Congress fails to make impact in Delhi elections, facing existential crisis amid internal opposition bloc struggles.
New Delhi: Congress, the grand old party which once ruled
The party, which witnessed surprising growth during last year’s Lok Sabha elections, scoring 99 seats out of 543, failed to maintain the momentum of its triumph and faced continuous setbacks in Haryana, Maharashtra, and now Delhi.
Despite both being members of the I.N.D.I.A bloc, Congress and AAP continued to attack and target each other. While AAP did receive support from other I.N.D.I.A bloc members such as Trinamool Congress and Samajawadi Party, Congress failed to garner support from its allies.
Out of the total 70 seats in Delhi, BJP secured 48, while AAP received just 22, a sharp decline from 67 in 2015 and 62 in 2020.
At a time when Congress has been attempting to raise the issue of alleged vote manipulation in Maharashtra, its defeat in Delhi is likely to deliver a major blow and a shocking dent to the grand old party. It now faces an existential crisis in Delhi, as Delhiites have repeatedly shown no interest in the party since 2013.
The I.N.D.I.A bloc, which has been witnessing internal differences, as seen in the Maharashtra, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh by-polls, and now in Delhi, is now in deep trouble, with TMC and SP blaming Congress’s high-handedness.
Two opposition bloc leaders, who did not wish to be named, told The Sunday Guardian that the BJP’s win in Delhi will be a game-changer. The saffron party has now emerged not just as the biggest political player but has also strengthened the Modi narrative, which is likely to embolden BJP’s dominance in the Indian political system.
This big setback for Congress comes at a time when the country is preparing for crucial Assembly elections in Bihar this year and West Bengal next year.