Following a historic extended meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) in Patna—the first such gathering in Bihar since 1940—the party announced a massive signature drive to collect 5 crore signatures by October 15, demanding Election Commission action on alleged vote theft. The campaign comes ahead of the high-stakes Bihar Assembly elections, where the opposition aims to challenge the ruling BJP-led NDA.

The CWC also launched the ‘Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan’, appointing 144 District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents in the first phase across 10 states, as part of an effort to strengthen grassroots organisation and promote internal reforms.

Chaired by party president Mallikarjun Kharge and attended by senior leaders including Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, and Jairam Ramesh, the meeting focused on operational readiness for the Bihar elections, as well as broader domestic and international challenges.

Congress leaders celebrated the success of the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’, which popularised the slogan “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhodd” nationwide as a statement against alleged electoral malpractice.

The CWC criticised the Centre’s GST 2.0 reforms as “half-baked” and said they were implemented only after sustained pressure from Congress. The party also highlighted failures in India’s foreign diplomacy, pointing to issues involving Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

A key resolution urged constitutional protection of 65 per cent reservation in Bihar, contrasting it with Congress’s historic support for 69 per cent reservation in Tamil Nadu. The party called on Bihar voters to defend constitutional rights, promote social justice, and ensure governance prioritises transparency, welfare, and fair delivery of benefits to all citizens.