A crucial meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) began in Patna on Wednesday to discuss a range of issues, including the party’s agitation against the alleged ‘vote theft’ in several states.
The meeting comes just a few months ahead of the assembly elections in Bihar where the party, in alliance with the RJD, hopes to wrest power from the NDA.
The Extended Congress Working Committee meets in Patna at 10AM today.
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 24, 2025
It was at its Ramgarh session held in mid-March 1940 that the CWC passed its landmark resolution that, for the first time, formally committed the Indian National Congress to the creation of a Constituent… pic.twitter.com/f1dFVXqBD1
Senior Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi, arrived at the state capital in the morning.
Gandhi has been leading the party’s offensive against the Narendra Modi government and the Election Commission over what he termed as a systematic “vote theft” in different states.
VIDEO | On CWC meeting being held in Patna ahead of Bihar Assembly elections, Congress leader Pawan Khera says, “It’s a historic moment and it will give a historic result.”
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 24, 2025
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/xPvwAOhWyd
In his latest tirade last week, Gandhi alleged that a centralised software was used to delete thousands of names from the voters’ list in Karnataka’s Aland constituency ahead of the 2023 assembly elections.
The CWC is also likely to discuss the trade war with the US after President Donald Trump imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods, citing India’s purchase of cheap Russian oil. The Trump administration’s decision to impose a USD 100,000 fee for new H-1B visas—a move that could affect thousands of Indian job aspirants—is also likely to come up for discussion.
Congress has been targeting the prime minister for the “failure” of India’s foreign policy after Trump repeatedly took credit for bringing the ceasefire between India and Pakistan after Operation Sindoor.
"At CWC meetings, we pass resolutions after holding deliberations on issues of state, national and international levels. Tomorrow, we will be doing the same. The topics of discussion would include 'vote chori' and hefty tariffs imposed on India by Trump," Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar told reporters on Tuesday.
VIDEO | Patna: Posters and cut outs of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge put up at Bihar Congress headquarters Sadaqat Ashram, ahead of today's CWC meeting.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 24, 2025
As it gets battle-ready for the Bihar polls, the Congress will hold a meeting of its… pic.twitter.com/gkUGUGiefP
Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel claimed that the meeting will take up the issues of alleged vote theft and the caste census for discussion.
"Rahul Gandhi made two important remarks last month: caste census and vote theft. The atomic bomb has been detonated. Now we are waiting for the hydrogen bomb," Baghel said.
Congress MP K.C. Venugopal, meanwhile, said the meeting is not related to the Bihar elections, though he admitted that the polls will be a topic of discussion.
"The meeting is not related to elections... we are doing this very frequently. There are many issues to be discussed... there's a national agitation against vote theft. A signature campaign is also underway across the country... therefore, we have to also discuss this apart from many other political issues. Of course, the Bihar elections will be a topic of discussion," Venugopal told ANI news agency.
