The Congress party, a key constituent of the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance), on Sunday released its list of star campaigners for the first phase of the crucial 2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections, deploying its top national leaders to take on the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The 40-member list, submitted to the Election Commission, features high-profile names including Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge, former party presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
The list features several chief ministers and senior leaders from Congress-ruled states.
Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, along with former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and ex-Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, have been included. Digvijaya Singh, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, and former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar also feature prominently.
Congress releases its list of star campaigners for the first phase of the 2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections pic.twitter.com/WfwpTuRoKB
— IANS (@ians_india) October 26, 2025
State unit chief Rajesh Ram and firebrand leader Kanhaiya Kumar are expected to lead the charge locally.
Channi’s Inclusion Despite 2022 Row Over ‘Bhaiya’ Remark
However, the inclusion of former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi in the list may raise eyebrows in Bihar, the very state whose people he had controversially targeted during the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections.
Channi’s presence on the campaign trail in Bihar—a state known for its massive migrant workforce—risks reigniting the political storm he created when, during a rally in Punjab, he urged voters not to allow “UP, Bihar de bhaiye (brothers)” to enter the state to rule.
The controversial remark was made while Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was present on the stage, which further escalated the political fallout at the time, drawing heavy criticism from various parties, including the BJP and JD(U), who termed it an insult to the people of the two states.
Channi later clarified that his statement was twisted and was only aimed at “those who came from outside and disturbed Punjab’s peace”, a dig at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which came to power in Punjab.
Revanth Reddy Not Included
Notably, the party shied away from naming Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, who has courted controversy for his remarks on ‘Bihari DNA’.
In his controversial statement in 2023, Reddy asserted, “My DNA is Telangana. KCR’s DNA is Bihar… Telangana DNA is better than Bihar DNA.” He linked KCR’s alleged ancestral migration from Bihar to his political style and the appointment of bureaucrats.
In 2022, Reddy specifically criticised KCR for allegedly appointing what he termed a “Bihar batch” or “Bihar gang” of IAS and IPS officers to key administrative posts while sidelining officers native to Telangana. These comments were widely condemned by political parties across the spectrum, particularly those in Bihar like the JD(U), RJD, and BJP, who labelled the remarks as shameful, divisive, and attempts to create a North-South regional divide.
Whether Channi’s past statements court trouble for Congress remains to be seen all over again.
