Congress infighting erupts publicly in Bidar district amid factional feud

The Congress party in Karnataka’s Bidar district is facing internal turmoil, with a simmering factional feud erupting into the public eye. The rift, which had been building for months beneath the surface, spilled over during a recent party event, highlighting growing tensions between rival camps aligned with different local leaders.

At the center of the dispute are two prominent factions—one led by a senior Congress MLA and another backed by a group of grassroots workers and district-level functionaries. Differences over the allocation of political appointments, control over party infrastructure, and influence in upcoming elections have deepened the divide. The situation came to a head during a district-level Congress meeting intended to strategize for local civic polls and strengthen booth-level outreach.

However, what was meant to be a show of unity turned into a stage for confrontation. Supporters of both factions engaged in heated arguments in front of senior leaders and media representatives. Tempers flared as allegations were exchanged regarding favoritism, lack of coordination, and exclusion from decision-making processes.

Party insiders revealed that several leaders had repeatedly warned the state leadership about the deteriorating situation in Bidar, but their concerns were largely ignored. As a result, party workers now fear that the infighting could damage Congress's image in the district, especially ahead of the crucial local body elections and the 2026 assembly polls.

The public nature of the dispute has given the opposition BJP and JDS an opportunity to question the Congress’s organizational strength and its ability to govern effectively. BJP leaders in the region have already seized on the incident, stating that the Congress party is more focused on internal power struggles than public service.