In the run-up to the Bihar Assembly elections in 2025, the Congress party has made a significant shift in its caste arithmetic. The party's national leadership, particularly Rahul Gandhi, is keen to convey that traditional upper-caste voters are no longer as crucial for Congress.
Patna: With the Bihar Assembly elections slated for 2025, the Congress party's approach appears to be considerably different from its past. The party's priorities have now changed, and it no longer wishes to solely rely on its traditional vote bank. While in the 1990s, Congress used to manage the support of Dalit, upper-caste, and Muslim votes, it now seems to be moving towards new equations.
Who Congress is supporting and whom it is distancing itself from has also become a topic of discussion. The party has loosened its grip on some old alliances while attempting to strengthen its ties with new social classes and regional forces. Congress is striving to strike a balance between the common voter and specific political leadership.
Strategic Shift within Congress
Caste equations have always been decisive in Bihar's politics. Traditionally, upper-caste, Dalit, and Muslim voters were considered the backbone of the Congress party. However, for the 2025 elections, the party has altered its strategy, placing upper-caste voters as a secondary priority. The primary reason behind this is that backward and extremely backward classes constitute the majority of voters in Bihar.
In the past few months, Congress has strengthened its new strategy through Voter Rights Yatras, public meetings, and regional dialogues. During these Yatras, Rahul Gandhi specifically engaged with representatives from the Dalit, backward, and extremely backward classes.
Rahul Gandhi's New Tone
In a public meeting held in Darbhanga, Rahul Gandhi interacted with students at an Ambedkar hostel and stated that if his party comes to power, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, backward, and extremely backward classes will receive their due rights. During his visits to Nalanda and Gaya in June 2025, he interacted with members of the extremely backward classes, students, and women.
Rahul Gandhi made it clear that the BJP and its allies pose a threat to their rights. These actions clearly indicate that Congress's focus has shifted from traditional upper-caste voters to backward, extremely backward, Dalit, and Muslim communities. After backward and extremely backward classes, Congress has prioritized Muslim and Dalit voters.
Party National President Mallikarjun Kharge, a Dalit leader himself, has been entrusted with national leadership responsibilities. Rajesh Ram has been given leadership of the Bihar Pradesh Congress. Shakeel Ahmed Khan has been appointed as the Leader of the Opposition to woo Muslim voters. Rahul Gandhi, in his address in America, stated, "The condition of Muslims in India is worse than that of Dalits. Many laws are being made that affect their safety."
Traditional upper-caste voters in Congress, such as Brahmins, Bhumihars, and Rajputs, are no longer a priority. Young leader Kanhaiya Kumar, who was once considered a face of change in Bihar, is not appearing to play a prominent role in the current strategy. The presence of upper-caste leaders was also limited during Congress's Voter Rights Yatra.
