Terming the Congress as being weak and incapable of taking on the BJP on its own, the CPI(M) batted for a state-wise alliance to defeat the saffron party in the 2024 general elections.
The saffron party's average winning margin against Congress and JD(S) where candidates of either of the two parties finished second was recorded at 21,766 votes and 7,292 votes, respectively.
There will be chatter in coming days about why the Congress won, and many are already pointing to a large-scale shift of the “Lingayat vote” from the BJP.
By Saturday evening, the Congress had won 131 seats and was leading in five others, effectively taking its tally to 136. This would be the highest since 1989, when the party had won 178 seats.