What happened to the Congress party's representation in the Lok Sabha in the 1989 elections compared to the 1984 elections?

It decreased from 415 to 197 seats.

The primary turning point during this era (1990s) was the Congress party's defeat in the 1989 elections. After securing a significant 415 seats in the Lok Sabha during the 1984 elections, the party's representation plummeted to a mere 197 in this subsequent election. Although the Congress managed to regain power after the mid-term elections of 1991, the 1989 elections marked the conclusion of what political analysts refer to as the 'Congress system'. While the Congress continued to maintain its prominence and governed the nation more extensively than any other party post-1989, it relinquished the level of centrality it once held in the political landscape.