Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has reacted for the first time to the party’s heavy loss in the Bihar Assembly election, stating that the electoral process was “unfair right from the start”.

Posting on X on Friday, after trends made it evident that the Mahagathbandhan would struggle to touch even 40 seats while the NDA cruised past 200 in the 243-seat Assembly, Gandhi said the results were unexpected and that the larger battle is to safeguard the Constitution and democratic values.

Without directly repeating his earlier claims of “vote manipulation”, which had prompted his Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar, Gandhi wrote, “My heartfelt thanks to the millions in Bihar who placed their faith in the Mahagathbandhan. The outcome is truly unexpected. We could not prevail in an election that lacked fairness from the very beginning.”

He added, “This struggle is for the protection of the Constitution and democracy. The Congress and the INDIA alliance will closely examine these results and strengthen their efforts to defend democratic principles.”

The Congress, already criticised for its poor strike rate in the 2020 polls—where it won 19 of the 70 seats it contested—fared even worse this time, securing only six out of 61 constituencies. The RJD, the alliance's largest partner, also suffered a steep decline, bagging just 25 of the 143 seats it fought, compared to 75 out of 144 previously.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge echoed concerns about “misuse of constitutional bodies”, issuing a statement around the same time.

“We accept the verdict of Bihar’s voters, but will continue to challenge those who weaken democracy by misusing institutions,” Kharge said on X. He added that the party would conduct a detailed review of the results and release its assessment after understanding the factors behind the performance.

Addressing party workers, Kharge wrote, “There is no reason for any Congress worker to feel disheartened. You are our courage and our pride. Your dedication is our biggest strength. We will intensify our efforts to connect with people and raise awareness. This is a long battle to protect the Constitution and democracy—and we will pursue it with honesty, commitment, and courage.”