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3 min readPatnaApr 6, 2026 05:40 AM IST
Citing a “massive social imbalance” and specifically pointing to a dominance of upper-caste appointees, the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) has asked the party’s central leadership to reconsider the recently released list of 53 district presidents.
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The list, released by All India Congress Committee general secretary K C Venugopal on March 30, includes 24 representatives from the upper castes (nine Brahmins, seven Bhumihars, six Rajputs, and two Kayasthas), 12 from the OBCs (including eight Yadavs), five from the Scheduled Castes, three from EBCs, eight Muslims, and one Sikh.
Although Bihar comprises 38 administrative districts, the state Congress has divided it into 53 organisational districts based on population and geographical area.
The BPCC is currently in the midst of an overhaul — its first since the last one 11 years ago under then-BPCC president Ashok Choudhary, who is now a JD(U) minister. The party is conducting a membership drive, which is expected to culminate in approximately a month, with the formal constitution of a fresh BPCC.
The state unit’s objection to the new list of district presidents stems from the party’s strategic thrust toward increasing representation for EBCs, Muslims, and Dalits. Former AICC president and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, addressed a series of Samvidhan Bachao (Save the Constitution) meetings across Bihar during the 2025 Assembly election year, in which the core message was the urgent need for social balance. During these events, Gandhi received direct complaints regarding the over-representation of upper castes within BPCC committees, particularly at the district and block levels.
BPCC president Rajesh Ram told The Indian Express, “We have asked the central leadership for an amendment to the list. As we are also preparing a tentative list of our block presidents, we will send cumulative suggestions for both district and block presidents to ensure we strike the right social balance.”
The Congress’s presence in the state has dwindled, falling from 19 seats in the 2020 Assembly polls to just six seats in the 2025 elections. Among those who lost their seats in 2025 were BPCC president Rajesh Ram and then-Congress Legislature Party leader Shakil Ahmad Khan, who represented Kutumba (Aurangabad) and Kadwa (Katihar), respectively.
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Another senior Congress leader, requesting anonymity, said, “We have been fast losing ground in Bihar. We must reboot our social equations within our organisational structure to broaden our constituency. The list released by Venugopal is not in sync with the social balance Rahul Gandhi championed before the Bihar Assembly polls.” He emphasised that the party should not attempt to imitate the BJP or the RJD’s organisational structures, but should instead focus on creating and consolidating its own unique constituency.
Bihar Congress spokesperson Asit Nath Tiwari, however, noted, “Besides the ongoing membership drive, we have also been conducting a ‘talent hunt’ across various regions to select media panellists, party spokespersons, and research analysts. Over 8,900 people have participated in this initiative. We will ensure that social balance is maintained within this talent drive as well.”
Santosh Singh is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express since June 2008. Expertise He covers Bihar with main focus on politics, society and governance. Investigative and explanatory stories are also his forte. Singh has 25 years of experience in print journalism covering Bihar, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. ... Read More
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