The Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) has plunged into fresh internal turmoil following the expulsion of seven senior leaders from the party’s primary membership for six years, a move that has ignited controversy and fueled accusations of scapegoating. The expulsions, announced on Monday, November 24, 2025, come in the wake of Congress’s dismal performance in the recent Bihar assembly elections, where the party managed to secure only six out of the 61 seats it contested.
The disciplinary action was spearheaded by Kapildeo Prasad Yadav, chairman of the BPCC disciplinary committee, who cited anti-party activities and violations of discipline during the election cycle as grounds for the expulsions. According to a press communiqué reviewed by Hindustan Times, the expelled leaders were Aditya Paswan (former vice president, Congress Seva Dal), Shakeelur Rahman (former vice president, BPCC), Raj Kumar Sharma (former president, Kisan Congress), Raj Kumar Rajan (former president, State Youth Congress), Kundan Gupta (former president, Extremely Backward Department), Kanchana Kumari (president, Banka District Congress Committee), and Ravi Golden (Nalanda District).
The disciplinary panel found that these leaders had violated three out of five core disciplinary norms, including deliberate disregard for directives from competent authorities and spreading confusion within the organisation. The committee’s statement emphasized that the leaders had repeatedly criticized party decisions in print and on social media, including what it described as “baseless allegations of ticket racketeering,” which allegedly damaged the party’s reputation. The panel insisted that all candidate selections had been made transparently, following reviews by assembly observers, the Pradesh Election Committee, and the All India Congress Committee (AICC), with approval from central observer Avinash Pandey.
However, the expulsions have not gone unchallenged. A faction of party dissidents has vocally criticized the move, arguing that it serves as a tactic to shield senior leaders from accountability for the party’s electoral defeat and strategic missteps. “These leaders are being made scapegoats to cover up ethical lapses by seniors and the humiliating defeats they caused,” one of the 43 dissident leaders who had previously received show-cause notices told Hindustan Times. Another dissident questioned Yadav’s impartiality, pointing out that he was seen celebrating the victory of a rival BJP candidate during the elections.
The internal strife was further compounded by the resignation of Sharbat Jahan Fatima, chief of the Bihar Mahila Congress Committee, who stepped down on the same day as the expulsions. According to reports from Times of India, her resignation was prompted by the denial of a ticket to contest the polls, underscoring ongoing frustrations over the party’s ticket distribution process—a process that many grassroots leaders claim has favored influential figures at the expense of loyal workers.
Congress’s woes in Bihar are not new. In the 2020 assembly elections, the party won only 19 out of 70 seats it contested—a result that was already seen as underwhelming at the time. The 2025 outcome, with only six victories from 61 contests, marked a further decline and contributed to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) securing government formation in the state.
In response to the electoral setback and mounting criticism, BPCC president Rajesh Ram has ordered a comprehensive, state-wide review of party performance. In a directive sent to all district Congress committee presidents and executive presidents, Ram called for urgent review meetings to analyze the political, organizational, and regional factors behind the defeats. The reviews are to cover voting percentages, booth-level activities, organizational strength, campaign outreach, local issues, and alliance dynamics. District presidents have been instructed to send detailed reports immediately to the state Congress office, paving the way for a state-level assessment and future strategy formulation.
“Election results are not just about wins and losses; they signal areas needing improvement. This is a time for introspection, united efforts, and organizational strengthening,” Rajesh Ram said in his directive, as quoted by Hindustan Times. The BPCC’s emphasis on introspection and unity is seen as an attempt to rally the party’s fractured ranks ahead of upcoming political campaigns.
Meanwhile, calls for greater transparency and accountability have grown louder. Congress MP Tariq, according to Times of India, recently urged the party high command to conduct an impartial review of the entire ticket distribution process and to take action against those found guilty of irregularities at any level. “We have said that the state Congress should convene a meeting to discuss the entire election process and the results, and there should be a discussion about how we suffered such a massive defeat. Our party is a national party,” he stated.
Looking ahead, the BPCC is ramping up preparations for a series of nationwide campaigns designed to restore the party’s credibility and re-energize its base. On November 26, Constitution Day, the party will organize “Save the Constitution” events across all district headquarters, featuring seminars on the protection of democratic values. These programs, following an AICC circular dated November 22, will involve senior leaders, intellectuals, social activists, lawyers, youth, and community organizations. Districts are required to ensure high participation and submit action reports promptly after the events.
The BPCC is also mobilizing for the “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod Mahrally” scheduled for December 14 at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan. In preparation, Rajesh Ram has issued special instructions to district presidents and various party units to intensify signature campaigns, publicity drives, door-to-door outreach, and community meetings. These efforts are being positioned as a collective call to protect voting rights, ensure electoral fairness, and restore credibility to democratic institutions amid persistent allegations of voter suppression, targeted deletions, and data manipulation by the BJP and the Election Commission.
“This is not just a political event but a resolve to safeguard democracy and the Constitution. We must make December 14 a historic voice of the people,” Rajesh Ram declared, underscoring the rally’s significance as more than just a routine demonstration.
The coming weeks will test whether the BPCC’s efforts at introspection, accountability, and mass mobilization can mend internal rifts and revive the party’s fortunes in Bihar and beyond. For now, the expulsions and ensuing controversy have laid bare the deep challenges facing Congress as it seeks to regain lost ground in one of India’s most politically vital states.
