Synopsis
The Congress party's disappointing results in the Delhi elections underscore its complete rejection by Dalit and Muslim voters, who once supported it. Despite the setback, the AAP's defeat may weaken the challenge to Rahul Gandhi's leadership and could benefit Congress in the long term if AAP falters.Key Takeaways
- Congress faces rejection from Dalits and Muslims.
- Dalits shift allegiance to BJP; Muslims abstain from voting.
- AAP's fall could weaken competition against Rahul Gandhi.
- Congress struggles with leadership and organizational issues.
- Past alliances with AAP questioned after poor performance.
New Delhi, Feb 8 (NationPress) The Congress party's dismal performance in Delhi has reaffirmed that it has been entirely rejected by the same voters – Dalits and Muslims – who supported it for 15 years, from 1998 to 2013.
Political analysts suggest that the Dalit community, which abandoned the Congress in 2008 for the AAP, has now shifted its allegiance to the BJP in this election.
Conversely, the Muslims, who left the Congress 11 years ago, did not fully support the AAP either; instead, many chose to stay home, leading to a decline in the overall voting percentage to 60.54%, which is approximately 2.28 percentage points lower than in 2020.
The sole positive aspect for the Congress amid these Delhi Assembly election results—where it failed to secure any seats for the third consecutive time—is that the AAP's removal could weaken Arvind Kejriwal's challenge to Rahul Gandhi within the INDIA alliance.
This ousting of the AAP might also yield long-term benefits for the Congress if the party weakens or fractures over the next five years, potentially restoring a bipolar political landscape with the BJP facing off against the Congress.
Despite visible efforts by Delhi Pradesh Congress President Devender Yadav and former MP and New Delhi candidate Sandeep Dikshit leading up to the elections, the Congress could not achieve the 24% vote share it had during the Lok Sabha elections across all 70 Assembly segments.
Instead, it garnered just over 6% of the vote share in this election, compared to 4% in the 2020 Assembly elections and 10% in 2015.
This lackluster performance is bound to reignite discussions regarding the party's strategy to contest the Assembly elections independently, without an alliance with the AAP.
Sanjay Raut, leader of Shiv Sena (UBT), claimed that a combined effort from both the AAP and Congress could have led to a BJP defeat.
In conclusion, the Congress's presence ultimately benefited the BJP, transforming the contest into a triangular battle in certain areas.
During the counting, Alka Lamba, the Congress opponent of Chief Minister Atishi, stated that it was not her party's role in hampering the AAP's prospects. “Those who have jeopardized Delhi's future have been rejected,” she remarked.
Although Sandeep Dikshit also faced defeat in the New Delhi seat, he pointed out that while one party has emerged victorious, two parties might be celebrating.
Devender Yadav of the Delhi Congress characterized the coalition with the AAP during the Lok Sabha elections as a blunder.
Despite Yadav’s Delhi Nyay Yatra covering 650 km across 70 Assembly segments, which offered a glimmer of hope to the party's base, it still struggled with the absence of a prominent and charismatic leader and faced an organizational crisis.
The cancellation of Rahul Gandhi's two rallies in the city and the suspension of a planned padyatra in support of Sandeep Dikshit were also cited as contributing factors to the party's inability to boost its vote share.
Since the poor, Dalit, and Muslim supporters of the Congress shifted their loyalty to the AAP in 2013, the Congress's influence has significantly diminished, with its two dozen councillors in the MCD being its only elected representatives in the city.
