Congress Working Committee meets to rework strategy after Bihar setback, G RAM G law in focus

New Delhi: The Congress Working Committee (CWC) met in New Delhi on Saturday with a packed room of senior leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, party president Mallikarjun Kharge and MP Shashi Tharoor. Chief ministers from Congress-ruled states and other veterans were also present as the party looked to regroup after its disappointing performance in the Bihar Assembly elections.

The meeting was held at the All India Congress Committee headquarters at Indira Bhawan and this marked the party’s highest decision-making body’s first gathering since the Bihar setback. According to party sources, the focus was on preparing the ground for upcoming elections next year and finalising a nationwide response to the government’s new G RAM G law, which has replaced the UPA-era MGNREGA rural employment scheme.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting is underway in New Delhi, led by Congress President Shri @kharge.

CPP Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji, LoP Shri @RahulGandhiand other CWC members are in attendance.

📍 Indira Bhawan, Delhi pic.twitter.com/L1FonFSVya

— Congress (@INCIndia) December 27, 2025

Focus on G RAM G Law and street mobilisation

The senior leaders said the Congress sees the renaming and restructuring of MGNREGA as a direct attack on a flagship UPA programme. The party plans to take the issue beyond Parliament and mobilise public opinion at the grassroots, particularly in rural areas.

Sources indicated that the CWC discussed launching a sustained agitation against what it describes as an “anti-people” law. However, there was also an undercurrent of caution within the party, given its past struggles to maintain momentum on issues such as GST reforms and the Rafale deal.

Who attended, who didn’t

Apart from the Gandhis and Khargethe meeting was attended by leaders such as KC Venugopal, Sashi Tharoor, Siddaramaiah, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Revanth Reddy, Harish Rawat, Salman Khurshid, Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Rajeev Shukla. Tharoor’s presence drew attention, given his recent absence from several party events and his public praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a recent lecture.

The ones who missed was Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. His exclusion comes amid speculation over a possible leadership change in the state where Shivakumar has been pressing for a rotation agreement reportedly reached after the 2023 Assembly polls.

Questions over accountability after Bihar loss

The meeting also took place against the backdrop of sharp criticism from the BJP. Party spokesperson CR Kesavan questioned whether the Congress would hold Rahul Gandhi accountable for the Bihar defeat, alleging that the party has a habit of shielding its top leadership after electoral losses.

While the CWC did not publicly address the Bihar result in detail, one of the meeting participants suggested an effort to close ranks and sharpen their political messaging to refocus on issues they believe can reconnect the party with voters.