Bihar battle: Congress infighting turns ugly, workers clash at Patna airport

What began as a routine arrival turned into a full-blown chaos at the Patna airport on Wednesday evening, as Bihar Congress workers clashed among themselves amid allegations of ticket-selling and favouritism.

The chaos unfolding barely days before the nomination deadline on October 17 has exposed cracks within the party’s state unit.

Bihar Congress president Rajesh Ram, state in-charge Krishna Allavaru and senior leader Shakeel Ahmed Khan, who had gone to Delhi, returned to workers’ fury. Party activists accused the leadership of betraying the grassroots workers. Within minutes, the situation descended into chaos, as scuffles broke out right outside the terminal.

Witnesses said the flashpoint came when a group of workers from the Bikram constituency accused the leadership of “selling tickets” to moneyed newcomers, while denying loyal party workers their due.

The incident comes at a time when the Bihar Congress is on the edge. After a series of meeting in the Capital on Tuesday and Wednesday, the high command has reportedly finalised around 60 candidates, but is yet to release the official list.

Sources said while some chosen candidates have already been informed over the phone, many veteran workers feel sidelined, fuelling accusations of corruption and bias.

“The resentment has been simmering for days. Tickets are being distributed not on merit, but on the basis of money and connections in Delhi. The anger was bound to spill out,” said a senior Congress functionary, who did not wish to be named.

The timing could not be more embarrassing for the party, which is locked in tense seat-sharing negotiations with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Left allies under the INDIA bloc. According to the sources, the RJD is likely to contest around 136 seats, the Congress 60–62, and Left parties will collectively get around 30 seats. The Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) may be allotted 18 seats.

Even as the Congress struggled to contain the fallout, senior party leader Ashok Gehlot sought to project calm, saying, “I believe the decision will be made in a day or two. Discussions are underway, and I think a final call will be taken soon.”

The 243-member Bihar Assembly will go to polls in two phases, on November 6 and 11, with counting on November 14.

Meanwhile, the state leaders of the Congress were also expected to meet RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday. However, till filing of this report, there was no information regarding the Mahagathbandhan meeting.