Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh slams Bihar strategy, warns of minority label
Synopsis
A sitting Congress MP and former Bihar Congress president has gone public with a two-pronged warning: that the wrong people running Bihar cost the party its state presence, and that a 'minority party' label — if left unchallenged — could alienate Hindu voters nationally. It is a rare, candid indictment from inside the tent.
Key Takeaways
Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh publicly criticised his party's Bihar strategy on 23 June .
Singh, a former Bihar Congress president , linked his removal from the post to the party being reduced to five or six seats in the state.
He warned that a nationwide narrative casting Congress as a minority party risks alienating Hindu voters.
Singh cited Assam and Kerala as states where Congress miscalculated minority support, resulting in significant seat losses.
He called for leadership roles to be given to leaders with genuine political grounding rather than non-political appointees.
Congress Member of Parliament Akhilesh Prasad Singh on Tuesday, 23 June launched a pointed critique of his party's internal management, blaming misguided leadership appointments for Congress's dismal electoral showing in Bihar and cautioning that a damaging nationwide narrative was taking root — one that casts Congress as a party of minorities to the exclusion of Hindu voters.
The Bihar Diagnosis
Singh, a former Bihar Congress president, traced the party's decline in the state to the moment of his own removal from that post. 'I was the president of Bihar at that time. Shahnawaz Alam became AICC secretary, and the first thing he did was remove me from office. If I had remained in that position, the Congress would not have been limited to just five or six seats,' he asserted.
He argued that Bihar's political terrain demands leaders with deep local knowledge, not those parachuted in from outside. 'Salman Saheb knows me well. He understands the states. But those who have nothing to give and take from the politics of the people are made in charge of Bihar,' Singh said, directing his frustration at the appointment of figures he described as non-political to consequential state roles.
The Minority Narrative Warning
Singh turned his attention to what he called a dangerous framing being constructed around Congress's identity. He cited Kerala and Assam as states where the party miscalculated minority arithmetic, leading to avoidable losses.
'We couldn't think that minorities could lose less than 30 seats in Assam. The situation left us with only 18–20, and of those, 18 belonged to Congress,' he said.
He warned that this perception was now spreading nationally. 'A narrative is being created that Congress is the party of minorities. They are not to be taken or given by Hindus. If someone wins a seat in West Bengal, it is projected as minority representation. This narrative is being spread across India,' Singh cautioned.
Call for Political Leadership
Singh argued that the antidote to the party's slide was straightforward — restore authority to leaders with genuine political grounding. 'If the right people are given responsibility, the performance of Congress in Bihar will be somewhat better,' he said.
His remarks reflect a wider unease within Congress ranks as the party confronts back-to-back electoral setbacks and struggles to redefine its voter coalition ahead of future state and national contests.
Broader Context
Singh's outburst is not an isolated instance of internal dissent. Congress has faced repeated criticism from within its own ranks over centralised decision-making and the sidelining of state-level veterans. The Bihar critique is particularly significant given that the state sends 40 Lok Sabha seats — one of the largest state contingents — making it a critical battleground that the party can ill afford to cede by default.
Point of View
He has made the critique harder to dismiss as vague grumbling. The minority-narrative warning is the sharper edge: it surfaces a tension that Congress leadership has consistently avoided addressing publicly, namely whether its coalition strategy is costing it Hindu middle-ground voters in states like Bihar and West Bengal. That a sitting MP is raising this openly suggests the discomfort inside the party runs deeper than the leadership's public posture acknowledges.
NationPress
24 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh say about Bihar?
Singh blamed the party's poor electoral performance in Bihar — reduced to five or six seats — on the removal of experienced state leaders and the appointment of non-political figures to key roles. He argued that had he remained Bihar Congress president, the party's seat tally would have been significantly higher.
What is the 'minority narrative' Singh warned against?
Singh cautioned that a perception is spreading nationally that Congress is exclusively a party of minorities and is being rejected by Hindu voters. He said wins in states like West Bengal are being framed as minority-driven, reinforcing this label and potentially alienating a broader voter base.
Which states did Singh cite as examples of Congress's minority miscalculation?
Singh pointed to Assam and Kerala as states where Congress misjudged minority vote dynamics. In Assam, he noted the party ended up with only 18–20 seats, with 18 of those belonging to Congress, against expectations of a stronger minority bloc performance.
Who is Akhilesh Prasad Singh?
Akhilesh Prasad Singh is a Congress Member of Parliament and former Bihar Congress president. He is considered a veteran of Bihar politics and has been critical of the party's centralised decision-making and the sidelining of state-level leaders.
Why does Bihar matter so much for Congress?
Bihar sends 40 Lok Sabha seats, making it one of the largest state contingents in Parliament. Consistent underperformance there significantly limits Congress's ability to build a national majority, making credible state leadership a strategic necessity for the party.
