New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS): Congress National Spokesperson Ragini Nayak on Monday acknowledged the party's underwhelming performance in the Delhi Assembly elections, where 67 of its 70 candidates lost their security deposits.

However, she pointed out that the party's vote share had increased by 2 per cent, marking what she called a step forward.

Despite fielding 70 candidates, only three managed to save their security deposits.

Speaking to IANS, Nayak said, "The result has not been as per the Congress party's wish. But it cannot be denied that our vote share has increased by 2 per cent. We have taken a step forward from the last time and in many seats in Delhi, where we have got more than double the votes than the last time."

She expressed optimism, drawing an analogy to a hopeful outlook, stating that just as an optimist sees the glass as half full, every Congress worker and leader would embark on the next five years with determination.

She assured that the party "would stand by the people" in every constituency and work towards strengthening its role as a "strong Opposition."

"While introspection is necessary, the focus would also be on action. I am confident that the party would not only reflect on how to multiply its votes tenfold but would also take concrete steps to achieve that goal soon," Nayak added.

While acknowledging the slight increase in vote share as a positive indicator, she said, "I am happy that our vote percentage has increased. But this is not a matter of overconfidence or overexcitement. We have to accept that we wanted to bring a much better result than this. We failed in that. Failure is a challenge and we accept it," she said.

Among the 699 candidates contesting the Delhi Assembly elections, 555 lost their security deposits. Congress, once a dominant force in Delhi, failed to win a single seat for the third consecutive election.

The only three Congress candidates who managed to retain their security deposits were Abhishek Dutt from Kasturba Nagar, who finished second, along with Devendra Yadav from Badli and Rohit Choudhary from Nangloi Jat.

As per the Representation of the People Act, 1951, candidates must secure at least one-sixth of the total valid votes polled to retain their security deposit.

For general category candidates, the deposit amount is Rs 10,000, while for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates, it is Rs 5,000.

The Congress party now faces the challenge of reviving its position in Delhi politics after another electoral setback, even as it takes solace in the marginal improvement in vote share.