Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge (C) & Priyanka Gandhi (R)
NEW DELHI: The Congress party experienced a mixed trajectory in 2024, facing both significant electoral challenges and opportunities. The party navigated through crucial
Lok Sabha elections
and various state polls, achieving modest successes whilst encountering substantial setbacks in its bid to regain political prominence.
At the national level, Congress improved its parliamentary presence, increasing its Lok Sabha seats from 52 in 2019 to 99 in 2024, strengthening the
INDIA bloc
‘s position against the BJP. However, state-level outcomes presented a more nuanced picture, with victories often overshadowed by major losses, underlining the substantial work required for the party’s restoration.
Formation of INDIA bloc: Opposition unites against BJP
The INDIA bloc emerged as a formidable coalition in the run-up to the 2024 elections, uniting opposition parties to challenge the BJP’s decade-long dominance. Spearheaded by Congress, this alliance included regional heavyweights like the Samajwadi party, NCP (SP), TMC, and the DMK. The bloc’s formation was initially catalyzed by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, who hosted the first meeting of opposition leaders, laying the groundwork for a unified strategy.
However, Nitish Kumar later switched sides, aligning with the BJP to reclaim his position as Bihar CM. He eventually offered his support to the Centre’s government formation, emerging as a key player in the process.
With its “big tent” approach, the bloc sought to consolidate anti-BJP votes across states, focusing on states where regional parties had strongholds.
Lok Sabha polls 2024: Gains for INDIA, but BJP holds on
The 2024 general elections marked a significant shift, as the INDIA bloc secured 238 seats, gaining over 100 seats compared to its pre-dissolution strength. And the grand old party just a seat short in scoring century. Despite this improvement, the Congress fell short of being a decisive force in the Lok Sabha, as the BJP-led NDA secured 293 seats, including 240 for the BJP.
In Uttar Pradesh, Congress’s alliance with the Samajwadi Party bore fruit, with the bloc winning 44 seats, a major dent in the BJP’s stronghold where its tally fell from 62 in 2019. Other than UP, the alliance performed exceptionally well in key battleground state like Maharashtra , where it wrested the majority of seats from the BJP.
In 2024, Congress saw its vote share increase by 1.74 percentage points, reaching 21.20%, up from 19.46% in 2019. This rise was reflected in its improved seat tally.
Meanwhile, the BJP, despite contesting more seats than in 2019, saw a decline of 0.73 percentage points in its vote share, dropping to 36.57%, and is expected to fall short of the 272-seat mark.
However, this success was offset by poor performance in states like Bihar, where the Congress-RJD alliance failed to make an impact, allowing the NDA to retain its grip.
Vote share comparison: BJP vs Congress
As the BJP’s Lok Sabha tally dropped, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was forced to lean on key allies like Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu to maintain his position in power.
Congress relies on allies
The Congress appeared heavily reliant on its allies in 2024. With the INDIA bloc’s collective efforts, the opposition secured nearly 240 seats in the Lok Sabha, marking a strong revival. Among key contributors was Akhilesh Yadav‘s Samajwadi Party, which clinched a remarkable 37 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh, slashing the BJP’s 2019 tally of 62 to just 33. The biggest shock came when the SP wrested Ayodhya’s Faizabad seat from the BJP, despite the latter’s high-profile Ram Mandir consecration ceremony led by PM Modi just months earlier.
The alliance with DMK proved equally impactful, resulting in a clean sweep in Tamil Nadu, where the BJP failed to win a single seat. The DMK’s contribution of 21 seats became a major pillar for the INDIA bloc. Similarly, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar’s NCP added critical support, further denting the BJP’s dominance.
The role of allies in Congress’ resurgence within INDIA bloc
In
state assembly elections
, regional allies carried much of the weight for Congress. In Jharkhand, Hemant Soren’s JMM, fresh from his legal battles, won 34 seats, while Congress managed only 16. Together, the INDIA bloc limited the BJP to 21 seats in the state to continue Soren on CM’s seat.
In Jammu and Kashmir, the first assembly elections in over a decade—and the first since the abrogation of Article 370—witnessed stellar performance by the National Conference, which secured 41 seats in the valley. Despite Congress managing just 6 seats and the BJP achieving its best results in Jammu, the National Conference of Omar Abdullah led the charge, keeping Congress on board to claim leadership in the Union Territory.
State elections in 2024: Triumphs and challenges for Congress
Arunachal Pradesh – Congress faced major defeat, winning only one of 60 seats as the BJP strengthened its hold with 46 seats.
Sikkim – The ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) swept the elections, leaving no space for the Congress or other opposition parties.
Andhra Pradesh – In the Andhra Pradesh polls, Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP secured a historic win with 135 seats out of 144 contested. Allies Jana Sena and BJP won 21 and 8 seats, respectively, while the ruling YSR Congress was reduced to 11 seats. The Congress failed to win any seat.
Odisha – In the Odisha polls, Congress won 14 seats, CPI(M) secured one, and independent candidates claimed three. However, the BJP emerged as the dominant force, crossing the majority mark with 78 seats, ending Naveen Patnaik’s 24-year reign and limiting the BJD to just 51 seats.
Haryana – Congress put up a strong fight but fell short, securing 37 seats compared to the BJP’s 48, despite a close vote share.
Jammu and Kashmir – In the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, the Abdullah’s National Conference (NC) led the alliance to victory with 42 seats, while Congress secured just six seats. The BJP performed strongly in Jammu region, winning 29 seats in the 90-seat Assembly.
Maharashtra – The Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi suffered a crushing defeat as the BJP won 132 seats. The grand old party secured only 16 seats, while other MVA allies also struggled, including Sharad Pawar’s NCP with 10 seats and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena with 20 seats.
Jharkhand – The Congress, as part of the JMM-led Mahagathbandhan, celebrated a comfortable victory. The coalition won 56 seats, with Congress contributing 16.
Congress under old guards: A hindrance to revival?
The Congress’ consistent decisions to support its veteran leaders has been widely regarded as a significant factor contributing to its declining performance in state elections.
In October 2022, the grand old party handed over the presidential baton to veteran Mallikarjun Kharge, bypassing other frontrunners such as Shashi Tharoor, a London-educated, St Stephen’s alumnus and social media favorite.
In 2018, Kamal Nath was chosen over Jyotiraditya Scindia for the chief minister’s seat in Madhya Pradesh. The government eventually collapsed in 2020, with Scindia subsequently joining the BJP, which gave him the post of Union minister.
Similarly, in the same year, choosing Ashok Gehlot over Sachin Pilot for Rajasthan’s top post deepened their rivalry, a rift that likely played a major role in the party’s 2023 electoral defeat in the state.
The party’s backing of Haryana veteran Bhupinder Singh Hooda, a former chief minister, also led to internal rivalry, with tensions between Hooda and Kumari Shelja. This rift likely contributed to Congress’ shocking defeat, defying poll predictions.
The party-under Kharge’s leadership stumbled in several state elections, including losing its grip in states like Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
Nevertheless, the Congress showed improvement in the 2024 general elections, with the INDIA alliance securing 238 seats, marking an increase of over 100 seats from its previous position. The party itself came close to reaching 100 seats.
A year of mixed fortunes
The establishment of the opposition alliance INDIA, spearheaded by Congress, represented a notable attempt to present a unified front against the BJP. The coalition’s achievements in the Lok Sabha demonstrated the effectiveness of opposition unity, yet setbacks in regions such as Maharashtra revealed the difficulties in sustaining political momentum and maintaining unity.
The year 2024 demonstrated Congress’s endurance alongside its weak points. In 2025, the INDIA alliance confronts the challenge of maintaining its unified stance and converting immediate achievements into enduring political advantages, particularly with significant electoral contests approaching in the coming year.
