The Congress on Saturday claimed that the 2024 Lok Sabha election mandate had been a “moral, political and personal” defeat for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said efforts were now being made to justify his “pathetic” electoral performance.
The BJP won 240 seats in the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls, falling below the halfway mark in the 543-member House, but the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) collectively won 293 seats. The Congress has won 99 seats.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said rumors have begun to find positives in the mandate which has been a “moral, political and personal” defeat for Modi.
“It is propagated that Mr. Narendra Modi is the first to be given a mandate three times in a row after Jawaharlal Nehru. It is not explained how taking a party to 240 seats and becoming a ‘one-third’ Pradhan Mantri is a mandate.” said the Congress leader.
“Nehru, on the other hand, won 364 seats in 1952, 371 seats in 1957 and 361 seats in 1962, a two-thirds majority each time. However, he remained a thorough democrat, feeding Parliament so carefully with his constant presence “Ramesh said in a post on X.
Modi is also not the only man since Nehru to have taken oath three times, in a row or not, he said.
Ramesh pointed out that Atal Bihari Vajpayee took oath three times in 1996, 1998 and 1999.
And Indira Gandhi took oath four times in 1966, 1967, 1971 and 1980, he said.
“The drummers will look for anything to justify Mr Narendra Modi’s pathetic electoral performance in 2024,” Ramesh said.
In another post, the Congress general secretary said the 2024 Lok Sabha elections have been a “moral defeat” for Modi and the BJP, while being a “moral boost” for his party.