Congress to focus on crossing 150 in 2024 Lok Sabha elections

tested was in the 2004 elections, 417 seats. In 2019, the Congress won 52 seats, eight more than what it had won in 2014.

According to a senior Congress leader, the impact of unemployment, inflation and voter fatigue with BJP MPS present on the ground was not being “recorded” by the media. “The anger is there, people are not showing it right now. They are looking for an alternative and we are working to present them as a credible alternative. Most of the faces of the UPA of 2004-2009 are now no longer active in politics and we believe that the common man is ready to give us a chance,” a senior party MP told The Sunday Guardian.

According to him, the party in this election might even contest on fewer seats than what it did in 2019. “Our focus right now is to identify winnable seats, where the anger against the sitting BJP MP is palpable and field a credible candidate from there. We are not looking to field candidates from every seat. If we contest on 400 seats and our strike rate is even 40%, we will easily cross 150 seats and come in a position to form a truly inclusive and democratic government. We have shown during UPA-I and UPA-II how a coalition government can carry out long-ranging reforms. We have also learnt lessons from our mistakes,” he said.

According to another senior party leader, it has been agreed on principle that the Congress will ensure that other “like-minded” parties do not field candidates against each other. The leader, who has been active in Congress since 2004, added that it was also understood that Rahul Gandhi would not insist on the top role (Prime Minister) for himself or one of his party MPS if the Congress-led coalition comes to power and the only factor that stops it from replacing the BJP would be the question of who would be the PM candidate.

“That will not be an issue. We will think about crossing that bridge when we reach there, but you can write that we are not going to be adamant on the PM post. As it is being done right now, everything will be through consensus. There are several leaders in other parties who have led and are leading in their respective states. We do not have a dearth of mature and experienced leaders, within and outside the party. If consensus demands that Rahul Gandhi should be the PM, then so be it,” he said.