Riding on sympathy wave, Cong crossed 400-seat mark

Jaipur: Elections for the Eighth Lok Sabha were held in December 1984, two months after Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister after the assassination of Indira Gandhi. Due to the sympathy wave in the country, the Congress led by Rajiv got a massive mandate in these elections, thereby breaking all records in the history of Indian democracy.

Elections were conducted in three phases on December 24, 27, and 28, 1984, for 514 out of 543 seats, with the Congress clinching 404 seats. Owing to terrorism, Assam and Punjab held delayed elections for 14 and 13 seats respectively in September 1985, of which 10 seats favored Congress. Thus, Congress secured 414 out of 542 seats in eighth LS polls. Congress garnered close to 50% of total votes, marking the first instance in history with vote share of 49.1%.

In Indian politics, this election signifies a new era for the Congress party. Rajiv Gandhi, a scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, now leads the party and assumes the role of PM. Congress achieved remarkable success in North, securing 83 out of 85 seats in UP, with notable wins by opposition leaders in Baghpat and Etah. In Bihar, party claimed 48 out of 54 seats, swept all 10 seats in Haryana, and secured 25 in Rajasthan. Strong performances were also witnessed in South, with wins in Karnataka (24 out of 28), Kerala (13 of 20), and Tamil Nadu (25 of 39). Significant victories were secured in Andhra (30 of 42), Gujarat (24 of 26), MP (40 seats), and Maharashtra (43 out of 48 seats).