Cong brass discusses Karnataka crisis, reviews Bihar jolt

After a bruising defeat in the Bihar Assembly elections and mounting turmoil in Karnataka, the Congress high command met here on Thursday for a crucial stock-taking exercise.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and general secretary KC Venugopal held a late-evening huddle at the party’s Indira Bhawan headquarters, reviewing the Bihar results and assessing the escalating leadership row in Karnataka.

The meeting, which lasted several hours, saw Bihar leaders present a bleak assessment of the party’s performance. The Congress won only six of the 60 seats it contested — a strike rate of under 10 per cent — while the RJD collapsed to 25 wins out of 143 seats, delivering a major blow to the Mahagathbandhan.

Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram said the leadership heard every candidate, noting that a common concern was the use of the SIR process, which leaders alleged enabled “vote theft” despite the Model Code of Conduct being in force. Candidates also told the central leadership that “financial inducements” and covert campaigning continued during the restricted period.

“We are analysing the reasons for the defeat… Despite the MCC, such acts happened, but the vote percentage of the Congress and other INDIA partners did not get affected,” Ram said.

Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh added that each candidate’s grievances were heard in detail. “There was talk of taking corrective measures… Rahul and Kharge have taken it positively. We believe a good roadmap will be formed so we don’t face such defeats again,” he said.

Sources said the Karnataka leadership crisis also featured prominently in the Delhi discussions, with the high command weighing the political costs of any decision. Pressure has intensified after the government crossed its half-term mark on November 20, reviving debate over the reported 2023 power-sharing understanding between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

Kharge, acknowledging the unrest, said he would summon both leaders, along with Rahul, to New Delhi to settle the matter. “I will call the important leaders and discuss the way ahead. The confusion must end,” he said, stressing that Congress decisions are always collective.

Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar quickly signalled compliance. The Chief Minister said he would travel to Delhi once called; Shivakumar said he would accompany him and follow whatever instructions the high command issued. Within the party, Shivakumar is expected to push the mid-term rotation formula.

In Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah huddled with senior ministers from his camp — G Parameshwara, Satish Jarkiholi, HC Mahadevappa, K Venkatesh and KN Rajanna — in a sign of consolidation ahead of the Delhi talks.

Adding to the churn, Siddaramaiah’s son Yathindra asserted that the Chief Minister would complete his full five-year term, claiming widespread support among legislators and insisting that any reshuffle or leadership change lay solely with the high command.