The reasons for the recent Congress’s miserable performance in the Bihar Assembly elections are readily discernible in two succinct statements— one by Prime Minister Modi and the other by the Congress commissar Jairam Ramesh.

In just one trope, PM Modi succinctly encapsulated all that is wrong with the Grand Old Party when he described it as a “Muslim-League-Maoist Congress.” He reiterated this critique three times. Modi’s characterisation was notably supported by none other than Jairam Ramesh explaining the massive defeat of his party, Jairam asserted that the “election results in Bihar reflect vote chori on a gigantic scale - masterminded by the PM, the HM, and the Election Commission.”

While Modi correctly diagnosed the disease, Jairam’s statement delineates its reasons. His outright denial of reality and outlandish attempt to undermine people’s faith in national institutions are classic Marxist traits, reminiscent of the ‘revolutionary’ stance the Communist Party took before and after India’s independence.

For the uninitiated, a little recall of the history. During the Quit India movement (1942-45), the Communists in India worked as British spies, collaborated with the Muslim League and colonial powers to help create Pakistan, and then were quick to mourn when India finally gained independence.

The Marxists, in denial, refused to accept the government led by Pandit Nehru and declared war against it. However, Sardar Patel quickly crushed their efforts, as the so-called revolution lacked real support on the ground and was limited to a foreign-funded and inspired elite, with no traction among the masses.

Jairam is attributing the disaster his party faced in Bihar to “vote chori”. It contested 61 seats in Bihar and secured six seats with 8.7 per cent Congress’s Bihar defeat reflects long-term decline, ideological confusion, and refusal to accept electoral reality, highlighted by Modi’s critique and Jairam Ramesh’s accusations, exposing deeper structural and historical weaknesses within the party votes. But the party had suffered a........

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