Indian National Congress in the 2024 Lok Sabha Election: Nation, Religion, and Identity
摘要
This chapter examines the performance of the INC in Lok Sabha elections in 2024, disaggregates the results in terms of a complex interplay of religion, community, caste, identity and nation, assesses the strategies and challenges faced by Congress in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and comments on the prospects of the party. After consecutive defeats in 2014 and 2019, the INC entered the 2024 elections with an urgent need for ideological clarity, organizational rejuvenation, and electoral credibility. The party’s seat tally rose from 52 in 2019 to 99 in 2024, signaling a modest yet significant recovery. Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, symbolically invoking Lord Shiva, marked a shift toward soft Hinduism while reiterating core values of secularism, unity in diversity, and social justice. These moves countered the BJP’s Hindutva-dominant narrative, reinforced by the inauguration of the Ram Mandir. The Congress strategically aligned with regional and caste-based parties under the INDIA bloc, gaining traction in States like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. However, the party continued to face structural issues, particularly in the Hindi heartland, and remained organizationally uneven. The 2024 elections thus represented a critical juncture for the INC to reposition itself as a credible national alternative. This chapter analyzes whether Congress’s efforts reflect an enduring revival or remain a conditional resurgence shaped by coalition dynamics and reactive politics.