Rajya Sabha polls expose Congress cracks as MLAs defy party in three states
India Today
Rajya Sabha polls expose cracks in Congress discipline, with absenteeism and cross-voting costing key seats. Leadership struggles to rein in dissent, raising urgent questions about internal control and state-level coordination.
The recently concluded Rajya Sabha elections have turned into a major embarrassment for the Indian National Congress, with several legislators either skipping voting or cross-voting in favour of rival candidates across three states - Bihar, Odisha, and Haryana.
The developments have sparked fresh debate within the party over the limited control of the central leadership over state units, particularly in states where Congress is not in power.
In Bihar, Congress faced criticism for what many leaders described as poor coordination and election management. Party sources noted that state in-charge Krishna Allavaru did not travel to Patna to oversee the voting process.
While five MLAs of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) — not formally part of the opposition alliance — supported Mahagathbandhan candidate A.D. Singh, three of the six Congress MLAs stayed away from voting.
The absence proved costly, enabling the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to secure a fifth Rajya Sabha seat from Bihar. A Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader described the outcome as a “betrayal” by Congress legislators, intensifying tensions within the opposition bloc.
In Odisha, the episode highlighted deeper organisational challenges for Congress. The controversy arose after the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) announced Hota as a joint opposition candidate, reportedly without broad consensus.
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The Odisha Congress suspended three MLAs - Ramesh Chandra Jena, Dasarathi Gomango, and Sofia Firdous - for voting BJP-backed Independent Dilip Ray in Rajya Sabha polls. The party termed it "betrayal" and will seek their disqualification under the Tenth Schedule.