New Delhi, Nov 15

The Congress Party’s defeat in the Bihar Assembly election has triggered predictable political reactions, but inside the AICC there is an entirely different mood—one of disciplined recalibration rather than crisis.

At the centre of this measured response stands AICC General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal, who has quietly shifted the party’s attention from the disappointment in Bihar to the far more consequential political battle that lies ahead: the five major State Assembly elections of 2026, including his home state Kerala, which he has identified as the focal point of the party’s next phase of revival.

Senior leaders within the Congress say Venugopal’s approach to the Bihar setback has been marked by maturity, calm and clarity.

Instead of engaging in blame narratives or allowing internal rumblings to break the party’s rhythm, he has initiated a structured review process, involving constituency-level reports, booth-level data audits, and feedback from district observers.

People who have worked closely with him say that he had long warned the Bihar unit that its internal structures needed strengthening and its messaging required sharper grassroots penetration.

The election results, they say, have only reaffirmed the organisational reforms he has been advocating for months.

While the Bihar outcome has dominated television debates, Venugopal has ensured that the Congress does not waste political time dwelling on it.

His immediate directive has been to treat Bihar as a lesson—not a liability—and to channel full organisational attention toward the much larger contest scheduled for 2026.

These elections, covering Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry, together represent a decisive political opportunity for the Congress and its alliances.

According to senior functionaries, Venugopal has conveyed that the party must begin preparations now, and that victory in 2026 will require discipline, early planning, and uncompromising unity.

Among these five states, Kerala occupies a special place in Venugopal’s strategy.

As his home state and one of the Congress’ strongest bastions, Kerala is seen as the biggest opportunity to deliver a clear and morale-boosting victory. Venugopal is expected to personally oversee the Congress campaign, including booth-level strengthening in all 140 constituencies, early identification of candidates, tighter coordination within the UDF alliance, and a renewed push for youth, minority and government-employee outreach.

Leaders in the state say Venugopal understands Kerala’s political texture at every layer, and they expect him to translate that advantage into a comprehensive strategy aimed at unseating the Left government.

Tamil Nadu forms the next pillar of his roadmap. Here, Venugopal wants the Congress to play a more assertive organisational role within the DMK-led alliance.

His instructions to the state unit include avoiding factionalism, preparing groundwork well ahead of seat-sharing discussions, and ensuring constant district-level activity rather than pre-election bursts.

In West Bengal, he is pushing for a revival of the Congress’ older pockets of influence while navigating the complexities of alliance-making with the Left and other regional forces.

For Assam, he is emphasising unity across factions, sharper articulation of governance issues, and strong Opposition coordination to counter the ruling coalition.

Puducherry, though smaller in scale, is also on his radar as a winnable region if the organisation is tightened at the grassroots.

Officials close to Venugopal say his strength lies in his ability to balance macro-level organisation-building with micro-level interventions.

He is known for his quiet style—avoiding public theatrics—while working long hours to ensure coordination between the AICC, state PCCs, district committees and alliance partners.

His method is steady rather than dramatic, emphasising long-term preparation instead of last-minute campaign surges.

Within Congress circles, he is widely regarded as the leadership’s most reliable organiser, someone who can stabilise state units, maintain discipline, and create a unified electoral strategy.

As the political world continues to discuss the Bihar defeat, Venugopal appears to be several steps ahead, thinking not about the past but about the decisive calendar of 2026.

People familiar with his thinking say he believes this election cycle gives the Congress a genuine chance to reassert itself in multiple states, provided the organisation begins its groundwork early and maintains a strict chain of command.

The lessons from Bihar, he insists, must be converted into structural corrections that can strengthen the party across India.

For now, Congress insiders see the Bihar setback not as a crisis but as a moment that has created space for KC Venugopal to push through deeper organisational reforms.

His focus on Kerala as the nerve centre of the party’s 2026 strategy, combined with statewide restructuring efforts in the other poll-bound regions, has set the tone for a disciplined revival.

As one senior leader put it, “KC Venugopal does not panic after losses. He builds after losses. And 2026 will be the test of that approach.”