Rahul Gandhi: The Grand Alliance suffered a crushing defeat in the Bihar Assembly elections. Similarly, if we look at the history of other states, Congress has been steadily declining. Bihar, Maharashtra, Haryana, and Gujarat. In these states, Congress's position has been shrinking. What is the reason for Congress's continued electoral defeat? Let's examine the reasons.
Congress defeat in four states
Patna: In the Bihar Assembly elections, the ruling NDA returned to power by winning 202 out of 243 seats, while the opposition Grand Alliance was reduced to just 35. The BJP led the NDA’s victory, securing 89 seats, followed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JDU (JDU) with 85 and Chirag Paswan’s LJP (RLD) with 19. The RJD, the dominant party in the Grand Alliance, saw its tally drop to 25, while the Congress managed only six. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Bihar, the NDA won 30 of the 40 seats, with the BJP and JDU winning 12 each. The LJP (RLD) won five seats, while the HAM (S) won one. The Grand Alliance won nine seats, with the RJD winning four, the Congress three, and the CPI (ML) L two. The remaining one was won by an independent.
Bihar Situation
In addition to Bihar, the BJP has won resounding victories in several elections in recent years, whether alone or with the NDA alliance, defeating the opposition in several states. Let’s take a look at some of these states. In the November 2024 elections for the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, the Mahayuti, or NDA, won a landslide victory, winning 232 seats. The BJP topped the polls with 132, followed by the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena with 57 and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP with 41. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) won only 46 seats, with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) winning 20, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) winning 10, and the Congress winning 16. However, in the Lok Sabha elections held six months before the Assembly elections, the Mahayuti had won only 17 seats (9 from the BJP, 7 from the Shiv Sena, and 1 from the NCP), while the MVA had won 30 seats (13 from the Congress, 9 from the Shiv Sena-UBT, and 8 from the NCP-SP). Odisha Situation
In the 2024 Odisha Assembly elections, the BJP came to power in the state on its own for the first time, ending the five-term rule of BJD chief Naveen Patnaik. The BJP won 78 of the state’s 147 seats, while the BJD won 51 and the Congress won 14. In the simultaneous Lok Sabha elections in Odisha, the BJP won 20 of the 21 seats, while the Congress won one. The BJD failed to open its account in this election. In the 2019 Assembly elections, the BJD returned to power in Odisha with a landslide victory, winning 112 seats compared to the BJP’s 23.
Andhra Pradesh Situation
Andhra Pradesh also held simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in 2024. The NDA, which includes the N. Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP and the Pawan Kalyan-led Jana Sena Party (JSP), along with the BJP, won 21 out of 25 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, defeating the ruling BJP. The YSRCP led by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy won 4 seats. Among NDA allies, the TDP won 16, the BJP 3, and the JSP 2. In the Assembly elections, the NDA secured 164 out of 175 seats. The TDP contested 135 of the 144 seats it contested. The JSP won all 21 seats, while the BJP contested 10, winning 8. The YSRCP won only 11 seats. The Congress failed to even open its account.
Madhya Pradesh Situation
In the November 2023 elections for the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly, the incumbent BJP returned to power by winning 163 seats. The opposition Congress failed to stage a comeback, winning only 66 seats. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP swept the state again, winning all 29 seats. In the Gujarat Assembly elections held in December 2022, the ruling BJP returned to power by winning 156 out of 182 seats. This was the highest number achieved by any party in the state’s electoral history. The Congress suffered its worst defeat, winning only 17 seats, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won five. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP will win 24 out of 25 seats, while the Congress will win only one.
Edited by: Ashutosh Kumar Pandey
About the Author
Ashutosh Kumar Pandey works for Navbharat Times Online. He has been active in digital, print, and electronic journalism for over 22 years. He specializes in uncovering untold stories from the past, digging into the pages of politics. Presents political stories in a witty manner.
Courtesy: Hindi News