Elections for the Lok Sabha in 2024: Congress will run for the fewest seats. This is the reason

Due to alliance obligations, the Congress party will field the fewest candidates for the next Lok Sabha Elections of 2024—the fewest since independence.

This occurs at a time when the grand old party’s numbers in the Lok Sabha have significantly decreased in the last two general elections.

278 candidates from 27 states and eight Union territories have so far been declared by the party. In the next few days, the party is anticipated to reveal the names of at least 20 contenders. Candidates from Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and a few West Bengal seats are among them. Thus, according to a report in the Hindustan Times, the grand old party is anticipated to run for a total of around 300 seats.

Get all the latest information on the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections here.

421 seats were contested by the Congress in 2019, 464 in 2014, and 440 in 2009. Out of the 543 Lok Sabha seats, the party ran for 417 seats in 2004, the fewest of any year. 52 seats were gained by the party in 2019, 44 in 2014, 206 in 2009, and 145 in 2004.

The grand old party’s partnership pledges may be the cause of the drop in seats. In these elections, the party is a member of the opposition’s India alliance. However, during the Indian electoral coalition phase, which lasted from 1989 to 1999, the Congress party nominated candidates for more than 450 seats.

In Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, the party has given up seats to its friends. The Lok Sabha has 201 MPs from these four states. The party has declared 13 candidates for West Bengal so far. It is also running for 17 seats in Uttar Pradesh, which includes Amethi and Rae Bareli, 9 seats in Bihar, and 9 seats in Tamil Nadu.

The Congress is fielding candidates for 17 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, leaving 21 seats for the Shiv Sena (UBT) and 10 seats for the National Congress Party (SP). In the last two elections, the party contested 25 and 26 seats in the state.

In Delhi, Haryana, and Gujarat, the Congress has given up six seats to the Aam Aadmi Party, its coalition partner.