'Need urgent introspection and internal reforms': Congress leaders speak in one voice post Delhi rout

Congress

After failing to open its acoount in the recently held Delhi elections, many senior Congress leaders called for introspection and organisational reforms questioning the party’s electoral strategy.

Despite scoring another zero in the Delhi Assembly election 2025, the Congress can take solace in its growing vote share and its decision to go solo. In the 2025 polls, despite winning zero seats, the party managed to increase its voter share to 6.39%. In the 2020 election, its voter share was 4.3%.

The AAP and the Congress had contested last year's Lok Sabha election in an alliance, but failed to stop the BJP from sweeping all seven parliamentary seats in the national capital. Owing to local rivalries, the former allies could not reach an agreement for the capital contest.

The solo contests by the AAP and the Congress split the Opposition votes and in at least 11 votes, the Congress candidates got more votes than the BJP's victory margin. This means that if the two parties had tied up, the results would have possibly been against the BJP. The Congress, however, has said it was not its responsibility to ensure AAP's victory in the capital.

Congress MP from Katihar Tariq Anwar called for the party to clarify its "political strategy" and called for fundamental changes in the party's organisation.

"Congress needs to clarify its political strategy. They have to decide whether they will do coalition politics or go it alone. Also, it has become necessary to make fundamental changes in the party's organisation," Anwar said in a post on X.

Party leader Rashid Alvi echoed similar sentiments and said that the grand-old party needs to "respect all parties in the INDIA bloc" if they aim to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

He warned that the results were a cause of concern for the Muslim community in Delhi, adding, “This election has forced them to think that the BJP has won because of us. If we want to defeat the BJP, we must respect all parties in the INDIA alliance and strengthen the coalition.”