New Delhi: In the 2024 elections, Congress accomplished a significant feat as they exceeded the 12 crore vote milestone for the first time in 40 years. This achievement brings us back to 1984, a year shadowed by the tragic assassination of Indira Gandhi when Congress rallied a massive wave of support, garnering 12.01 crore votes.
In contrast, the BJP secured only 1.84 crore votes that year, out of a total of approximately 25 crore valid votes. Despite the substantial growth in the electorate since then, Congress hadn't managed to surpass the 12 crore mark until 2024.
In the current year, Congress has secured over 13.63 crore votes, marking progress compared to its performance in 1984. However, it still lags behind the BJP, which has received more than 23.45 crore votes. According to data from the Election Commission, the total number of votes cast in the country's general elections in 2024 was 64.20 crore.
After 1984, in 1989, the total valid votes exceeded 30 crore, with Congress securing 11.88 crore votes and BJP obtaining 3.42 crore votes. In the subsequent general elections, the total votes cast were 27.42 crore, with Congress receiving 9.98 crore votes and BJP securing 5.58 crore votes.
Congress received 9.64 crore votes in 1996, 9.51 crore in 1998 and 10.31 crore in 1999. During these years, BJP secured 6.79 crore, 9.42 crore and 8.65 crore votes respectively.
In 2004 and 2009, during the UPA government's tenure, Congress secured 10.34 crore and 11.91 crore votes respectively while the BJP secured 8.63 crore and 7.84 crore votes respectively.
Until then, the Bharatiya Janata Party used to lag behind Congress in terms of vote share in the country. However, in 2014, BJP surpassed Congress, and since then, BJP has maintained a significant lead. Nevertheless, Congress has also shown progress since that election.
Year Total Votes Congress Votes BJP Votes
1984-85 24.97 12.01 (48.10%) 1.84 (7.40%)
1989 30.09 11.88 (39.50%) 3.41 (11.40%)
1991-92 27.42 9.98 (36.40%) 5.58 (20.07%)
1996 33.49 9.64 (28.80%) 6.79 (20.29%)
1998 36.83 9.51 (25.82%) 9.42 (25.59%)
1999 36.43 10.31 (28.30%) 8.65 (23.75%)
2004 38.97 10.34 (26.53%) 8.63 (22.16%)
2009 41.72 11.91 (28.55%) 7.84 (18.80%)
2014 54.78 10.69 (19.52%) 17.16 (31.34%)
2019 60.74 11.94 (19.67%) 22.90 (37.70%)
2024 64.20 13.63 (21.30%) 23.45 (36.60%)
