New Delhi, March 15 – Redemption and revival will be the key priorities for the Congress as it prepares for the next round of assembly elections, aiming to regain control of Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry.
The opposition party will also seek a strong showing in Tamil Nadu, where its dominant ally, the DMK, is seeking to maintain power.
In West Bengal, the Congress faces a crucial situation, as it attempts to remain relevant after a disappointing performance in the last assembly elections. The main contest in the state appears to be between the ruling TMC and the BJP, with the Congress and the Left relegated to a secondary role.
Therefore, the stakes are particularly high for the Congress in Kerala and Assam, where they have been out of power for a decade but remain the principal opposition parties.
In Puducherry, the party is aiming to unseat the ruling AINRC-BJP coalition.
The Congress has announced candidates for 65 seats in Assam and has also reserved 15 seats for its allies.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi is working behind the scenes to mobilize the party for the Assam elections.
These elections are particularly significant for the Congress, following the disappointing results in the Bihar elections.
The Congress's performance in Bihar's elections was its second-worst in electoral history, winning only six of the over 50 seats it contested and failing to secure deposits in most constituencies, despite its "vote theft" campaign.
The scale of this failure was such that the party could only outperform Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM and Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), which won five seats each.
The Congress's tally was only better than the four seats it won in 2010, with a vote share of just 8.75 percent compared to the 8.17 percent recorded 15 years ago.
In recent years, the Congress has struggled to defeat the BJP in direct contests (Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana) and has often played a peripheral or minor role in coalitions elsewhere, such as in Jharkhand.
In Kerala, the Congress faces the challenge of uniting its various factions and capitalizing on the anti-incumbency against the LDF.
Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V D Satheesan, stated that the UDF will contest the elections as a united force.
"The UDF will contest the elections as a united team. We will secure over 100 seats," he said.
Satheesan also confirmed that there are no differences within the Congress or the UDF regarding seat allocation.
AICC general secretary K C Venugopal stated that the election campaign period is short, as per the election schedule.
"There will be the Holy Week in between, and the elections are scheduled a few days before the Vishu festival. In practical terms, there are very limited days for campaigning," he said.
He also noted that it is unusual for the Election Commission to schedule elections in such a short timeframe.
Despite these challenges, Venugopal asserted that the Congress is well-prepared for the election.
"The UDF will strongly advocate for an end to the misgovernance of the LDF in Kerala. The people of Kerala are eagerly awaiting this," he said.
Venugopal added that the Congress candidate list will be finalized within one or two days.
Assam Congress media department chairman Bedabrata Bora stated that the party is fully prepared for the elections.
"We had already anticipated a single-phase election in the first quarter of April. Our preparations were underway, and we are ready for it," he said.
The Election Commission announced on Sunday that assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry will be held on a single day on April 9, in Tamil Nadu on April 23, and in two phases in West Bengal on April 23 and 29, with all votes to be counted on May 4.
Compared to the eight voting days spread across almost a month in 2021, these elections will feature three polling days within a 20-day period, pitting the BJP against the incumbent parties in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
Puducherry is governed by the NDA partner, the All India N R Congress.
A total of 17.4 crore voters are eligible to vote in these elections across five assemblies with 824 constituencies.
The model code of conduct has already come into effect with the announcement of the poll schedule.
DMK, Trinamool Congress, and the Left Front currently rule Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Kerala, respectively.
DMK leader M K Stalin has been the chief minister of Tamil Nadu since 2021, overseeing 234 assembly seats.
West Bengal has 294 assembly seats, with Mamata Banerjee of the TMC in power since 2011.
Kerala has 140 seats, with Pinarayi Vijayan of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) serving as chief minister since 2016.
In Assam, the BJP has been in power since 2016, holding 126 assembly seats. Himanta Biswa Sarma has been the chief minister since 2021.
N Rangasamy has been the chief minister of Puducherry since 2021, overseeing the 30 seats in the Union Territory.
The terms of the assemblies in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry will end on May 7, May 10, May 20, May 23, and June 15, respectively.