New Delhi: The Congress is upbeat over the possibility of gains for the INDIA bloc in big states like Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat after polling in third phase of Lok Sabha election that concluded on May 7.
While the Congress is fighting the BJP directly in Karnataka, it has an alliance with Shiv Sena UBT and NCP-SP in Maharashtra, SP in Uttar Pradesh and AAP in Gujarat, where 25 of 26 seats went to polls on May 7. The BJP had earlier won the Surat seat unopposed, as the Congress and the other nominees were allegedly edged out from the contest.
According to party insiders, Congress is going to make significant gains in around 80 of the 93 seats which are saffron party strongholds. The party's assessment is based on initial reports which suggested that the opposition grouping made significant gains there. The saffron party is likely to lose around 25 seats in Karnataka and Maharashtra, sources said.
In 2019, the BJP had won 25 out of 28 seats in Karnataka and 23 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra. Among the issues that made an impact in phase 3 were the involvement of JD-S MP Prajwal Revanna in obscene videos case, which rocked the Karnataka politics, widespread anger among the Rajput community over the controversial remarks made by union minister Parshottam Rupala in Gujarat, the ‘stealing of mandate’ by the saffron party which dislodged the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra in 2022 by first breaking up Shiv Sena and later NCP and joblessness and price rise in UP, according to party insiders.
“The BJP had swept Gujarat in 2019. That is not happening this time. The INDIA alliance is going to win several seats in the state,” AICC secretary in charge of Gujarat BM Sandeep Kumar told ETV Bharat.
According to party insiders, seats like Anand, Rajkot, Banaskantha, Valsad, Bharuch and Jamnagar among others looked positive for the opposition grouping in Gujarat. Sunita Kejriwal, wife of arrested Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, had campaigned in the Bharuch and Bhavnagar seats contested by the party in Gujarat, alleging her husband was targeted by the Centre.
In neighbouring Maharashtra, public sympathy for NCP-SP leader and veteran Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena UBT leader Uddhav Thackeray was going in favour of the INDIA bloc.
“The BJP took away the lawmakers of the Shiv Sena and NCP but the party system remained with their leaders who had public sympathy. Besides, the cooperation among the opposition grouping, the joint campaign and the basic issues we raised were liked by the people. The alliance is doing well in the state over the past three phases,” AICC secretary in charge of Maharashtra Asish Dua told ETV Bharat.
According to party insiders, high unemployment and caste consolidation had ensured that the Congress-SP alliance was gaining over the past three phases in Uttar Pradesh where the BJP had won 62 out of 80 seats in 2019.
“We are happy over the alliance performance through the past three phases. We hope the momentum will continue in phase 4 seats where the opposition has an edge on the ground. Our fight for saving democracy has been understood by the people. I don’t see the BJP gaining anywhere,” AICC functionary Vivek Bansal said.
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