Poll Number Game: Congress Fields 282 Names in Record Low, BJP Contesting on 432 Seats; Parties in Direct Duel on 275+ Seats

The Congress has released 20 lists of 282 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, while the BJP has named 432 candidates in its 12 lists released as of Wednesday. The numbers analysed by News18 show that the Congress is yet to announce candidates on around 45 seats and BJP is expected to issue close to 10 additional names.

The analysis shows that on 276 seats, there will be a direct battle between the two biggest national parties in India, while additional parties may also be in the fray. These seats also include the constituencies where any of the two parties are yet to announce candidates.

Among the states where the Congress has not made any progress in candidates is Haryana. While the BJP has named all the 10 candidates, Congress is yet to name any. More names are also expected from Congress in Andhra Pradesh (12), Punjab (7), Telangana (3), Odisha (2), Uttar Pradesh (2), Bihar (6) and Himachal Pradesh (2).

BJP is expected to list more candidates from Jammu and Kashmir (3), Punjab (4), and Uttar Pradesh (2). None of the parties has listed candidates for the lone seat in Ladakh.

While the total number of candidates in the fray may reach around 330 from the Congress side by the final-phase nominations, it is important to note that never in the history of Lok Sabha polls has the Grand Old Party contested below 400 seats. The lowest so far for Congress was the 2004 election when it fielded 417 candidates. The highest number of candidates BJP fielded in the Lok Sabha polls was in 1991-92 polls — 477 candidates.

The Congress is fighting on the lowest number of seats, leaving space for allies. In different states and UTs, the Grand Old Party has joined hands with other parties on a seat-sharing basis in its fight against the BJP.

Tamil Nadu

The biggest state going for polls in the first phase is Tamil Nadu with all 39 seats voting in a single day. The Congress is fighting on nine seats. On the other hand, the BJP has named 23 candidates. In 2019, Congress bagged eight seats and BJP drew zero. It was the DMK that got 24 seats in the state.

There are seven seats that will see BJP vs Congress in Tamil Nadu: Krishnagiri, Tiruvallur, Karur, Virudhunagar, Sivaganga, Tirunelveli, and Kanniyakumari. In all these seats, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) or its ally Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) is giving a fight to the two national parties.

The AIADMK, BJP and Congress are also contesting the lone Lok Sabha constituency in Puducherry with BSP also in the fight for the seat.

16 candidates each in Kerala

Both the Congress and the BJP have named 16 candidates each in Kerala and are in direct battle in 13 seats for the state going for polls in second phase.

Among the seats in focus are Wayanad from where Congress has fielded Rahul Gandhi. He will face Left candidate Annie Raja and BJP’s Kerala unit president K Surendran. In Attingal, BJP’s V Muraleedharan is challenging sitting MP from Congress Adoor Prakash. In Thiruvananthapuram, it is Shashi Tharoor from Congress and Rajeev Chandrasekhar from the BJP. In Alappuzha, Congress leader KC Venugopal is contesting against BJP’s Sobha Surendran.

Kasaragod, Kannur, Vatakara, Kozhikode, Palakkad, Alathur, Thrissur, Ernakulam, and Pathanamthitta are the remaining seats where it is BJP vs Congress. In 2019, of the 20 seats in the state, Congress won 15. Congress-led alliance United Democratic Front bagged 19 seats in total. The remaining was bagged by CPI(M).

10 States/UTs where BJP, Congress contesting on all seats

In 10 states and UTs with 27 Lok Sabha seats, the two parties will be in a direct fight. These include single-seater Puducherry, Sikkim, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh and Mizoram.

Five seats in Uttarakhand will also see the two parties against each other. Similarly, two seats each in Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu will also see a battle between the two parties.

The biggest state that will see the two parties contesting on all the Lok Sabha seats against each other will be Chhattisgarh with 11 constituencies.

Almost all seats in Gujarat, Karnataka, MP and Rajasthan

The two parties in these four states will be in a direct battle, except a handful of seats where they have not fielded candidates, leaving the space for alliance.

In Gujarat, while BJP is fighting on all the 26 seats, Congress has named candidates on only 24 seats. In 2019, all the 26 seats in the state were bagged by the BJP.

In Karnataka, the Congress is contesting on all the 28 seats but the BJP is fighting in alliance with Janata Dal (Secular) that has fielded its candidates on three seats. In at least 25 seats in the state, the Congress and the BJP are in a direct battle. In 2019, BJP got 25 seats in the state and Congress just one.

In Madhya Pradesh, the two parties are challenging each other on 28 out of 29 seats. The BJP is contesting on all the seats but the Congress is sharing one seat with the Samajwadi Party. The BJP swept the last poll in the state as it won 28 seats and Congress managed just one.

A similar situation is also seen in Rajasthan. Of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the two parties are in a direct battle on 22 seats as the Congress is leaving three seats for allies. Congress scored zero in Rajasthan in 2019 while BJP got 24.

Uttar Pradesh: The biggest state with 80 LS Seats

Uttar Pradesh has 80 Lok sabha seats, highest among the states. While the preparations have been underway for almost all the seats, candidates for Kaiserganj and Raebareli have not been revealed by any party.

In both the seats, the BJP will contest. While in Kaiserganj it will see the fight from the Samajwadi Party, in Raebareli, the contest will be against the Congress. The SP and the Congress are fighting the Lok Sabha polls in alliance.

In Uttar Pradesh, Congress will be fighting on 17 seats and has named 15 candidates. It is yet to reveal its cards for Raebareli and Amethi. On the other hand, BJP has named 73 candidates and is yet to name its faces for Kaisarganj and Raebareli. The party is contesting the polls in alliance with Apna Dal (Soneylal) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (two seats each) and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (one seat).

In all the 17 seats where the Congress is fighting, it is directly being challenged by the BJP which won 62 seats in 2019 out of 80.

The seat in the limelight will be Varanasi where Congress has named Ajay Rai against PM Narendra Modi. In Mathura, BJP has given another chance to Hema Malini, while Congress has named Mukesh Dhangar.

Apart from these seats, the two parties will be in a direct battle in Kanpur, Saharanpur, Amroha, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Fatehpur Sikri, Maharajganj, Deoria, Bansgaon, Sitapur, Jhansi, Allahabad, Barabanki, Rae Bareli, and Amethi.

Other States, UTs

In Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP is fighting on all the five seats, although it is yet to name three candidates as of date. On two seats, there will be a direct battle between Congress and BJP as the Grand Old Party is contesting in alliance with Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, fighting on three seats. In this seat sharing, Congress has got Ladakh as well, which will go for polls on May 20.

In Delhi, AAP and Congress have joined against the BJP. The two parties are in direct battle on the three seats in the national capital.

In Andhra Pradesh, which has 25 seats, the two parties are in a direct battle on just five seats — Anakapalli, Rajahmundry, Narasapuram, Tirupati, and Rajampet. The BJP is contesting on just six seats, leaving 17 seats for Telugu Desam Party and two for Jana Sena Party.

The Congress has named 11 candidates so far and about 12 names are expected in the coming days as it is leaving one seat each for the Communist Party of India (CPI), and the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Similarly, in Tripura, Congress is fighting in alliance with CPIM and they are contesting on one seat each. The BJP and Congress are in direct battle in one seat in Tripura.

In Assam, the BJP has named 11 candidates, leaving one each for its allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL). The BJP will be directly challenging the Congress on 10 seats. The Grand Old Party is fighting on 13 of 14 seats in the state.

In Bihar, the BJP is contesting on 17 seats while Congress on nine, leaving the remaining constituencies for the allied parties. The two parties are in direct battle in five seats.

In Maharashtra, with 48 Lok Sabha seats, the BJP has named 25 candidates and Congress 15. While the BJP is yet to finalise the seats in the state, as of now, the two parties are contesting against each other on 15 seats at least.

The 2024 Lok Sabha polls are critical for the two parties as BJP is aiming for a third term on one hand and on the other, the Congress is trying to regain its lost charm.