Synopsis
The Congress party is facing a significant defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections, failing to secure any seats for the fourth consecutive time. This trend highlights a marked decline in the party's relevance in Delhi politics, despite efforts from prominent leaders to reconnect with voters.Key Takeaways
- Congress fails to win any seats in Delhi Assembly elections.
- Party's decline continues for the fourth consecutive election.
- BJP leads in 48 of 70 seats, AAP in 22.
- Congress candidates admit to disappointing performance.
- High-profile campaign fails to resonate with voters.
New Delhi, Feb 8 (NationPress) As the counting for the Delhi Assembly elections approaches its end, the Congress party, once a formidable force in the national Capital, is poised for yet another electoral failure, unable to secure even a single seat this term.
The Congress, which governed Delhi for 15 uninterrupted years from 1998 to 2013, is now facing its fourth consecutive defeat in Assembly elections, highlighting its steep decline in significance throughout the city.
This time, the party's challenges were particularly apparent in three crucial Assembly seats -- Mehrauli, Okhla, and Mustafabad.
In Mustafabad, BJP candidate Mohan Singh Bisht claimed victory with a margin of over 17,000 votes. AAP's Adeel Ahmad Khan secured the second position, while AIMIM candidate Tahir Hussain -- a former AAP Councillor and a significant accused in the 2020 Delhi riots -- finished third. Congress candidate Ali Mehdi was left far behind.
In Mehrauli, the BJP's Gajender Singh Yadav held a lead, with the AAP's Mahender Chaudhary in second place.
An Independent candidate, Balyogi Baba Balaknath, was in third place, while Congress candidate Pushpa Singh lagged at fourth place, with only two rounds of counting left.
Mehrauli is part of the South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, which includes nine other Assembly segments, such as Bijwasan, Sangam Vihar, Ambedkar Nagar, Chhatarpur, Deoli, Kalkaji, Tughlakabad, Palam, and Badarpur. The BJP is currently leading in six of these seats.
In Okhla, AAP's Amanatullah Khan maintained a strong lead of over 30,000 votes. AIMIM candidate Shifa Ur Rehman Khan was in second place, followed by BJP's Manish Chaudhary.
Congress candidate Ariba Khan trailed in fourth, with eight rounds of counting still pending.
Congress candidate Sandeep Dikshit, contesting from the New Delhi Assembly seat, acknowledged the party's lackluster performance, labeling it as disappointing and admitting that Congress had failed to re-establish a connection with Delhi's voters.
“We had anticipated a vote share of 12-13 percent, but we fell short. We aimed to secure a place for Congress in the hearts of the people but were unsuccessful. It is disappointing,” Dikshit told IANS.
When asked about the reasons for Congress' poor performance, he stated, “It is hard to determine at this moment. Perhaps people intended to vote for Congress but were uncertain if we could form a government, so they opted for other parties instead.”
Dikshit was engaged in a three-way contest in New Delhi against AAP National Convenor and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and BJP's Parvesh Verma, who ultimately won the seat.
As the counting progresses, initial trends from the Election Commission of India (ECI) indicate the BJP surpassing the halfway mark, leading in 48 of Delhi's 70 Assembly seats, while the AAP is ahead in 22. The Congress, however, remains absent from the tally.
Exit Polls had forecasted a significant loss for the AAP, with the BJP expected to secure between 45-55 seats. Congress was projected to win just one seat but has failed to achieve even that.
The party's inability to secure any seats once more highlights its diminishing relevance in Delhi politics. Once a powerful entity under former Chief Minister late Sheila Dikshit, the Congress has been struggling to reclaim lost territory since the AAP's emergence in 2013.
Initially, trends indicated the Congress leading in Badli, but this lead quickly evaporated. With no leads in any constituency, the party is on track for another electoral wipeout.
This dismal performance arises despite a high-profile campaign led by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi, who conducted multiple rallies in the lead-up to the elections.
The Congress' vote share has also been on a downward slope. The last time it won seats in Delhi was in 2013 when it managed to secure eight constituencies. That election also marked the AAP's debut, which transformed the city's political landscape.
In 2015, the Congress failed to win any seats, achieving only a 9 percent vote share, while AAP swept 67 out of 70 seats. The BJP won the remaining three.
The decline continued in 2020, with Congress again failing to secure a single seat and its vote share plummeting below 5 percent. AAP retained power with 62 seats, while the BJP acquired just eight.
As the BJP celebrates its return to power in Delhi and AAP faces a significant setback, Congress' ongoing decline raises critical questions about its future in the national Capital.
