The results of the Haryana assembly elections in 2024 have once again disappointed Congress. After expecting a victory based on exit polls, the party faced a setback. Now, other parties in the I.N.D.I.A alliance are starting to criticize Congress.
Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress have all criticized Congress. They attribute Congress’s loss to overconfidence, arrogance, and authoritarianism. In Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party dealt a blow to Congress by announcing candidates for upcoming by-elections.
What Did Each Party Say?
The Samajwadi Party announced candidates for the by-elections in Uttar Pradesh. Although they declared candidates for 6 out of 10 seats, two of these are seats where Congress wanted to field its candidates. Congress had requested these seats, which the BJP had previously won. However, the Samajwadi Party rejected Congress’s demand and put up their candidates for the Phulpur and Mjhawna seats.
In an editorial in the Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece, Saamana, there was a warning for Congress leaders in Maharashtra to learn from Congress’s defeat in Haryana, which occurred due to “overconfidence and arrogance” of state leadership. It stated, “The same thing happened in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Internal issues within the party overshadowed their chances, leading to losses in both states.”
The editorial noted, “Congress kept the Aam Aadmi Party and other allies at a distance and decided to contest the elections alone. They won in Jammu and Kashmir because they formed an alliance with the National Conference.”
Responding to Congress’s demoralizing loss in Haryana, Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale tweeted, “Arrogance, authority, and looking down on regional parties lead to destruction. This attitude brings electoral losses. If we think we are winning, we won’t give space to regional parties, but in states where we are lagging, regional parties should be allowed to take lead.”
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Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also questioned Congress’s electoral strategy, stating that the biggest lesson from the assembly election results is that one should never be overconfident. In the Lok Sabha elections, AAP and Congress were allies.
Haryana Election Results
According to the results announced on Tuesday evening, the BJP won 48 seats, achieving its best performance so far, which is one more than in 2014. Congress managed to win 37 seats, while the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) secured two seats, and independent candidates won three seats.
