Congress Aims for Organizational Overhaul After Poor Poll Results

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has acknowledged that the party's performance in several states is not meeting expectations and emphasized the urgent need to strengthen the organization.

Speaking at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Friday, Kharge shared his opening statement on social media, stating, "In many states, our organisation is not up to expectations. Our biggest need is to strengthen the organization."

Kharge highlighted the party's resurgence following the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, noting that Congress had regained momentum. However, he also pointed out that its performance in the recent state elections was "below expectations," posing a challenge for the party's future prospects.

"After the 2024 Lok Sabha election results, the Congress party made a comeback with renewed vigor. The election results in three states were not as per our expectations. INDIA parties formed the government in two out of four states. But our performance was below expectations. This is a challenge for us in terms of the future," Kharge said on social media platform X.

कांग्रेस कार्यसमिति (CWC) की बैठक में मेरा शुरुआती वक्तव्य —

कार्य समिति के सभी सदस्य साथी, आप सभी का स्वागत है।

1. सबसे पहले मैं प्रियंका गांधी जी को वायनाड से और रवींद्र वसंतराव चव्हाण को नांदेड़ से लोक सभा में विजयी होने पर बहुत बधाई देता हूं। राज्यों में कांग्रेस के विजयी… pic.twitter.com/KbXqc87Z9Q

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) November 29, 2024

The Congress President stressed the importance of learning from these election outcomes, urging the party to immediately address its organizational weaknesses and shortcomings. "We need to immediately learn from the election results and correct all our weaknesses and shortcomings at the organizational level. These results are a message for us," Kharge added.

Congress suffered significant setbacks in the Maharashtra assembly elections, where the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition faced a major defeat. The Shiv Sena (UBT), led by Uddhav Thackeray, secured only 20 seats, while Congress managed just 16 seats. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Sharad Pawar's faction, secured 10 seats. In contrast, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged victorious with 132 seats, and its allies, the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde and the NCP led by Ajit Pawar, won 57 and 41 seats, respectively.

Similarly, in Haryana, Congress struggled to challenge the BJP's dominance. The BJP secured a third consecutive term with 48 seats in the 90-member assembly, while Congress could manage only 37 seats.

In Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress-National Conference alliance secured 48 seats, with the National Conference winning 42 and Congress only managing 6 seats.

The CWC meeting, held at the AICC headquarters in Delhi, was attended by senior party leaders including Kharge, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, and other top officials.

After the meeting, Delhi Congress Chief Devender Yadav addressed the media, stating that the party is preparing for the upcoming Delhi Assembly election, scheduled for early 2025. "We will contest all 70 seats in Delhi and win... there is no alliance," Yadav confirmed, signaling Congress' intent to go solo in the elections.

As Congress prepares for upcoming elections, Kharge’s call to strengthen the party’s organizational structure reflects a growing realization that the path to electoral success requires more than just electoral alliances; it necessitates deeper internal reforms and grassroots strengthening. The challenges ahead remain significant, but the party's leadership appears determined to respond to the voters' message and regain its footing in state politics.