Patna: The Bihar Congress faced fresh turmoil this weekend after a major rally featuring national party president Mallikarjun Kharge flopped dramatically in Buxar, leading to the suspension of the local district president, Manoj Pandey.
Kharge, making his first visit to Bihar since taking over as Congress chief, was scheduled to address a gathering at the Dalsagar Sports Ground on April 20. But the event proved to be an embarrassment for the party, as rows of empty chairs were left unfilled. Videos of the poorly attended rally quickly went viral, prompting sharp criticism from within the party and on social media.
Sources within the state Congress unit revealed that barely 10% of the chairs at the venue were occupied, undermining efforts to project unity and strength ahead of the upcoming elections. Instead of mobilising support, many party workers appeared more focused on taking selfies with the Congress president, further fuelling criticism.
In response to the debacle, the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee issued a press release on Sunday suspending Pandey, citing “gross negligence” and a “serious lack of coordination” in organising the event. The statement highlighted that the District Congress Committee had failed to carry out its responsibilities, leading to the visible failure of the programme.
“This was an important moment for the party,” the statement read, “but the inadequate preparations and internal disarray have damaged the organisation’s credibility.”
The fallout has laid bare the deepening factionalism in the state unit. Rajesh Ram, the newly appointed Bihar Congress president, had his leadership put to the test for the first time, only to see it falter under scrutiny. The event has also sparked a public rift, with Akash Singh, son of former state Congress chief Akhilesh Singh, criticising the current leadership in a post on X (formerly Twitter), pointing to the empty seats as a sign of poor planning and mismanagement.
The incident raises serious questions about the party’s readiness in Bihar, a state where it is struggling to regain its footing amid fierce competition. With Kharge’s visit intended to energise the cadre and display a united front, the underwhelming turnout has instead exposed critical vulnerabilities in grassroots mobilisation and organisational discipline.
