With 37.65% votes in Karnal, Congress did its best since 2009

Parveen Arora

Karnal, June 13

Even as the Congress faced defeat in the recently held Lok Sabha elections in the Karnal constituency, the results have shown a positive trend as the party received its highest share of votes in the last four Lok Sabha elections. A study of the last four elections revealed significant voting trends, highlighting an increase in the voting percentage of the Congress.

19.6% iN 2019

• According to the data of the Election Commission of India, the party polled the highest number of votes in the 2024 elections, showing a substantial increase from 19.6% in 2019 and 19.7% in 2014 to 37.65% this year. However, the party had managed to win 37.6% votes in 2009.
• Congress candidate Divyanshu Budhiraja received 5,06,708 votes, which is a significant rise compared to the party’s 2,55,452 votes in 2019, 2,34,670 votes in 2014 and 3,04,698 votes in 2009.
• This time, the party won in 602 booths, while it had won 94 booths in 2019.

According to the data of the Election Commission of India, the party polled the highest number of votes in the 2024 elections, showing a substantial increase from 19.6 per cent in 2019 and 19.7 per cent in 2014 to 37.65 per cent this year. However, the party had managed to win 37.6 per cent votes in 2009.

In the recent elections, Congress candidate Divyanshu Budhiraja received 5,06,708 votes, which is a significant rise compared to the party’s 2,55,452 votes in 2019, 2,34,670 votes in 2014 and 3,04,698 votes in 2009. The party got a lead of 602 booths in 2024, while it had won only in 94 booths in 2019.

The Congress has also witnessed a rising trend of votes in all nine Assembly segments. It won in 95 booths in 2024 compared to 12 in 2019 in Nilokheri, 73 booths this year against nine in 2019 in the Indri segment, 29 booths in Karnal in 2024 compared to two in 2019 and 59 booths in 2024 in comparison to eight in 2019 in Gharaunda.

The party won in 27 booths in Assandh in 2019 and managed to win in 110 booths this year’s elections. Similarly, in Panipat (rural), it won in 61 booths compared to three booths in 2019. Besides, it won in two booths in both elections in Panipat city.

In the Israna segment, it won in 93 booths this time, while it had won in 17 booths in 2019 whereas in Samalkha, it won in 80 booths this time compared to 14 booths in 2019.

However, BJP candidate and former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar took the lead in all nine Assembly segments of the Lok Sabha. According to political experts, the rise in the voting percentage of Congress is an eye-opener for the BJP.

A study of this year’s poll shows that the BJP saw a mixed trend in its vote share over the same period. In 2024, the saffron party secured 54.93 per cent votes, a decrease from 70.01 percent in 2019 but an increase from 49.8 per cent in 2014 and 22.9 percent in 2009.

Khattar got 7,39,285 votes this time. This marks a decrease from 9,11,594 votes in 2019 but an increase from 5,94,817 votes in 2014 and 1,85,437 votes in 2009.

The BJP’s dominance has also witnessed a decline in booths. In 2024, the party claimed victory in 1,425 booths, down from 1,908 booths in 2019, reflecting a shift in the voters’ sentiment over the past years.Political experts consider this year’s elections a new lease of life for the Congress, and if it retains the momentum, it would have good prospects in the upcoming Assembly elections.

“It is imperative for the grand old party Congress to check the internal intense infighting as well as factionalism. The Congress must also complete its organisational structure before it enters the Assembly contest due in October this year. Both factors are very crucial to regain the lost ground for the party,” said Kushal Pal, a political analyst and principal of Indira Gandhi National College, Ladwa.

He also cautioned the ruling BJP to find out the reasons responsible for the dip in the vote share in the past five years despite having fielded a strong face and ex-CM, Khattar.