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Why did the Indian National Congress lose support in the 2014 Lok Sabha election?

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Mahatma Gandhi, holding a walking stick, walks beside Sarojini Naidu during the Salt March protest in 1930, with several men following behind them. — Indian National Congress Indian National Congress leaders Mahatma Gandhi (left) and Sarojini Naidu (right) on the Salt March in western India, March 1930.

The Indian National Congress suffered a significant loss of support in the 2014 Lok Sabha election primarily due to a combination of economic challenges and political scandals that eroded its public image.12

Key factors contributing to the party's decline included:

Economic Instability: During its second term (2009–2014), the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government struggled with a slowing economy, rising inflation, and escalating costs for food and energy, which discouraged investment and frustrated the electorate.12
Corruption Scandals: The government was marred by a series of high-profile corruption scandals involving various officials, which led the public to associate the Congress Party with both corruption and elitism.12
Effective Opposition: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) successfully capitalized on these vulnerabilities. Their candidate for prime minister, Narendra Modi, ran a vigorous campaign that contrasted his leadership in Gujarat with the perceived elitism of the Congress Party’s leadership, particularly the Nehru-Gandhi family.31

These factors resulted in the Congress Party winning only 44 seats, its worst performance in national elections to that date.32