The Congress contested on 70 seats in the Bihar Assembly polls, but could win only 19 seats which led to the failure of the Grand Alliance to reach the magic figure of 122, say party insiders.

The Congress insiders feel that instead of fielding candidates in 70 seats, the party could have contested on a lesser number where it had a strong presence. The local Congress leaders say they have been cautioning the party's central leaders about directly contesting against the BJP.