How far has Congress gone from Delhi after the defeat in Maharashtra and Haryana?

Congress Party: The crushing defeat of Congress in Haryana and Maharashtra has shocked the party. While there was talk of Congress's revival after a spectacular performance in the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the defeat in these two important states has posed new challenges for the party. In such a situation, the question arises whether these defeats will also affect the Delhi Assembly elections 2025?

Assembly elections are due in Delhi in the next three months, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have already started the election campaign. On the other hand, the Congress is still engaged in improving its organizational structure.

Setback from defeat in Haryana and Maharashtra

Congress was expected to get an edge in both Haryana and Maharashtra, but the party not only faced defeat, but also lost the Leader of the Opposition's chair in Maharashtra. Congress, which became the largest party in Maharashtra in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, proved to be unexpectedly weak in the assembly elections. Even in Haryana, the Congress, which won 50% of the seats in the Lok Sabha, could not show its strength in the assembly elections.

Why is the path of Congress difficult in Delhi?

1. Less chance of a triangular contest

Till now, Delhi politics has been bipolar between BJP and Aam Aadmi Party. AAP is preparing to capitalize on the consistently weak performance of Congress. Aam Aadmi Party is trying to send a message to the public that Arvind Kejriwal is the only option to defeat BJP. If this narrative succeeds, then the election will not be triangular but will be limited to two parties, which will cause a big loss to Congress.

2. Lack of leadership

Like Haryana and Maharashtra, in Delhi too, Congress is preparing to contest the elections without any clear face. On the contrary, Arvind Kejriwal is the clear CM face of Aam Aadmi Party, and BJP is making a strategy to enter the electoral fray with the face of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

3. Trend of Muslim voters

The Muslim population in Delhi is around 12%. Usually, in case of defeating BJP, Muslim votes go one-sidedly to the party which seems to be a strong alternative to BJP. If the perception is created in Delhi that AAP is capable of defeating BJP, then Congress may have to suffer the loss of minority votes.

4. Organizational crisis

There is a period of turmoil within the Delhi Congress. In recent months, many senior leaders like Veer Singh Dhingan, Sumesh Shaukeen, and Mateen Ahmed have left the party. This crisis is weakening the party's organizational structure, affecting the election preparations.

5. Decreasing public support

The support base of Congress in Delhi has been continuously declining. The position of the party has been weakening since 2013. In the 2020 assembly elections, Congress did not get a single seat, and its vote percentage came down to 4.26%.

AAP and BJP's preparations intensify

Aam Aadmi Party has released a list of 11 candidates to strengthen its weak areas. Out of these, 6 candidates have come from other parties. At the same time, BJP has formed a big management team for the Delhi elections, which will lead the campaign and strategy.

Challenges ahead for Congress

The leadership of Congress in Delhi is currently in the hands of Devendra Yadav, but his appeal is limited across Delhi. The party does not have any strong face after Sheila Dikshit. Senior leaders like Jai Prakash Agarwal and Subhash Chopra are no longer in an active role.

Will Congress be able to hold its ground in Delhi?

The defeat in Haryana and Maharashtra has rung alarm bells for Congress in Delhi. Without strong leadership and a clear strategy, it will be extremely challenging for Congress to win the Delhi elections. Amidst the aggressive election campaign of Aam Aadmi Party and BJP, Congress will have to work hard to regain its lost support base.