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HomePoliticsRahul Gandhi’s Congress gets thumbs down, unlikely to cross three figures

Rahul Gandhi’s Congress gets thumbs down, unlikely to cross three figures

As early trends came in, Congress president Rahul Gandhi was struggling in his bastion Amethi though he is leading in Wayanad.

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New Delhi: The Congress looks set for a collapse yet again, with early trends of the 2019 Lok Sabha poll results indicating that the party could fail to reach a triple-digit figure for a second consecutive general election.

It was reduced to 44 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha in 2014, the worst-ever tally for a party that has led India the longest since Independence.

At 10.30 am Thursday, the party was leading on 53 seats, a huge setback for the party that was hoping to dislodge the Narendra Modi government.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi himself was struggling in his bastion Amethi though he was leading in Wayanad, the second constituency he is contesting from.


Also read: Lok Sabha results Live: BJP leads in Jammu and Kashmir, Congress trails


What could be most disappointing for the opposition party is its likely failure to carry on the momentum it had received last December when it wrested Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh from the BJP in the assembly elections.

The BJP looks set to win most of the seats in these states. Gandhi had campaigned extensively in the Hindi belt, and even emphasised the “good work” done by the Congress governments in MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh at the state level.

The party had also implemented the promise of farm loan waiver in all the three states in 2018. But none of this seems to work at the hustings.

The Congress president’s sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, had also made her much-awaited political debut this year, campaigning extensively in Uttar Pradesh and some parts of the country as the party’s general secretary. But the so-called “Priyanka factor” seems to have proved a damp squib.

The early trends show that some senior Congress leaders are trailing, including Digvijaya Singh in Bhopal, where he is pitted against Pragya Singh Thakur of the BJP. According to CNN News 18, the Congress is set to get three of Madhya Pradesh’s 29 seats and none of Rajasthan’s 25. However, it was leading with 10 of Punjab’s 13 seats.

What it means for Rahul Gandhi

If the early trends were to hold, it would suggest not just the unacceptability of Gandhi as the country’s leader, but also of the kind of politics he has pursued.

The Congress targeted Modi, calling him a “chor”, or thief, in reference to alleged irregularities in the Rafale fighter jet deal. It also targeted the NDA government for its failures on economic management, pointing out joblessness, the adverse impact of demonetisationon on the economy, faulty GST rollout, decline in exports and manufacturing, and lack of private investment, among other things.

None of these, however, seemed to have cut much ice with the voters, who seem to be giving a renewed mandate to Modi. The Congress’ promise of NYAY or the minimum guarantee income of Rs 6,000 per month didn’t impress them either.


Also read: Congress party’s recovery and the chest that really matters


 

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