In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the Congress won just 52 seats—eight more than in 2014— and failed to breach the three-digit mark in the 545-member house for a second consecutive time. Of these 52 seats, 15 came from Kerala, a state that sends just 20 MPs to the Lok Sabha. It was the party’s best performance across all states and came three years after it was crushed in the assembly election in Kerala. With former Congress president and de facto leader Rahul Gandhi representing the state from Wayanad, there was anticipation that the party will dethrone the incumbent LDF (Left Democratic Front) government in the next assembly poll.
However, when the results of the 2021 assembly poll in Kerala was announced, the Congress had won just 21 seats in the 140-member house. The performance was worse than in 2016, when the Congress-led UDF (United Democratic Front) government faced anti-incumbency. What made the route even more bitter was that Kerala was one of the two states—the other being Tamil Nadu—where Rahul had run an extensive campaign. In his earnest attempt to woo voters in the state, Rahul drew flak for comparing north and south India at a public meeting in Thiruvananthapuram: “For the first 15 years, I was an MP in the north; I had got used to a different type of politics. For me, coming to Kerala was very refreshing as suddenly I found that people are interested in issues, and not just superficially, but going into detail.”
Bu hikaye India Today dergisinin May 17, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye India Today dergisinin May 17, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Congress 'EQ' Vs BJP ‘IQ'
Team Modi Is Riding On Its Assembly Poll Momentum, But The Congress's Clever Candidate Mix May Prevent A Washout
The Macallan M 2023 debuts in India
Standing as a pinnacle of exclusivity, The Macallan M 2023 graces the shores of India with limited 10 handpicked bottles for whisky aficionados
Give it up for the science bros
They've got brains, brawn and billions in the bank. A new breed of wellness guru is doing for men what Gwyneth Paltrow did for women.
LIVING BY THE RULES
Chetan Bhagat returns to non-fiction with his new book-11 Rules for Life
The Mysterious City
Anuradha Kumar's The Kidnapping of Mark Twain paints an intriguing portrait of Bombay around the time of the American writer's visit
GOWDA KNOWS
Hot Stage, the third book in Anita Nair's Inspector Gowda mystery series, is here
WITH OUR OWN DESI SLEUTHS
Indian detective fiction gets its due in this massive, two-volume compilation from Hachette
PRIVATE PARADISE
Your home may well be your haven, but here are easy ways to make it your very own spa-dom.
Subversive IN SUBURBIA
A MONTH-LONG SHOW AT ART AND CHARLIE, MUMBAI, SHOWCASING THE WORKS OF POONAM JAIN AND YOGESH BARVE POSES SEVERAL QUESTIONS TO THE VIEWER
THE HOME THAT WAS
A soon-to-launch gallery at the Partition Museum in Delhi will showcase artefacts capturing 'The Lost Homeland of Sindh'