New Delhi, February 8: The Congress, which ruled the national capital for 15 years on the trot from 1998 to 2013, has lost the Delhi Assembly election for the third consecutive time.
Following the announcement of the assembly poll results on Saturday, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi took to X and wrote, "We humbly accept the mandate of Delhi. Heartfelt thanks to all the Congress workers of the state for their dedication and all the voters for their support."
"This fight for the progress of Delhi and the rights of Delhiites – against pollution, inflation and corruption – will continue," he added.
Have a look at his tweet here:
The grand-old-party has struggled to regain relevance in Delhi since its dominance under Sheila Dikshit, especially after the rise of Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) following the 2013 anti-corruption Jantar Mantar protests.
That year, Congress's seats in the Delhi Assembly plummeted from 43 to just 8, with a 15% drop in its vote share. Despite ruling Delhi for 15 years, Congress failed to make a comeback since its 2013 defeat, with its latest loss further deepening its crisis.
Despite leading on one seat during the postal ballot count, it quickly became clear that the party had no revival. While Congress performed well in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, partly due to Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, it failed to capitalize on his popularity and resolve to defeat the BJP, resulting in continued decline in Delhi.
The BJP faced setbacks in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, as several Opposition parties united under the INDIA bloc, despite internal tensions. However, the alliance quickly lost momentum due to infighting and differing ambitions, which hurt its performance in state elections.
Following the defeat of the AAP in Delhi, the number of INDIA bloc-governed states dropped to eight, including Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir, Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
