Union Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Pralhad Joshi on Monday, 4 May declared that the Indian National Congress has "no existence" as a national party outside Kerala, and predicted that the party would face a similar electoral decline in Karnataka in the upcoming state elections. Joshi made the remarks at a press conference in New Delhi, addressing the results of the five-state Assembly elections.

Key Assertions on Congress Decline

Joshi claimed that the Congress, which positions itself as a national party, has been reduced to "zero" across most of India. He cited the party's poor performances in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, arguing that even its limited showing in Assam does not reverse the broader national decline. "They used derogatory language against a popular Prime Minister, but people have given a fitting response," Joshi said, alleging that Congress' personal attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi had backfired with voters.

He attributed the Congress' erosion to what he described as policies of appeasement, corruption, and vote-bank politics, which he argued have been systematically rejected by the electorate. He also pointed to Congress leaders' reported discussions about aligning with actor Vijay-led Tamiliga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in Tamil Nadu as evidence that the party had little independent political space left.

NDA's Claimed Mandate

Joshi described the five-state election outcomes as a "clear mandate" against misgovernance and a strong endorsement of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA government under Prime Minister Modi. He said the NDA had secured what he termed unprecedented victories in Assam, West Bengal, and Puducherry, attributing the results to 12 years of effective governance under Modi. Notably, Joshi acknowledged that the BJP did not succeed in Kerala but argued the state had become "free of both Communists and the Congress."

West Bengal and Law and Order

On the West Bengal poll results, Joshi alleged that voters had previously been deterred from casting ballots due to law and order issues, and credited strict election arrangements this time for enabling wider participation. He congratulated voters for standing up against what he described as hooliganism, framing the outcome as a popular rejection of intimidation.

Karnataka Bypoll and Sringeri Controversy

Turning to the Karnataka bypoll results, Joshi said the state's Congress government is marked by misgovernance, corruption, and appeasement, and predicted that voters would "send the party home" at the next state election. He specifically referenced the Sringeri Assembly constituency bypoll, stating that the postal ballot recount result was communicated late at night via email only after a legal notice was issued. He described BJP candidate D.N. Jeevaraj's victory as the outcome of a sustained legal fight and a triumph of justice.

Joshi also criticised Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar for what he termed "irresponsible statements", questioning why action had not been taken against officials if there were alleged lapses in vote counting. As Karnataka heads toward its next electoral cycle, the BJP's framing of the Congress government's performance is expected to sharpen further.