Speculation over a possible split within the Congress in Bihar gathered pace on Thursday after State Public Health Engineering Department minister and Lok Janshakti Party leader Sanjay Singh claimed that all six Congress legislators in the state were in touch with leaders of the National Democratic Alliance, indicating a realignment after the Makar Sankranti festival.Speaking to reporters, Singh asserted that internal dissatisfaction within the Congress legislative group had reached a stage where a formal rupture was likely. He said discussions between Congress legislators and NDA representatives had intensified over governance issues, political prospects, and alignment with the ruling coalition’s development agenda. While stopping short of naming NDA interlocutors, Singh framed the situation as a consequence of what he described as Congress’s shrinking influence in the state and uncertainty among its rank and file.
The remarks followed visible signs of discord within the Congress on Thursday, when two of its six MLAs, Surendra Prasad and Abhishek Ranjan, stayed away from a party meeting organised as part of the ‘MGNREGA Bachao Sangram’ campaign. The meeting, aimed at mobilising support around rural employment guarantees, was attended by the remaining four Congress legislators — Manoj Bishwas, Abidur Rahman, Qamrul Hoda and Manohar Prasad.
Party officials downplayed the absence of the two MLAs, describing it as a scheduling issue rather than a political signal. However, the timing of their absence, coupled with Singh’s claims, has sharpened attention on the Congress’s cohesion in Bihar, where the party holds a small but symbolically important presence in the Assembly.
The Congress has struggled to stabilise its state unit over the past year, grappling with leadership changes, coordination challenges with allies, and the broader decline of its organisational footprint in several regions. Political analysts note that such conditions often create openings for rival formations to court dissatisfied legislators, particularly in states where margins are tight and alliances play a decisive role in governance.
The NDA, led in Bihar by the Janata Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party, has maintained a comfortable majority in the Assembly, but even incremental shifts can carry political value ahead of electoral contests. A defection or formal split within the Congress would further consolidate the NDA’s position while weakening the opposition’s ability to mount coordinated resistance on legislative and policy issues.
Congress leaders in Patna rejected suggestions of an impending split, insisting that the party’s MLAs remained committed to its programme and alliance obligations. A senior party functionary said internal discussions were ongoing to address concerns raised by legislators, adding that public statements by leaders from rival parties were aimed at creating confusion and eroding morale.
Despite these denials, the absence of Prasad and Ranjan from a high-profile campaign meeting has prompted questions within the party’s own ranks. Both legislators have previously raised constituency-specific grievances regarding development funds and administrative responsiveness, issues that often become flashpoints in periods of political flux. Neither MLA offered a detailed explanation for missing the meeting, though aides indicated they were engaged in local commitments.
The ‘MGNREGA Bachao Sangram’ campaign itself reflects the Congress’s attempt to sharpen its opposition credentials by focusing on employment, welfare delivery, and rural distress. Attendance by four of the six MLAs underscored continued engagement, yet the incomplete showing diluted the party’s message at a time when unity was being closely scrutinised.