Patna: In a historic move aimed at reclaiming lost ground in Bihar, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) convened in Patna on Wednesday for the first time since independence. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and senior leaders attended the meeting at Sadakat Ashram, though Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were absent.
The meeting, which began with a flag-hoisting ceremony, saw Kharge raise 30 key issues including alleged discrepancies in voter lists, rising unemployment, and what he described as the “theft of votes.” He declared that the 2025 Bihar assembly elections would not only reshape the state but mark the “beginning of the countdown” to the end of Narendra Modi’s rule.
“Bihar is the mother of democracy,” Kharge told the extended working committee, arguing that the state would once again play a decisive role in India’s political future. He also took aim at chief minister Nitish Kumar, saying the BJP had “mentally retired” him and now considered him a burden.
*LIVE:* Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge addresses the Congress Working Committee | Patna, Bihar.
The meeting brought together Congress chief ministers Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Revanth Reddy, and Siddaramaiah, alongside state presidents, CLP leaders, and MLAs. Leaders including Bhupesh Baghel and Sachin Pilot underscored the gravity of the session, with Pilot insisting that Bihar was “ready for change” and that the Congress, backed by its allies, would mount a strong challenge in the elections.
The day was not without drama. A scuffle broke out between police and Congress workers at the gate of Sadakat Ashram, while party workers from Gaya staged protests over ticket distribution. Inside, however, the leadership pressed ahead, with Kharge’s address framing the fight against the BJP as nothing less than a battle for India’s Constitution.
The Patna session carries symbolic weight, harking back to the CWC meetings of 1912, 1922, and 1940, when figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Rajendra Prasad strategised from the same ashram. By returning to this historic ground, Congress signalled its intent to not just revive its fortunes in Bihar, but to use the state as the stage for what leaders are calling a “second freedom struggle.”
