2024-03-17 20:40:17
New Delhi: With the announcement of Lok Sabha election dates, the trumpet of the biggest election campaign of 2024 has been sounded. This time the contest in the field is going to be NDA vs ‘India’. On one hand, the alliance under the leadership of Modi is dreaming of crossing 400, while on the other hand, the grand alliance wants victory at any cost. But amidst all this, where is the country’s oldest party Congress seeing itself? After the success of Bharat Jodo Yatra, Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra has not brought much benefit to the party. The situation is that Congress is fighting for its existence. In this respect, the challenge for Congress is big. The 2024 elections will also prove to decide the future of Congress.Part of India, embraced AAP too
Congress has gradually lost its grip among the people since 2014. In between, the victory in the assembly elections of some states gave a tonic to the party, but the departure of MLAs and the defeat in the subsequent elections again marginalized it. After ruling the country for decades and returning to its primacy between 2004-14, with a negligible increase to 44 seats in 2014 and 52 seats five years later, the sword of survival has been hanging over its head for a decade. Recognizing the challenge ahead, the Congress first agreed to join the Grand Alliance ‘India’ and later compromised by embracing its arch rival the Aam Aadmi Party.
Happiness came in my bag but not enough
Till a few months ago, the Congress party had high hopes. After Congress got a big victory in Karnataka last year in May 2023, it seemed that they would also get victory in the elections of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. His thinking was that victory in these two states would pave the way for challenging BJP in the Hindi heartland. After Modi’s arrival, Congress had to face complete defeat there. At the same time, he thought that his strong position would also help his allies win the elections. But, this happiness of Congress did not last long. BJP won in all three states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. On the other hand, even the big victory of Congress in Telangana could not reduce the defeat that has been going on for the last 10 years.
After the recent revelations on electoral bonds, Congress has called BJP an extortion racket. The party is fighting vigorously on this issue. The party is hopeful that this will help win over a section of the people. For the Congress, this is probably not a battle to win, but a battle to survive to fight the next day. This will require a figure who can maintain his relevance as an opposition leader in Parliament and among the public.
Attempt to capitalize on conquered states
Congress is most troubled by the leaders leaving the party and joining BJP or any other party. The future of Congress in the general elections this time depends on winning in southern states like Karnataka and Telangana. These are the states where Congress had recently won the assembly elections. Congress fought together with allies in states like Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Jharkhand. It is expected that by taking advantage of the anti-incumbency wave in states like Maharashtra, the Congress party can handle the situation for some time. But the region of North India has become a big problem for Congress. The party had won all three elections held in December in 2018, but in the Lok Sabha elections held a few months later, Congress got almost no seats in North India due to the Pulwama attack.
This time, Congress, despite the defeat, has managed to garner nearly 40% vote share in the two states, not far behind the winning BJP. Congress is fielding its senior and well-known faces in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh to get some seats in the Lok Sabha. The party has to win some seats in Punjab, where the grassroots response and confidence in it has led it to decide not to forge an alliance with AAP. Irrespective of any regional differences, the results on June 4, 2024 will decide the fate of the Congress.