Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Congress will contest least number of seats. Here's why

The Congress party will field the least number of candidates since independence for the upcoming , due to alliance commitments. 

This comes at a time when the Lok Sabha numbers have come down drastically for the grand old party in last two general elections. 

The party has so far announced 278 candidates from 27 states and eight Union territories. The party is expected to announce at least 20 names of candidates in the coming days. These include candidates from Haryana, Bihar, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, UP and a couple of seats in West Bengal. So the total seats that the grand old party is expected to contest will be around 300, according to a report in .

The contested 421 seats in 2019, 464 in 2014, 440 in 2009. The party contested 417 seats in 2004 which the lowest it contested of the 543 Lok Sabha seats. The party won 52 seats in 2019, 44 in 2014, 206 in 2009 and 145 seats in 2004.

The decrease in number of seats is perhaps due to the alliance commitments of the grand old party. The party is part of the Opposition’s in these elections. But between 1989 and 1999, known as coalition era of Indian elections, the Congress party fielded candidates in over 450 seats. 

The party has conceded seats to its allies in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and Tamil Nadu. These four states send 201 members to Lok Sabha. The party is contesting 17 seats in UP including Amethi and , nine seats in Bihar, nine seats in Tamil Nadu, and has announced 13 names so far in West Bengal.

In Maharashtra, out of the 48 Lok Sabha seats, the Congress is fielding candidates in 17 seats, leaving 21 seats for Shiv Sena (UBT) and 10 seats National Congress Party (SP). The party fought 25 and 26 seats in the state in last two elections

Th