Bihar Congress Membership Drive Sparks Row Over 'Pay-For-Posts' Allegations

Patna: The "Sangathan Srijan Saathi” (digital membership and organisational rebuilding campaign), launched by Bihar Congress in April, is caught in the crosshairs as senior party leaders accuse the party of effectively selling organisational posts through the drive.    

Under the drive, a person must pay Rs 50 to become a Congress member. Party sources said the exercise is around 70 percent complete, with more than three lakh members already enrolled. The campaign is expected to conclude by the end of July. Under the new framework, a party worker must enroll 3,000 members to qualify for the post of vice president, 2,000 members to become general secretary, 1,000 members to be eligible for the post of secretary, and 200 members to secure a block-level organisational position.

Targeting AICC in-charge for Bihar Krishna Allavaru, a senior Congress leader blamed him for introducing such “ill-conceived” initiatives that would further damage the party's prospects in the state. He alleged that grassroots organisations like NSUI and Youth Congress, which are responsible for building party leadership, would become completely redundant due to politically immature decisions. 

Lashing out at Allavaru, former Congress leader Anand  Madhab accused the AICC in-charge of taking a “supari” to destroy the party in the state. He said that one could have become a party member by making an online payment of Rs 10 but now under the arrangement, one has to pay Rs 50 to become a party member.

He also shared a caricature on Facebook depicting Allavaru and Bihar Congress president Rajesh Ram allegedly selling party posts. An individual could hold a senior post like vice president by paying the equivalent fee (Rs 1.5 lakh) to register 3,000 fake or ghost entries rather than mobilising actual grassroots members, he claimed. 

He appealed to the Congress high command to take serious note of the matter; otherwise, important organisational posts would be held by undeserving people based on their monetary power under the new arrangement.

“If rot is not checked immediately, Congress will go into the hands of 25-30 ‘dhan pashus’. Whether this campaign has been launched to broaden the base of Congress or to destroy the party itself?” he asked.       

Defending the digital membership drive, Bihar Congress president Rajesh Ram described it as the most significant organisational restructuring undertaken by the state unit in years. He asserted that the response to the campaign had been encouraging, claiming that 36 per cent of new members belong to OBC communities, 17 per cent to EBCs, and 3 per cent are tribals. "The exercise enjoys Rahul Gandhi's full backing. Bihar is serving as a pilot project for a possible nationwide rollout," he added.

Membership drive is being carried out exclusively through a dedicated mobile application developed for the Bihar Congress. Each registered mobile number can enrol up to four members, while every applicant must upload a Voter ID card and a selfie for verification.

Unlike previous organisational exercises, the Bihar model directly links membership mobilisation to eligibility for party posts. Congress leadership says the criteria are designed to make appointments performance-based, rewarding those who expand the party's grassroots base rather than those who rely on lobbying or personal connections.