The Congress party’s willingness to bend its back for the upcoming Bihar elections is a sad commentary on the Grand Old Party. It is not clear whether the party has voluntarily agreed to contest fewer seats than it did in the 2020 elections or was forced to accept the ground reality by the Rashtriya Janata Dal, amid contradictory reports emerging from Bihar. Some suggest that the party decided on its own to contest only those seats where it stands a chance of victory.

Others claim the RJD browbeat the Congress party into submission, either accept its proposal or face the consequences of going solo. The frightening prospect of being left without crutches and tumbling down left the party with no choice but to swallow the bitter reality pill and agree to contest approximately 50 seats.

In 2020, Congress contested 70 seats as part of the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan, registering a dismal strike rate of 27 per cent by winning 19 seats. It finished second in nine constituencies and forfeited its security deposit in 29 by polling less than one-sixth of the total votes. The RJD openly termed Congress a “baggage” and accused it of derailing the Mahagathbandhan’s prospects of forming the government, as the alliance tantalisingly fell short by 12 seats of the majority mark. The difference between the winner (NDA) and........

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