanath Pathak, and Mumtaz Patel, have spoken openly about the party’s internal issues. Their statements clearly show growing frustration, loss of confidence in leadership, and concern about the weakening organization.

Bihar defeat sparks fresh questions within Congress

Congress had aimed to strengthen its presence in Bihar but ended up facing a major setback. While some party members have tried to blame external factors like the Election Commission, many others believe the real problem lies within the organization itself.

After the results were announced, several Congress leaders called the situation “very serious.” They said the party should stop making excuses and instead take tough steps to correct its mistakes. Many leaders also said that this is not the time for routine introspection but for facing the truth and taking real action.

Mani Shankar Aiyar: “My Own Party Removed Me”

Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar expressed his unhappiness openly. He said that the party has sidelined him for a long time. Aiyar stated, “Once upon a time I was very senior, but recently I have been made one-sided. I have not come here representing Congress; I am here personally.”

He went on to add, “I am a very small man, my own party has removed me. Modi ji says wrong things about me, and my own party accepts it.” His statement reflects deep frustration not only about his personal position but also about how the party treats its senior and experienced members.

Tharoor calls for honest analysis of mistakes

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also urged the party to carry out a serious and honest assessment. After the Bihar results, he said, “It is clear that NDA’s lead is huge. It’s very frustrating, and if this is the final result, then the party needs real introspection not just sitting down and thinking, but also studying what strategic, messaging, or organizational mistakes were made.”

Tharoor added that he was not personally involved in the Bihar campaign as he was not invited, but based on conversations with colleagues, he believes the party must urgently analyze its own shortcomings.

Kripanath Pathak: “State leaders did not give proper information”

Congress leader Kripanath Pathak blamed the weak coordination between Bihar’s ground leaders and the central leadership. He told the media, “We believe those responsible in the state did not give correct information or identify the right people. Whether it was a mistake or carelessness, it caused big problems.”

Pathak also said many local workers had been complaining, but their issues never reached higher authorities properly. He warned that if the leadership does not address this soon, it could lead to an even bigger crisis for the party.

Nikhil Kumar: Weak organization cost us dearly

Former Bihar Governor and Congress leader Nikhil Kumar pointed out that the party’s poor organizational strength was a key reason for the defeat. “In any election, a party depends on its organization. If the organization is weak and cannot work effectively, the overall result suffers,” he said.

Kumar added that though all the candidates were capable, better choices could have been made. According to him, strategic and intelligent decisions were needed to maintain the party’s presence in all constituencies. “Some of our candidates may not have been the best choice, and that might have cost us these results,” he remarked.

We will introspect: Akhilesh Prasad Singh

Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh also admitted the need for self-assessment. He said, “We will introspect and see where Congress is lagging behind.”

Singh congratulated Nitish Kumar and NDA for their victory and added that the party would discuss why its performance was so poor in Bihar. He also mentioned that a “friendly contest” with allies like RJD might have weakened Congress candidates in certain areas.

No more excuses, face the Truth: Mumtaz Patel

Mumtaz Patel, daughter of senior leader Ahmed Patel, expressed strong displeasure over the party’s situation. In a post on X, she wrote, “No excuse, no blame, no introspection. Now is the time to look within and face the truth.”

Patel said that loyal grassroots workers have long supported the party through every difficulty, yet power remains in the hands of a few people “cut off from ground reality.” She warned that these same people, who have repeatedly failed, continue to be rewarded because they control access and influence within the party.

Shakeel Ahmed: Questions ticket distribution process

Former Bihar minister Shakeel Ahmed said, “I am not in Congress now, so I have no right to speak.” But he recalled that soon after ticket distribution, many senior leaders had raised concerns that some tickets were given for wrong reasons.

He added that there should be an investigation and action if such misuse actually happened.

NDA secures strong majority in Bihar

The Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 saw a strong performance by the NDA alliance. The BJP won 89 seats, emerging as the largest party, while Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) came second with 85 seats. Together, they crossed 200 seats in the 243-member Assembly.

Among the opposition, RJD finished third with 26 seats, and Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) won 19 out of 28 seats contested. In contrast, Congress’s performance was dismal, winning only six seats out of more than 60 it contested.

Growing demand for change within Congress

The crushing defeat has increased calls for deep reflection and change within the Congress Party. Many leaders believe the main reasons for failure include weak organization, poor candidate selection, lack of ground-level connection, and overdependence on a small group of advisors.

There is also growing discontent among senior leaders who feel ignored or pushed aside. Some even say the party’s internal democratic structure has weakened, and communication between top leadership and workers has broken down.

Despite repeated failures over the years, no major structural changes have taken place at the top, which has created frustration among those working at the ground level. Many leaders now believe that if the Congress truly wants to regain public trust and political strength, it has to go beyond introspection and take bold, honest action.

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