'Performance Will Be Strong...': What Congress Said After Its 'Disappointing' Show In 3 Northeast States

Congress's poor poll score in the northeast continues, but bypoll results provide some relief. Jairam Ramesh said that the causes for the same will be examined and the required steps would be taken.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh (File Photo)

Source : PTI

The Congress on Thursday said the assembly election results in the northeastern states of Tripura, Nagaland, and Meghalaya were "disappointing" for it, but praised its victory in three assembly bypolls in as many states as "encouraging".

Jairam Ramesh, general secretary of communications for the Congress, said the party would analyse the assembly election results quickly and take corrective actions to strengthen the organisation, news agency PTI reported. 

"Our performance will be strong five years later," he said, referring to the fact that the party ran youth candidates in the northeastern states this time around. 

Ramesh stated that while the party performed well in by-elections in West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu, where its candidates won seats previously held by rivals, its performance in the three northeastern states was disappointing.

Congress had won the Sagardighi assembly byelection in West Bengal, Kasba Peth in Maharashtra, and Erode East in Tamil Nadu. 

Today's Assembly Election Results:
-INC wins Kasba Peth in Maharashtra after 33 years
-INC wins Sagardighi seat in West Bengal after 51 years
-INC up from 0 seats to 5 in Tripura
-5 seats in Meghalaya (Despite hijacking of 21 sitting MLAs)
-Tamil Nadu By-Election INC

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) March 2, 2023

Ramesh said the party won its first seat in the West Bengal Assembly and wrested the Kasba assembly constituency in Maharashtra from the BJP after over 30 years and considered the victories "very encouraging".

He also stated that the Congress candidate in Tamil Nadu won by a wide margin and expressed hope that the people would vote for the party in the upcoming elections.

Ramesh stated that the party hoped to get a majority with the Left in Tripura, but that this did not occur.

He anticipated the party would increase its vote share in Nagaland and Meghalaya, where the TMC had snatched all of its MLAs in the last assembly.

"We are building the Congress for the future, and those who thought they will make it big by breaking the Congress have failed," Ramesh stated, clearly referring to the Trinamool Congress (TMC), PTI reported. 

He also stated that the party has apportioned tickets in the northeastern states while keeping the future in mind.

Congress' Performance In The Northeastern Polls: 

The party won only five of the 60 seats it competed for in Meghalaya and failed to build an account in Nagaland, where it ran candidates for 23 of the 60 seats.

In Tripura, where the Congress ran in coalition with the Left parties, it contested 13 seats and won only three out of a total of 60.

In Tripura and Nagaland, the BJP and its alliance partners reclaimed control. The National People's Party is the single-largest party in Meghalaya, and the BJP is likely to back it in the formation of a government.

Senior Party Leader KC Venugopal On Bypolls Results:

In a tweet, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal congratulated victorious candidate Bayron Biswas, party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, and the state party unit on their "Sagardighi by-poll victory, after 51 years, in a three-cornered fight." "The message is clear - no battle is difficult if fought with all our might. This is a watershed moment for INC's re-emergence in West Bengal, " he stated.

Congrats to Bayron Biswas, @adhirrcinc & team @INCWestBengal for the Sagardighi by-poll victory, after 51 years, in a 3-cornered fight.

The message is clear - no battle is difficult if fought with all our might. This is a watershed moment for INC’s re-emergence in WB.

— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) March 2, 2023

He also congratulated the party's Maharashtra allies on its victory. "This by-poll result is the start of a new chapter in Indian politics," he remarked.

"The by-poll victories in Erode, Kasbapeth, and Sagardighi give us a great boost for the many battles ahead! Proud of all the hard-working workers who silenced all the naysayers by giving an extraordinary fight. All over the country, the Congress flag flies high today," in another tweet, he said.

The Congress victory in Kasba is notable because it was the first direct contest between the ruling BJP-Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the opposing party since the state government changed in June last year.

(With Inputs From PTI)