What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
Congress vote share fell from 40 per cent in 2017 to 27 per cent in 2022. “27 per cent is not insignificant. There was an atmosphere of fear in Gujarat,” said Jairam Ramesh on Congress’ performance in Gujarat polls.
A day after registering its worst-ever performance in Gujarat, Congress on Friday blamed a secret alliance between Bharatiya Janata Party, Aam Aadmi Party, and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen for its humiliating defeat in the assembly election. With just over a dozen seats in its kitty Congress has been completely decimated in the state.
Speaking at a press conference here, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “We were not expecting such results in Gujarat. On one hand there was an alliance of BJP with AIMIM and AAP and Congress on the opposite side. All machineries of state were working for the ruling party. G2 was there in Gujarat in the form of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and HM Amit Shah and they held a road show.”
Congress which won 77 seats in Gujarat in 2017 . Its tally was reduced to 17 seats in the state in this year’s assembly polls.
The party was on second spot in 118 seats while its alliance partner NCP was second on one seat. Meanwhile, the AAP which made a debut in the Gujarat assembly polls this year went on to win five assembly seats and was in second spot at 35 assembly seats. Congress vote share fell from 40 per cent in 2017 to 27 per cent in 2022.
Ramesh, however, added that that 27 per cent vote share wasn’t insignificant.
The BJP won 156 out of 182 seats in the state, making a record in the electoral history.
Ramesh said that the party also complained to the Election Commission but no action was taken.
“It is time for us to introspect and correct the lapses and take hard decisions. There was an atmosphere of fear in Gujarat,” he said, referring to the results of Gujarat.
In 2012 assembly polls, the Congress had won 61, in 2007 it won 59, in 2002 it won 51, in 1998 it won 53 and in 1995 it won 45 seats
On the issue of Congress only winning Commenting on Himachal Pradesh assembly poll results where the grand old party won 40 out of 68 seats, the Congress leader said that there is a difference of one per cent and on seats it makes a big effect.
Citing the example of Kerala over difference of vote share playing a crucial role in seats, he said that in Kerala between UDF and LDF there was a difference of one per cent vote share. However, UDF won 30 seats and LDF won about 90 seats, he said.
Dubbing the public meetings of the Prime Minister a flop show in Himachal Pradesh, Ramesh said, “It should not be forgotten that PM Modi addressed 10 rallies in Himachal Pradesh. PM Modi’s public address was a failure in Himachal Pradesh.”
In Gujarat also there are many seats where BJP didn’t win despite Modi holding rallies, the Congress leader said.
He also said that local leadership of the Congress failed in Gujarat during the assembly polls.
Coming on to promises that the party made to people in Himachal, he said that since the party has got a clear mandate in Himachal it would ensure that all the promises made to the people of Himachal are fulfilled. “And it puts pressure on us to fulfill the promises we made to the people. We have to ensure that we implement the old pension scheme and other guarantees that we made,” Ramesh said.
When asked who will be the party’s chief ministerial candidate as several leaders are projecting themselves to begin the race, he said, at 3 p.m. a meeting is there in Shimla and our observers *Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda), state in-charge (Rajiv Shukla) and state leadership is there to decide in the CLP meeting.”
