This CWC meet follows Rahul Gandhi’s recent 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' where he alleged deletion of voters and accused EC of siding with BJP.
Published Sep 24, 2025 | 1:28 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 24, 2025 | 1:28 PM
Congress held its historic CWC meet in Patna today, 24 September.
Synopsis: The Congress Working Committee met in Patna, its first in Bihar since Independence, to strategise for the upcoming state elections. Focusing on “vote chori,” the party accused the BJP and the Election Commission of electoral malpractice. Rahul Gandhi led the charge, alleging vote deletions. The meeting aimed to unify the Mahagathbandhan coalition and ensure electoral integrity.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) convened a historic meeting in Patna on Wednesday, 24 September. In a first in Bihar since independence, the Grand Old Party intensified its focus on the upcoming Assembly elections and launched a renewed attack on the BJP over alleged “electoral malpractice”.
“Vote Chori” (vote theft) became a key theme of the party’s electoral strategy formulated during the meeting, with attention now firmly on the poll-bound state.
The extended session, attended by permanent and special invitees, chief ministers, PCC presidents, and Legislature Party leaders, commenced at Sadaqat Ashram in the morning. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge opened the proceedings by hoisting the Congress flag at the state headquarters.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, treasurer Ajay Maken, general secretaries KC Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Sachin Pilot, and Bihar unit chief Rajesh Kumar were among those who attended the meeting.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the CWC meet in Patna.
The timing of the meeting and the venue highlighted Bihar’s critical role in the Congress’s immediate political strategy. With assembly elections anticipated in November, sources indicated that resolutions were likely to be passed to shape the campaign approach and set the tone for coalition discussions with the Mahagathbandhan allies.
The meeting followed Gandhi’s recent “Voter Adhikar Yatra” and successive press conferences, where he alleged systematic deletion of Congress votes and accused the Election Commission (EC) of favouring the BJP.
Party insiders noted that these actions have galvanised grassroots workers in the state and brought the issue of electoral integrity to the forefront.
The Congress has positioned “vote chori” as a central pillar of its campaign. Rahul Gandhi has directly accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of shielding those “destroying democracy.”
He recently referenced examples from the Aland Assembly constituency in Karnataka to claim that Congress votes were being deliberately removed from the electoral rolls.
The Election Commission dismissed the allegations as “incorrect and baseless.” It is currently undertaking a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, a process the Congress alleges is being manipulated to its detriment.
The CWC discussions also coincide with ongoing seat-sharing talks within the Mahagathbandhan. Party leaders emphasised that the meeting sought to project unity, deliver a robust message on electoral integrity, and prepare for what could be a tightly contested election later this year.
(Edited by Amit Vasudev)
