PATNA, Oct. 25 -- The Congress finds itself embroiled in a deepening internal crisis over its candidate selection process as over 23% of the 61 nominees fielded by the party on its symbol hail from rival outfits or have no prior affiliation, igniting accusations of opportunism that threaten to undermine Rahul Gandhi's painstaking efforts to resurrect the party's fortunes in the state. The controversy erupts at a precarious moment for Congress, which is contesting as part of the Mahagathbandhan alliance alongside the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and other partners against a formidable National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). With polling phases underway and the opposition bloc projecting RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial face amid ongoing seat-sharing tensions, the last thing Congress needs is self-inflicted wounds. Yet, the ticket distribution saga has exposed raw fault lines, with loyalists decrying the sidelining of grassroots workers in favour of "winnable" outsiders handpicked through internal surveys. "Rahul Gandhi's Voter Adhikar Yatra earlier this year was a beacon of hope, drawing massive crowds and injecting fresh energy into our cadres by spotlighting voter deletions and electoral manipulations," said a senior Congress leader on anonymity. "But this parade of paratroopers risks squandering that momentum, alienating the very sympathisers who see us as beacons of change," the leader added. The month-long yatra, which Gandhi led alongside alliance leaders, had briefly lifted spirits and projected a united front against the NDA's dominance. Now, however, whispers of disillusionment echo through Sadaqat Ashram, the party's Bihar headquarters, where committed workers feel betrayed. At the heart of the storm are at least 14 unfamiliar faces parachuted into key constituencies, many with baggage from across the political spectrum. In Patna City, tech professional Shashat Shekhar - who joined Congress months ago - snatched the ticket from long-time party loyalists who have toiled for years to build the base. Similarly, Indranil Chandravanshi, a former RSS volunteer, has been slotted for the high-profile Kumharar seat, raising eyebrows among ideologically rooted cadres. The list reads like a who's who of recent defectors: Amit Kumar (Giri), with deep ties to the BJP, is contesting Nautan; ex-Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Mithilesh Kumar Nishad jumped ship to Beldaur; and in Mithilanchal's Jale, former RJD figure Rishi Mishra - grandson of late Union minister LN Mishra - was inducted at the eleventh hour. Jitendra Yadav, a JD(U) member until a month ago, eyes Purnea, while Kasba's Irfan Alam was JD(U)'s minority department general secretary before his joining the Congress last month. Other eyebrow-raisers include Aditya Kumar Raja from Lalganj in Vaishali, a relative of a BJP leader and local zila parishad member, who abruptly withdrew without informing the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC). Viral social media images show Nalanda's Kaushalendra Kumar alias Chhote Mukhiya cozying up to BJP bigwigs before his entry in July. Hari Narayan Kushwah (ex-JD(U), Kuchaikot), Manoj Biswas (recent joiner, Forbesganj), Sunit Paswan (from LJP-RV, Sonbarsa), and Shyam Bihari Prasad (JD(U) defector, Raxaul) complete the contentious roster. Kushwaha, Biswas, Shyam BiharI Prasad joined the Congress this month only. Amit Kumar said he joined the Congress as he believed in the party's ideology. Kaushlendra Kumar dismissed his pictures with BJP leaders on social media as a propaganda to blunt his fight. Party leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan said tickets were given on the winnability factor. "The selection process includes several factors, including their chances of winning as assessed by independent surveys conducted by the party," added Khan, who was in the screening committee of the candidates. Defenders within the campaign machinery argue these choices were data-driven. "Surveys don't lie - these candidates emerged as the most viable in winnable seats," insisted a party strategist. But critics, including voices from the BPCC's research wing, counter that such pragmatism erodes the party's soul. "Excessive reliance on turncoats has disheartened our core workers and dimmed the hopes of sympathisers who look to us for genuine transformation," said former BPCC spokesman Mukti Nath Upadhyay. He warned that ignoring dedicated leaders' electoral prowess not only crushed morale but drove them to rivals seeking better odds. The unrest has boiled over into open revolt. Last week, former BPCC spokesman and research head Anand Madhab, alongside sitting MLAs and ex-legislators, staged a dharna at the BPCC office, hurling allegations of irregularities and "ticket sales" at AICC Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru. "This is a direct assault on our rejuvenation drive," Madhab thundered, echoing broader accusations of corruption that have prompted resignations and demands for Allavaru's ouster. Upadhyay piled on, noting how such favouritism propelled loyalists to defect, further weakening roots. From Mithilanchal, senior leader and a former AICC member Kishor Kumar Jha decried the "paratrooper" phenomenon: "These latecomers lack grassroots connect; they swoop in to contest, then vanish post-defeat. It's a recipe for losses that haunt us for years." History, it seems, offers little solace. Congress has stumbled into similar traps before, doling out tickets to ideological misfits who treat the party as a mere launchpad. In past polls, former Bihar DGP Ashish Ranjan Sinha - a one-time RJD affiliate - contested on a Congress symbol as Lok Sabha candidate from Nalanda but faded into obscurity after defeat. Ex-BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha, now with the Trinamool Congress, rarely graces Sadaqat Ashram despite his brief Bihar dalliance; his son Luv Sinha contested assembly elections from Bankipore in 2020 but invested little in party-building. Likewise, former BJP MP and cricketer Kirti Azad, who switched to Congress, has been accused of minimal engagement with Bihar workers. These ghosts loom large as Bihar's 243 seats hang in balance. With the NDA eyeing a third term amid economic promises and caste consolidations, the Mahagathbandhan's unity - already frayed by seat-sharing spats - could fracture further if Congress doesn't course-correct. For Gandhi's revival bid to succeed, the party must bridge the chasm between high command calculus and cadre aspirations - or risk being sidelined in Bihar's unforgiving political arena once more....