Congress leader Udit Raj has described his party’s defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections as more severe than that of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), stating that Congress failed to capitalise on anti-incumbency sentiment.
The party’s inability to build on the voter base it regained during the Lok Sabha elections ultimately benefited the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he said.
Raj criticised Congress for not engaging with voters consistently and argued that if the party had started outreach efforts immediately after the general elections, it could have secured at least 15 to 20 per cent of the vote share.
He added that the party’s failure to maintain momentum allowed its supporters to shift their allegiance to the BJP in the assembly polls.
“Congress has harmed itself more than AAP. The vote bank that returned to us during the Lok Sabha elections—after being disillusioned with AAP—moved towards BJP because we lacked connectivity. Our defeat is bigger than AAP’s,” Raj said.
He pointed out that despite Rahul Gandhi’s efforts to energise the party, Congress workers failed to effectively communicate his message to the public.
“We should have gained from this anti-incumbency. That we did not is a shortcoming on our part. Rahul Gandhi tried, but his message did not reach the people. Only working during elections does not help. If we had focused on social justice and remained engaged after the Lok Sabha elections, we could have secured 15 to 20 per cent of the vote,” he said.
Raj also noted that Congress lacked clear communication, particularly with Muslim, Dalit, and Other Backward Class (OBC) voters. He criticised the party for relying on “traditional politics” rather than directly addressing people’s concerns.
“We should have built a narrative among Muslim voters that, regardless of Congress’ chances of winning, their safety could only be ensured by us. AAP’s victory would not have guaranteed that. But we failed to communicate this. I tried, but I was unsuccessful. We also did not connect with Dalits and OBCs. Freebies cannot counter strong voter engagement. We should have focused on participation instead of continuing with outdated political strategies,” he said.
He added that during the Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi had taken the party beyond traditional politics by focusing on constitutional values and their protection, which helped Congress gain traction.
However, the assembly elections required a different approach. “We need to analyse this defeat carefully. Instead of creating a high-profile manifesto, we should have focused on people’s real issues,” he said.
Congress, which once dominated Delhi’s political landscape with a 15-year rule from 1998, failed to win a single seat for the third consecutive time. The BJP stormed to victory, securing a two-thirds majority and ending AAP’s rule in the national capital.
The BJP won 48 of the 70 seats in a historic mandate, marking its return to power in Delhi after 27 years. Several senior AAP leaders, including former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, lost in their constituencies.
However, Chief Minister Atishi managed to retain her seat.
Vote counting took place on Saturday after polling was conducted on February 5.
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