‘Cong will make Bihar comeback’

Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram has inherited politics. His father, Dilkeshwar Ram, is known as a giant figure in politics. Rajesh is a two-term Congress legislator from the Kutumba assembly constituency in Aurangabad district, winning this seat in both the 2015 and 2020 assembly polls.

He replaced Akhilesh Prasad Singh as the Bihar Congress president in March 2025. The leadership change holds particular significance with the assembly elections approaching in Bihar. Rajesh has been tasked to restructure the party reflecting Rahul Gandhi’s ideology of social justice and proper representation to every community. In an exclusive interview with Imran Mojib of The Statesman, the Congress leader spoke about the party’s revival in poll-bound Bihar.

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Q: How do you see the Congress party’s prospects in Bihar?

A: Very bright. Agreed, the Congress had lost its connection with the majority of the people of Bihar. But people of Bihar remained connected to its origins, stayed with its values. That is why the party never faced an existential crisis. It never faded away from people’s minds despite the rivals writing its death certificate again and again. Considering the path the Congress has undertaken in Bihar, it is bound to grow and flourish across the state. I can say this with such confidence because people have been supporting us like never before. It will make a great comeback in the upcoming assembly elections. People are looking for an alternative. They see hope in the Congress. Migration, unemployment and lack of proper education and healthcare facilities are the core issues that have affected every resident of the state. We have brought these issues to the fore. We received tremendous support everywhere when we hit the streets for people’s cause, highlighting the NDA government’s failure in providing people with basic necessities. The NDA government never wanted people to succeed in life. They care more about holding power than developing the state and its people.

Q: If they were indifferent to people’s needs, how did they manage to stay in power for nearly 20 years?

A: Unfortunately, Bihar is a caste-ridden society. Not many people use their intellect while casting their votes. The situation is so grim that even the BJP has put Hindutva, their main poll plank, on the back burner and is playing the caste card. If you speak to them, they will immediately start talking about how many party presidents or ministers have been from which caste. The Congress never did ‘caste politics’. We have always practised politics of the people. That is why we lost our votebank. The caste survey in Bihar helped us to reconnect with them. Rahul Gandhi’s call for caste census was very effective. People are returning to the Congress, saying Rahul has understood their plight, and they have confidence that under his leadership, the party will help people get their due share.

Q: But don’t you think Rahul’s call for caste census has further strengthened caste politics?

A: No. Rahul has been advocating ‘Jis ki jitni hissedari – us ki utni bhagidari’. He never talks about a particular caste or community. When he says ‘Jis ki jitni hissedari – us ki utni bhagidari’, he assures everyone that he will get his share – upper caste or lower caste, OBCs or EBCs, Hindus or minorities. If you have a look at our organisational structure, you will realize that we have also implemented the same in our organisation.

Q: Will the Congress follow this principle in ticket distribution?

A: Yes, we are determined to follow this principle in ticket distribution as well. You will see at least four candidates from the EBCs (economically backward classes). This will be a major issue in the upcoming polls in Bihar. Our leader, Rahul Gandhi, is coming to Bihar for about a fortnight. He will travel across the state, address rallies during the day and spend nights in the field connecting with local people. It will further boost our struggle for social justice. He will be joined by top leaders of the INDIA alliance, including RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. The joint campaign will also energize our leaders and workers on the ground, setting the stage for the polls due in October-November.

Q: There were reports of disquiet in the alliance over seat sharing.

A: Seat sharing won’t be an issue. The Congress-RJD alliance is one of the oldest political partnerships in the country. Other constituents of the INDIA alliance are equally committed to free Bihar from the clutches of the NDA government. There are six alliance partners, every party has assessed its strength and weaknesses on every seat and submitted the list of its desired seats. We have been discussing the issue with an open mind. We just want to finalize it as early as possible so that we start focussed preparation to remove the Nitish Kumar government.Nitish Kumar had promised zero tolerance on crime, corruption and communalization. The reality is not hidden from anyone. Bureaucrats are running the government, ministers are fighting for commission. It is all because of Nitish Kumar’s health condition. We have sympathy for him, but he must quit. He is no more able to run the government. The BJP is also aware of it that is why they have not committed that Kumar will lead the government again.

Q: With Nitish Kumar seemingly adopting all major promises of the INDIA alliance, has the Opposition’s campaign lost its momentum?

A: Nitish Kumar’s attempt to copy the INDIA alliance’s every promise, plan, vision and ideas proves that he has no vision to lead Bihar. The welfare schemes he has copied from us were part of a roadmap for overall development of the state. We will go to people with our poll promises, be it Mai-Bahin Yojana, or social security pension, domicile policy, 200-unit free electricity, or cashless health insurance of up to Rs 25 lakh. We will continue to focus on key issues such as youth, women, unemployment, healthcare, migration, and industrial development of the state. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar will remain a major issue throughout the electoral campaign. The Election Commission has deleted over 65 lakh names, but did not give satisfactory answers for the move.