NEW DELHI: Congress, which dominated the political landscape of Uttar Pradesh for decades, has been pushed to the fringes of state politics in recent times. The last assembly elections in the state saw the grand old party register its worst-ever performance, both in terms of seats and vote share. The party won just 1 seat with a vote share of 19.7% in 2019.
Unfortunately for the party, the situation is no different in Lok Sabha elections.The Congress could win just one out of 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2019. Such was the drubbing that even Rahul Gandhi could not save his bastion of Amethi and lost to Smriti Irani. The lone seat that came in party’s kitty was Rae Bareli, which we represented by Sonia Gandhi. However, this time around, Congress will need a new face there also as Sonia has opted out of electoral politics and is now a member of the Rajya Sabha.
The upcoming Lok Sabha elections will be a litmus test for the grand old party as it prepares to gain some of the lost ground in the state. To begin with, Congress has managed to stitch an important alliance with Samajwadi Party and will be contesting 17 seats in the state.
The party has announced only 9 of the 17 candidates so far. There is still suspense over the possible candidature of Rahul and Priyanka from Amethi and Rae Bareli respectively. This is even as BJP has raced ahead announcing most of its candidates in the key state.
A look at the Congress candidates announced so far gives a peep into the party’s strategy, or perhaps lack thereof, in some of the key constituencies.
Varanasi: Symbolism over substance?
In what seems like a gesture of symbolism rather than a serious challenge, the Congress has once again fielded Ajay Rai from Varanasi, the constituency represented by Prime Minister Modi.
Rai’s re-nomination reflects the reluctance of Congress to try something different in a seat that has great symbolic value.
Ajai Rai has lost twice to Prime Minister Modi in Varanasi. One would have expected the Congress to craft a compelling narrative or a new strategy to counter Modi’s influence in this crucial seat.
The BJP’s vote share in Varanasi has seen a significant rise in the last two elections, leaving little hope for the Congress. As the state chief, Ajai Rai is a strong choice, but he possibly lacks local support.

A recap
The Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency has remained firmly in the hands of the BJP since 1991, with only one exception in 2004 when the Congress managed to secure a victory.
Despite attempts by the Congress, the BJP has consistently held onto the seat in subsequent elections, including the mid-term polls.
Rajesh Kumar Mishra of the Congress briefly broke the BJP’s dominance by winning the seat in 2004, only for the BJP to reclaim it in 2009.
In electoral contests the previous year, five-time MLA known for his strongman image, Rai, represented the Congress against the PM in both the 2014 and 2019 polls. Despite Rai’s formidable presence, he was unable to overcome Modi’s overwhelming popularity, receiving 75,614 and 152,548 votes respectively.
Interestingly, the current state Congress chief had also contested from Varanasi on a Samajwadi Party ticket in 2009, garnering substantial support with 1,23,874 votes.
Varanasi past winners

The uphill battle
While it’s understood that defeating Modi in Varanasi is a daunting task, an innovative Congress approach in this key constituency could perhaps have sent out strong signals about the party’s broader electoral strategy in Uttar Pradesh.
With 80 parliamentary seats at stake, the state holds immense significance in determining the national political landscape.