Page 26 - 31MAR2019E

Why BJP

should be

wary of

Congress?

Mind it 2019

is no 2014!

The 2014 defeat of the Congress at the hands
of the Bharatiya Janta Party is considered as
the most comprehensive, the most humiliating
and worst-ever defeat in 129 years of Congress
history. However, an analysis of 2014 election
results brings out an interesting fact that
Congress was at second slot in as many as 224
seats, writes bharat hiteshi

ongress resurgence, Decem- is still going strong. non-Congress party, the Bharatiya
ber victory in three impor- In 10 big states, including Gujarat, Janata Party. The Congress suffered
tant Hindi speaking states Karnataka, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh, its worst defeat in 129 years, much
and the fact that Congress which account for 224 parliamentary worse than its 1977 defeat, after the
C came second in as many as seats, the Congress was at top two posi- Emergency.
224 constituencies should because of tions in 183 seats. However, in 16 small This is the worst defeat of the Con-
concern for the BJP. Despite Modi wave, states and Union Territories, which gress 129 years. It got only 44 seats, with
Congress emerged at second slot in 224 have 28 Lok Sabha seats, the Congress a 19 per cent vote share. In the Hindi
seats and BJP attained a whopping and was at top two positions in 27 seats. It heartland, the party was reduced to
convincing victory, but analysis shows should be noted that in Kerala and Ma- seven seats, five less than even its pre-
that the BJP could get only about 31 per harashtra, the Congress was in alliance vious comprehensive defeat in 1977,
cent of total votes in the country as a with regional parties. In 2014 general when if faced the competition of the
whole. elections, the Congress either won or entire opposition united behind the
Little doubt in elections 2019 that finished as a runner-up in 268 of the Janata Party. Even in 1977, Congress
begin from April 11 and end with a total 543 parliamentary constituencies. managed to maintain itself in the south
second phase on May 19, the Congress It won just 44 seats and bagged second and still retained 27 per cent of total
is likely to go close with BJP in most of position in 224 seats. vote share.
the constituencies in the upcoming The BJP leaders take comfort from In 2014, the Congress losses have
Lok Sabha elections. The mathematics the fact that 2014 general election been comprehensive and complete.
behind the 224 seats is based on those brought to power the first single-party A total 484 parties contested the 2014
states where the Congress bagged top majority in the Lok Sabha since 1984 election, which is 121 more than in 2009
two positions in the 2014 elections, and and the first majority obtained by a and nearly the double of the number of

Tehelka / 31 march 2019 26 www.Tehelka.com