NEW DELHI: The Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav asserted on Tuesday that despite failing to secure a single seat in the recently concluded assembly elections, the party succeeded in shifting public perception.
He emphasised that the contest was framed as a three-way battle between the Congress, the AAP and the BJP, rather than a direct clash between the AAP and BJP.
While acknowledging the party’s third consecutive defeat in the Delhi Assembly, he expressed optimism about reclaiming its traditional support base of Dalits, minorities, and underprivileged communities, who he claimed had temporarily shifted allegiance to the AAP.
“Though we could not secure a seat in the Assembly, we have laid the groundwork for rebuilding trust. Our core voters—those who stood with us for decades—are beginning to recognise that the Congress remains their natural choice. With the AAP no longer in power, we are confident of regaining their confidence,” he stated. He differentiated the electoral outcome from previous losses, arguing that this “zero” marked progress in re-establishing the party’s relevance.
“This result is not the same as before. We’ve reignited hope and reconnected with communities that felt neglected,” he added. The party drew zero for the third consecutive terms in the recently held polls. With several candidates struggling to cross the 5 per cent mark, over 90 per cent of Congress candidates failed to secure even the minimum votes required to retain their electoral deposits.
Under Election Commission rules, candidates forfeit their deposits if they fail to garner at least one-sixth (16.6%) of the total votes polled in their constituency. However, the party managed to marginally increase its voter share this year (6.34%) compared to 2020 Delhi polls, where it secured a 4.26% vote share.
Marginally increased vote share
Congress managed to marginally increase its voter share this year (6.34%) compared to 2020 Delhi polls, where it secured a 4.26% vote share. “This result is not the same as before. We’ve reignited hope and reconnected with communities that felt neglected,” Congress president Devender Yadav said.
