Rajeev Shukla Defends Congress Leadership, Alleges Misuse of Power in Bihar Elections

By A Staff Reporter

Delhi: Congress MP Rajeev Shukla on Sunday defended the party’s top leadership amid criticism following the Bihar Assembly election results, asserting that Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other senior leaders had put in significant effort during the campaign. Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Shukla suggested that external factors, including the alleged misuse of power and institutional bias, contributed to the opposition’s defeat.

“Some people have started blaming Rahul Gandhi,” Shukla said, noting that many of the same critics had praised him during the recent Lok Sabha elections when the Congress significantly improved its tally. “Recently, during the Lok Sabha elections, the performance was so good and the government was almost formed, everyone was praising Rahul Gandhi,” he said.

Listing the leadership’s contributions, Shukla highlighted Rahul Gandhi’s 15-day Voter Rights Yatra, his extensive travel across the state, and Priyanka Gandhi’s regular presence on the campaign trail. He also mentioned Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s participation despite his age and senior leader K.C. Venugopal’s repeated visits. “So it's not that there was any lack of effort. Every effort was made,” he said.

Shukla alleged that the election environment was tilted against the opposition, claiming that money, muscle, and administrative machinery were misused. “Where the Election Commission is supporting, and where money is being used and power is being misused, it becomes very difficult to win, and that is what happened,” he argued.