Lok Sabha Elections 2024: With the 2024 Lok Sabha elections barely months away, the Congress is reportedly planning to field candidates in only 255 parliamentary seats, which is the lowest ever number for the party since Indias independence in 1947.Why is Congress to field 255 seats in Lok Sabha elections 2024This latest move highlights Congress steep decline in popularity amid the rise of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). With an alliance in the works with the opposition INDIA bloc, Congress appears willing to compromise to boost the chances of defeating BJP in the Lok Sabha elections 2024.Congress has traditionally contested over 450 seats on average in the 17 general elections held so far. The previous lowest was 417 seats in 2004 when the party-led UPA came to power. In contrast, Congress fielded candidates in a record 529 seats in 1996 after five years of PV Narasimha Raos premiership.Congress vs BJP fight in last 2 Lok Sabha Elections:Congress fortunes at the vote bank have waned since Prime Minister Narendra Modis BJP scored a landslide victory in 2014. In the last two general elections of 2014 and 2019, Congress contested 464 and 421 seats respectively. Meanwhile, the BJP has never fielded candidates in less than 300 seats since 1991. From just two seats in its debut election of 1984, the BJP now holds over 290 MPs.Is INDIA bloc playing a part in Congress 255 seatsAccording to reports, the proposed 255 seats for the Indian National Congress would allow the 27 INDIA bloc parties to contest the remaining 288 seats in 2024. In 2019, Shiv Sena fielded the maximum number of candidates, followed by CPI(M) and TMC. However, in terms of seats won, DMK and JD(U) were most successful compared to other bloc partners.The grand old party ceding ground to alliance partners underscores the oppositions urgency to put up a united front against PM Modis BJP in the high-stakes elections. While many view Congress willingness to compromise as a welcome change, its reduced footprint also highlights the partys fading relevance.
