Haryana Assembly election results 2024: Why Congress suffered a shock defeat

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda in due course of the birthday celebration's Haryana Vijay Sankalp Jansabha, beforehand of Assembly polls, in Nuh, Haryana, October three, 2024. File Photo/PTI

The Congress’ failure to wrest Haryana from the Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP) has shocked many. Defying exit polls, the saffron birthday celebration held its ground within the northern state and is ready to get back to power for a historic 0.33 term.

Per the Election Commission of India (ECI) trends data at 5.15 pm, the BJP has won 34 seats and is beforehand in 15, while the Congress has secured 30 and is leading in six. The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) is beforehand in two seats and three Independents have won.

What went wrong for the Congress?

Let’s take a more in-depth look.

Congress’ infighting

The war between the Hoodas and Kumari Selja turn into an open secret within the Haryana Congress. There turn right into a tussle over the chief minister post between Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Selja. No matter the Congress looking out for to portray a united front, it'll not contain the internal feud.

As per an Indian Express report, Sirsa MP Selja, a prominent Dalit leader, turn into unhappy resulting from being sidelined by the Hooda camp. She even stayed faraway from election campaigning after the birthday celebration released its last list of candidates on September 12.

Selja, who met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on September 22, flagged to him how she and other senior birthday celebration leaders and workers were “not noted” in candidate selection, formulating the birthday celebration’s manifesto and were being kept out from birthday celebration platforms, the newspaper mentioned.

Hooda’s critics have claimed most of the tickets went to the previous CM’s loyalists. The Congress high command also let Hooda take on the reins. It truly is believed the Grand Old Celebration didn't forge an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Celebration (AAP) resulting from Hooda’s opposition.

Selja turn into looking out for a ticket from the Uklana (SC) Assembly seat but the Congress leadership turn into not concerned with her vacating her Sirsa Lok Sabha seat. The BJP tried to capitalise on Selja’s disgruntlement, with Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar even asking her to quit Congress and join the BJP.

Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala turn into also upset with the Hoodas calling the shots in Haryana.

Congress insiders told Indian Express that a blame game is ready to head off after the birthday celebration’s surprised drubbing.

Caste factor

Jats, who make up about 27 per cent of Haryana’s population, have a robust presence in Forty of the ninety Assembly constituencies. Chief ministers from the Jat community have ruled the Hindi belt state for 33 years since 1966 when Haryana turn into carved out of Punjab.

The Jat versus non-Jat divide often plays out in Haryana. The BJP has banked on the consolidation of non-Jats votes to come to power within the state.

In 2014, the BJP ended a decade-long tenure of Bhupinder Singh Hooda, a key Jat leader, to form the federal government. The saffron birthday celebration picked Manohar Lal Khattar, a Punjabi Khatri, for the CM post. Its incumbent Nayab Singh Saini is from the OBC community.

The Congress’ major reliance on Jat voters to get back to power seems to have backfired. The Grand Old Celebration fielded 28 Jats within the Assembly polls, while the BJP gave tickets to handiest sixteen Jat candidates. Jats were angry with the saffron birthday celebration over a few issues, including farmers’ agitation and the wrestlers’ protest.

The Haryana Assembly has 17 Scheduled Caste (SC)-reserved seats. If the Congress would have retained its Dalit toughen base, it must have stopped the BJP juggernaut.

The Jannayak Janta Celebration (JJP)’s alliance with Chandrashekhar Azad’s Aazad Samaj Celebration and INLD’s tie-up with the Bahujan Samaj Celebration (BSP) may wish divided the Dalit votes, benefitting the BJP, as per India At this time time.

Urban, rural omit

The BJP has fared well in Haryana’s urban areas, such as Gurgaon and Faridabad, over the past decade. This time, the saffron birthday celebration has won the Gurgaon and Faridabad Assembly seats. Its candidate has also won the Ballabgarh constituency.

The Congress turn into looking ahead to to make a splash within the rural areas. The Grand Old Celebration won Forty 5 rural Assembly segments within the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year. This turn right into a lead to of alarm for the BJP, which launched a campaign backed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to woo rural voters and grassroots birthday celebration workers, as per India At this time time.

It seems it worked for the saffron birthday celebration, catching the Congress abruptly.

Why Congress needed victory in Haryana

A win in Haryana would have added to the Congress’ revival streak within the elections. The saffron birthday celebration has been celebrating its better-than-expected performance within the Lok Sabha results.

After bagging 5 of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana, the Grand Old Celebration turn into confident of trouncing the BJP within the Assembly polls.

The Grand Old Celebration has not won any Assembly election in northern India since 2018, barring Himachal Pradesh in 2022. The Haryana victory would have changed that, with the birthday celebration impending the upcoming Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections on a more sure footing, as per Indian Express.

The Congress’ win would have also helped it in furthering the narrative that the BJP is losing its hold on parts of north India. The saffron birthday celebration lost seats within the Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Bihar, while retaining seats in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

The loss has left Congress with something to introspect. It is going to't deal with to pay for to make similar mistakes beforehand of the opposite two a really powerful state elections.

With inputs from agencies