A sharp political controversy has erupted in Bihar after Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi's remarks about former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his departure from the INDIA Bloc became public, with the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) firing back and accusing the Congress of erasing Kumar's foundational role in building the Opposition coalition.

What Triggered the Row

The controversy intensified following the release of Sonia Gandhi's 544-page memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', published in India by HarperCollins on 10 November 2026. The book revisits her personal journey through Indian politics and includes an account of the formation of the INDIA Bloc ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The debate was further fuelled by remarks Gandhi reportedly made at a Congress Working Committee meeting on 29–30 September this year. According to media reports, Gandhi said it was 'fortunate' that Nitish Kumar had left when he did, adding that he had been 'looking for an opportunity to exit' the alliance and was allegedly 'under the influence of the BJP.' Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge reportedly concurred, suggesting Kumar had intended to leave the alliance from the outset and that his bid to become its convener was part of a broader political manoeuvre.

JD(U)'s Pushback

JD(U) National Working President and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha came out strongly against the Congress, arguing it was unfair to diminish Nitish Kumar's contribution to Opposition unity. Jha said Kumar had personally reached out to political parties across the country, built trust among them, and played a key role in organising the first meeting of the INDIA Bloc in Patna.

Jha further argued that portraying Kumar's exit as being driven by trivial reasons was reductive. He insisted that the circumstances which led Kumar to leave the INDIA Bloc deserved equal scrutiny — not just the fact of his departure.

Nitish Kumar's Political Journey

Nitish Kumar was initially one of the most active architects of Opposition unity, investing significant political capital in convening the INDIA Bloc's early meetings. However, in January 2024, he broke away from the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar and returned to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), dealing a significant blow to the Opposition alliance just months before the general elections.

Notably, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh had, at the same September Working Committee meeting, reportedly expressed the view that the Congress should not have allowed Kumar to leave, arguing the political outcome could have been different had he stayed. His remarks now appear to put him at odds with the official Congress line articulated by Gandhi and Kharge.

What This Signals

The row lays bare the unresolved tensions within the Opposition's post-2024 reckoning. By framing Kumar's exit as a predetermined betrayal, the Congress risks alienating regional allies who may read it as a pattern — where the grand old party ultimately holds other coalition partners responsible for its own electoral setbacks. The JD(U), now comfortably back within the NDA, is using Gandhi's memoir as an opportunity to relitigate the narrative of INDIA Bloc's unravelling ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections.