Congress Fades from Delhi's Political Landscape as BJP Surges Ahead

As vote counting for the Delhi elections unfolded, the political discourse was dominated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with the Congress party notably absent from the headlines. Once the undisputed political force in the capital, ruling for 15 consecutive years from 1998 to 2013, Congress now stares at a third straight defeat.

Congress candidate from the New Delhi constituency, Sandeep Dikshit, acknowledged the party’s disappointing performance. "It feels like the BJP government will be formed. Our only disappointment is that we didn’t get the votes we were expecting. In New Delhi, there is a neck-and-neck fight between Arvind Kejriwal and Parvesh Verma," he stated.

Fractured INDIA Bloc and Congress’s Decline

The decline of Congress in this election was set in motion long before polling day. The INDIA bloc—an alliance of opposition parties—showed signs of fracture as key leaders, including Mamata Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav, chose to back AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal instead of Congress.

During the campaign, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched fierce attacks on AAP over corruption allegations, while Kejriwal retaliated by raising the National Herald case against Gandhi. This infighting among supposed allies was criticized by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who mocked their rivalry, saying, "Aur lado aapas mein" (fight more amongst yourselves), as BJP gained ground.

Could a United Opposition Have Changed the Outcome?

The election results sparked debate over whether a united opposition could have altered the outcome. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut suggested that a joint AAP-Congress effort might have sealed a BJP defeat within the first hour of counting.

"Had Congress and AAP been together, the results may have been different. Both fought separately to keep BJP from power, but in the end, this division helped BJP," Raut remarked.

A similar pattern was witnessed in Haryana, where opposition vote fragmentation benefited the BJP. The INDIA bloc, originally formed to challenge the ruling party, ultimately showcased its own disunity, further eroding Congress’s electoral strength.

As Delhi’s political dynamics shift, Congress finds itself struggling to remain relevant in a city it once dominated. The party that shaped the capital’s governance for over a decade is now left searching for a foothold in the evolving political landscape.

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