Shimla – In a comprehensive post-mortem of their recent electoral defeat, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) has identified the delayed announcement of candidates and the influence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindutva narrative as major factors contributing to their poor performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
During a two-day interaction with state leaders down to the block level, the AICC committee, comprising Rajni Patil and PL Punia, found that the late announcement of candidates was a primary reason for the party’s loss across all four seats in Himachal Pradesh.
“Almost everyone has flagged the delay in the allotment of tickets,” said Rajni Patil. “We will convey it to the party high command that due to the delay, our candidates were confined to their homes while their rivals had already made two or three rounds of their constituencies.”
Asha Kumari, senior Congress leader and former cabinet minister, emphasized that the party could have secured more votes if candidates had been finalized sooner. She defended Anand Sharma, who contested from Kangra and lost to BJP’s Rajeev Bhardwaj by over 2.5 lakh votes, against claims that his outsider status in the constituency was a disadvantage. “Sharma is a tall leader and he built up a strong narrative, but we could not convert it into votes due to the paucity of time,” she explained.
Vinod Sultanpuri, the Congress candidate from Shimla, echoed these sentiments. “I just got about 30 to 35 days to campaign. The time wasn’t enough,” he stated, adding that Modi’s Hindutva focus also impacted his chances.
Despite the Congress government in the state, the party failed to impress the electorate. Vikramaditya Singh, a sitting PWD Minister and the party’s best option for the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, lost to BJP’s Kangana Ranaut in a high-profile contest.
Interestingly, despite this setback in the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has lost four assembly by-elections, which were held simultaneously with the parliamentary polls. Notably, BJP’s Lok Sabha candidates secured decisive leads in these constituencies, yet the Congress emerged victorious in the by-elections. In the recently held by-elections for three assembly seats, Congress won two while the BJP secured one, even though the BJP had taken substantial leads in these areas during the Lok Sabha election. This indicates that while the Congress struggled at the parliamentary level, it has managed to make significant inroads at the state level.
Congress leaders attribute their Lok Sabha loss primarily to the delayed announcement of candidates, but the overarching popularity of PM Modi and the BJP’s well-organized campaign machinery were undeniable factors in their dismal performance.
The findings from the AICC committee underscore the need for timely decision-making and strategic planning to counter the BJP’s strong organizational prowess and Modi’s widespread appeal.
