Patna: In a significant organisational shake-up ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, the Congress high command has removed Krishna Allavaru as the party’s in-charge for Bihar and handed over the responsibility of election strategy and coordination to Avinash Pandey, a senior and experienced party leader.
The decision, taken just weeks before polling, follows growing discontent within the state unit over ticket distribution and what party insiders described as a failure to secure winnable seats in seat-sharing negotiations. The party has also reportedly lost two sitting constituencies, deepening frustration among its local leaders.
Sources in the Congress said the leadership was dissatisfied with Allavaru’s handling of the organisational machinery and his inability to maintain cohesion within the Bihar unit. The high command’s move to bring in Pandey is being seen as an attempt to stabilise the state unit and reinvigorate its campaign efforts.
12 हज़ार ट्रेनों को छठ के मौके पर चलाने की बात
मोदी जी और भाजपा ने झूठ बोला।यह बिहार वासियों का अपमान है!
: श्री @avinashpandeinc जी pic.twitter.com/fmfrvmH1rw
— Bihar Congress (@INCBihar) October 25, 2025
Soon after his appointment, Avinash Pandey confirmed the news through an Instagram post, writing: “Starting tomorrow, I will be in Bihar, where I will be responsible for organisational coordination and strategy development for the upcoming elections. This is not just an election, but a crucial opportunity to determine the direction and fate of Bihar.”
In his post, Pandey also launched a direct attack on the ruling NDA government, accusing it of pushing the state into unemployment, migration, and underdevelopment, and said that “the people are now ready for change.”
कल से बिहार प्रवास पर रहूँगा, जहाँ आगामी चुनावों के लिए संगठनात्मक समन्वय और रणनीति निर्माण की ज़िम्मेदारी संभालूंगा।
यह केवल एक चुनाव नहीं, बल्कि बिहार की दिशा और दशा तय करने वाला निर्णायक अवसर है।
एनडीए सरकार ने राज्य को बेरोज़गारी, पलायन और विकासहीनता की ओर धकेला है — अब जनता… pic.twitter.com/4R9wMMiKTY— Avinash Pande (@avinashpandeinc) October 24, 2025
A seasoned politician and lawyer from Nagpur, Pandey has long been associated with the Congress organisation. He has served as a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council and was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2010. In 2023, Rahul Gandhi appointed him as the General Secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh, where he played a key role in strengthening the Congress–Samajwadi Party alliance during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections—a contest in which the BJP was reduced to 240 seats nationally.
Party sources say Pandey’s successful track record in Uttar Pradesh and his reputation for strategic clarity prompted the leadership to give him charge of Bihar at a crucial juncture. His appointment is expected to bring fresh momentum to the state campaign, where the Congress faces the dual challenge of internal dissent and an aggressive NDA on the ground.
