The Congress touched a new low in the crucial Uttar Pradesh, winning only two seats and receiving just 2.39 percent vote share.
In the worst-ever performance in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, the Congress not only scored its lowest tally in the state with two seats, but also the party’s voting percentage fell from 6.25 percent in the 2017 polls, when it had won seven seats.
Even the Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu faced a humiliating defeat from Tamkuhi Raj seat of Kushinagar and stood third behind BJP and SP candidates. The party candidates have lost in all the six constituencies in Rae Bareli and four in neighbouring Amethi.
Congress worst-ever performance can be attributed to multiple reasons: party’s lack of popular appeal, SP seen as the main opposition and party losing public touch.
However, one of the issues which brought the party into controversy and in poor light in UP was Charanjit Singh Channi’s remark against ‘UP bhaiya’. Amid the election heat in February, Channi had said he won’t let “UP, Bihar ke bhaiyya” enter the state while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra — Congress incharge for UP — stood by him laughing and clapping.
Channi added that they would not let the “UP, Bihar ke bhaiyye” enter Punjab and rule the state. The remark didn’t went well as the opposition in Punjab and parties in UP and Bihar lashed out at the former Punjab CM for the ‘insulting remark’ against people of UP and Bihar.
PM Modi, Arvind Kejriwal, Manoj Tiwari, Sushil Kumar Modi and several others had hit out at the former Chief Minister for his remark. PM Modi tore into Channi’s remark reminding him that Guru Gobind Singh and Guru Ravidas too were born outside Punjab.
“What the Congress Chief Minister said here the entire country has seen. The family from Delhi is his maalik (boss), that maalik was standing next to him, clapping,” the prime minister said.
Channi issued a clarification that he meant it for Kejriwal and Priyanka Gandhi also backed the Punjab chief minister and said that his statements were misconstructed.
However, the damage seems to be done and the comment was not well received as it was seen as a derogatory remark for the migrants working in Punjab.
The party which was seen a strong contender in Punjab failed to repeat it’s 2017 victory in the state as it won only 18 out of 117 seats in the state.
CM Channi, who was seen as a prominent Dalit face, lots both his seats in Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur against AAP candidate. State party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu also lost his seat in Amritsar East.
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