New Delhi:

A day after the Congress suffered disappointing poll defeats in three states in the heartland and had to seek solace in its victory in Telangana, party leader Jairam Ramesh said the vote share for the three states showed it was within “striking distance” of the BJP.

“It is true that the performance of the Indian National Congress in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan was disappointing and far below our own expectations. “But the vote shares tell a story of a Congress that is not very behind the BJP – in fact, it is within striking distance. This is the reason for hope and revival,” Mr Ramesh, MP and communication head for Congress, said in a post on X.

It is true that the performance of the Indian National Congress in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan was disappointing and far below our own expectations. But the vote shares tell a story of a Congress that is not very behind the BJP—in fact, it is within striking…

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) December 4, 2023

Sharing election data, he said the vote shares for BJP and Congress in Chhattisgarh, were 46.3 per cent and 42.2 per cent, respectively. In Madhya Pradesh, Mr Ramesh said, the BJP’s vote share was 48.6 per cent and the Congress’s 40.4 per cent.

In Rajasthan, he said, the BJP had a 41.7 per cent vote share and the Congress had 39.5 per cent.

The Congress leader ended the post with “Judega Bharat, Jeetega INDIA” – the tag line of the alliance of Opposition parties that have joined forces to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

The BJP won the crucial Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan yesterday. The results flew in the face of exit poll projections that had predicted a tight contest in Madhya Pradesh and a victory for the Opposition party in Chhattisgarh. The Congress had to find consolation in a victory in Telangana.

Taking a swipe at the Congress this morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Opposition needs to shed its “negativity” and move forward in the national interest.

The results of the polls had shown people “have rejected negativity”, he said, urging the Opposition “not to vent the frustration of defeat” inside the Parliament. The Winter Session of Parliament started today.