Patna: The Congress party, once the unrivalled political force in Bihar, continues its downward slide in the state’s electoral landscape. As of 9:30 am, early trends from the 2025 Assembly election counting showed the party leading in just 11 seats, a significant drop from the 19 seats it secured in 2020. Once dominant, ruling Bihar for over three decades, the party’s decline has been consistent across the last three election cycles, reflected both in its performance and in the number of seats it contests.
In 2015, the Congress won 27 seats with an 11.11% vote share while contesting 41 seats. By 2020, it fielded candidates in 70 constituencies but managed to win only 19 seats with a 9.48% vote share. In the 2025 elections, Congress scaled back to contesting 61 seats, yet the reduced footprint has not translated into improved efficiency or results.
The downturn is not limited to Congress alone. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), led by Tejashwi Yadav, is also witnessing setbacks. The party, which contested 143 constituencies, is currently leading in 60 seats, well below its 2020 tally of 75. The repeated underperformance of both parties raises familiar concerns for the Mahagathbandhan, particularly after 2020 when analysts labelled the Congress a “drag” that weakened the alliance’s overall strike rate.
Meanwhile, the NDA is firmly positioned to return to power, with projections showing the coalition heading toward 150-plus seats. The BJP is leading in 73 constituencies, while the JDU is ahead in 69, giving the alliance a comfortable majority even without its smaller partners. Chirag Paswan’s LJP is also performing strongly, leading in 10 seats.
Adding to the Mahagathbandhan’s troubles is a fractured seat-sharing arrangement that triggered 11 direct contests among its own partners. The RJD and Congress clashed in six seats, including Vaishali, Sikandra, and Warsaliganj, while the CPI and Congress faced off in four constituencies. Mukesh Sahani’s VIP and the RJD were at loggerheads in Chainpur and Babubarhi.
As counting progresses, the numbers underscore a familiar story: internal discord, weak coordination, and declining voter confidence continue to erode Congress’s relevance in Bihar’s fiercely competitive political arena.
