In the wake of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed heartfelt gratitude to the people of Wayanad and Raebareli for their overwhelming support, which led to his victory by significant margins. Addressing a press conference in the national capital on Tuesday, Gandhi thanked his constituents, stating, “Thank you very much to the people of Wayanad and Raebareli for giving me immense support and making me win with a huge majority. If it were in my control, I would have liked to remain an MP from both places.”
The final tally for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections saw the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) winning 240 seats, significantly fewer than expected, while Congress secured 99 seats, reflecting a notable increase from its previous count.
Rahul Gandhi emphasized the importance of the election results, stating, “The people of India have saved the Constitution and democracy. The deprived and poor population of the country stood with India to protect their rights. Congratulations to all the alliance partners and the lion-like workers of the Congress party.”
Despite securing a third term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP fell 32 seats short of the 272 majority mark, necessitating reliance on coalition partners like JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu. This outcome is a setback for Modi, who had aimed for a landslide victory with a target of ‘400 paar’.
For the first time since the BJP’s ascent to power in 2014, the party did not secure a majority on its own, falling far short of the 303 seats won in the 2019 elections. The surprising drop in support led the Opposition INDIA bloc to claim a moral and political victory, with Congress describing the election as a “moral and political loss” for PM Modi.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge commented on the results, saying, “This election result is ‘janta ka result’. This is the victory of people and democracy. We were saying that the fight is Modi vs. the people. In the 18th Lok Sabha election, we humbly accept the result. People have not given a full majority to any party. BJP asked to vote for one person, the mandate has gone against Modi. It is his political and moral loss. The person who sought votes on his name, it’s a huge loss for him.”
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also took to social media platform X, stating, “This election was a fight to save India’s democracy and constitution. It was a fight against unemployment, inflation, and the economic crisis. The great people of the country recognized their issues and supported the INDIA alliance. Many congratulations and thanks to all the alliance partners, all the Congress workers, and the great people of the country.”
Rahul Gandhi’s victory in Raebareli was marked by a significant margin, defeating BJP’s Dinesh Pratap Singh by 390,030 votes. Gandhi aimed to save the lone bastion of the party in Uttar Pradesh after losing Amethi in 2019. Additionally, Gandhi retained his seat in Wayanad, defeating Communist Party of India-Marxist candidate Annie Raja by 364,422 votes.
The election results have reshaped the political landscape, highlighting a shift in voter sentiment and setting the stage for new alliances and political strategies in the coming term.