New Delhi, Jan 15 (NationPress) As Congress grapples with challenges in Karnataka, troubling reports suggest that the party might find itself with the same Assembly seat count in Bihar as it currently possesses in West Bengal – none. All six Congress MLAs in Bihar are at the center of intense speculation, with ground reports hinting that they might switch allegiance to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal-United.

While Congress officials refute the rumors, their noticeable absence from party gatherings and gestures from the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) have sparked discussions about a potential further weakening of the already fragile Opposition.

Rumors gained momentum when three Congress legislators missed a significant party meeting last week, and none of the six participated in the customary "dahi-chura" feast organized by the state Congress unit ahead of Makar Sankranti.

Sources indicate that leaders from the ruling Janata Dal-United have been communicating with the Congress MLAs, hinting that defections could be imminent.

Adding to the speculation, Public Health Engineering Department minister Sanjay Kumar from the Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas claimed that all six Congress legislators have been in contact with the NDA and may defect following Makar Sankranti (which falls on Wednesday).

This speculation arises just two months after the NDA’s overwhelming success in the Bihar Assembly elections, where it secured 202 out of 243 seats, leaving the opposition Mahagathbandhan in disarray.

Analysts propose three potential scenarios.

The first scenario involves all six MLAs defecting, erasing Congress’s legislative presence and symbolically marking its downfall in Bihar. Alternatively, a partial defection might occur, sufficient to trigger an official split under anti-defection legislation, leaving Congress diminished but not entirely absent.

However, without confirmation, the possibility remains that the status quo will persist, where the MLAs stay put, but ongoing speculation continues to undermine party credibility.

In any case, the Mahagathbandhan, already marginalized in the Assembly elections, would face further deterioration.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the largest opposition party, would lose its ally’s legislative support, having only won 25 seats compared to its previous 75. The Congress, which lost 13 seats in the last election compared to 2020, is struggling to maintain cohesion within its ranks.

State Congress President Rajesh Ram asserted the loyalty of the MLAs and accused the NDA of disseminating false information. National leaders have reiterated that the party is concentrating on nationwide initiatives like the “MGNREGA Bachao Sangram.”

However, the Congress, already reduced to a minor player in several states, now faces the grim prospect of losing its entire legislative presence in Bihar.

For Nitish Kumar and the NDA, such defections would represent a significant political victory, solidifying their dominance. For the Opposition, it would signify another defeat in a state once viewed as fertile territory for anti-BJP sentiments.

The Congress's central leadership has denied any immediate defections, yet insiders concede that morale is low following the electoral defeat.

In neighboring West Bengal, the Congress currently has no representation in the Assembly, despite having governed the state until 1977, with only a brief exception.