New Delhi: Congress fared much better this time than in the previous two Lok Sabha elections.
From 44 in 2014 and 52 in 2019, the grand old party almost doubled its tally in the just-concluded polls.
However, Congress stopped agonisingly short of a ‘century’, winning in 99 of the 543 constituencies.
Three days after counting of votes, the Congress tally has effectively reached the magical mark of 100.
This was the result of Vishal Patil, winner from Sangli Parliamentary constituency in Maharashtra, extending his support to the Congress.
Patil, the grandson of former Maharashtra CM Vasantdada Patil, was with the Congress but fought the election as an Independent candidate after INDIA bloc ally Uddhav Thackeray’s party staked claim to the Sangli seat.
Patil beat BJP’s Sanjay ‘Kaka’ Patil by around 100,053 votes, while Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackarey) candidate Chandrahar Subhash Patil was a distant third.
“The people of Maharashtra defeated the politics of treachery, arrogance and division. It is a fitting tribute to our inspiring stalwarts like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar who fought for social justice, equality and freedom. We welcome the support of the elected MP from Sangli Vishal Patil to the Congress party,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said.
With Congress at 100, INDIA bloc’s tally is 234, while NDA finished with an aggregate of 293 and will form the government under Narendra Modi for the third straight time.
Modi mocked in Parliament on Friday that in 10 years, Congress had failed to win 100 seats.
