New Delhi, May 4 (PTI) The assembly election results were a mixed bag for the Congress, as it emerged victorious in Kerala, but once again lost Assam to the BJP.
After facing several electoral blows in election cycles following the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress managed to wrest power in Kerala from the Left Democratic Front (LDF) alliance, ending its 10-year rule.
The defeat meant the end of left rule in any state of India, a development noted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his victory remarks at the BJP headquarters on Monday.
With this victory, the Congress is now in power in three South Indian states — Karnataka, Telangana and now Kerala — besides Himachal Pradesh in the north where assembly polls are due next year.
The results in Kerala come as a face-saver after a series of election debacles in Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana and Bihar.
Nationally, however, the diminishing of TMC, DMK and the Left will give the Congress a much-required elbow room in the INDIA alliance where Mamata Banerjee was asserting herself of late.
While the Congress managed to capitalise on the anti-incumbency against the Left in Kerala, it was up against the BJP’s pro-incumbency in Assam, where the saffron party bagged a two-third majority.
The Congress got around 29.5 per cent of the votes in Assam, while it got 28.8 per cent votes in Kerala. In West Bengal, the party polled only 3.13 per cent votes, while getting 3.38 per cent votes in Tamil Nadu.
It is also likely that the Congress will fewer seats in Assam than it did last time.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge termed the poll results a mixed bag, saying the party has always chosen the path of truth, justice and inclusivity.
“The results have been a mixed bag. However, we must remember that ours is an ideological battle. Such a path demands patience, perseverance, and unwavering resolve.
“While the journey may be challenging, we remain steadfast in our commitment to serve the people and protect the core values of our democracy,” Kharge said.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the party will soon undertake a comprehensive analysis of the results.
“With the exception of Kerala, the election results elsewhere have fallen short of our expectations. However, we are neither disheartened nor dejected,” he said, adding that the party was waging an ideological struggle.
The path of the struggle for democracy and truth against authoritarianism and falsehood is invariably long and arduous, he said.
Senior party leader Shashi Tharoor described the Congress victory in Kerala as significant while acknowledging the Assam loss as a disappointment.
Tharoor, while commenting on the outcomes, said the larger message for the opposition bloc was that any formidable anti-BJP alliance would have to revolve around the Congress.
His signal was to the comprehensive defeat faced by regional parties TMC and DMK in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, respectively. Both incumbent chief minister’s lost their own seats.
While the Kerala win comes as a ray of hope for the Congress, the party will need to spruce up its organisational base and cement fractured state units across the country if it wants to challenged the BJP in upcoming assembly elections next year.
Past evidence shows Congress does not fare well in direct contests with BJP, something for which it would need to strategise better.
Party leaders add that the Congress should draw from the Kerala experience to win Punjab, where it is the principal challenger to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party.
In Kerala, the Congress managed to present a united front despite initial hiccups, placated Tharoor (who was found to be at odds with the party on various policy issues), and allowed the Kerala unit to steer the election campaign rather than permit Lok Sabha MPs to contest assembly polls.
The next big challenge for the Congress will come in early 2027 when Punjab goes to polls — a state where the party’s factionalism has often come bare, amid a plethora of chief minister hopefuls, as was the case in Kerala.
In Uttarakhand too, the Congress will face an aggressive incumbent in the BJP, while in Uttar Pradesh the party will fight for survival. PTI SKC ARB ARB
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.