Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 14 (IANS): Senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday called for “serious introspection” within the INDIA bloc following its heavy defeat in the Bihar Assembly elections. He emphasised that with five key states heading to polls next year, the Opposition must urgently reassess its strategy, coordination, and organisational approach.
Speaking to reporters, Tharoor said the magnitude of the loss had surprised not just political leaders but also journalists and ground-level observers. He stressed the need for a candid review of what went wrong — whether it stemmed from leadership issues, weak strategy, or flawed candidate selection.
Tharoor pointed out that he was not part of the Bihar campaign and therefore lacked firsthand insight into on-ground developments. However, he noted that early assessments suggested the scale of the defeat was unexpected. With Kerala among the states preparing for elections in 2025, he warned that failure to recalibrate quickly could hurt the Opposition in the run-up to 2026 and even the 2029 general election.
While acknowledging that the Congress was not the principal party in Bihar, Tharoor said the responsibility for introspection must be shared across the INDIA bloc. His forthright remarks are likely to add pressure on the Congress and its allies to undertake a comprehensive review of their campaign strategy going forward.
