In the wake of Congress’ dismal performance in the recent Haryana Assembly elections, General Secretary and Haryana in-charge Deepak Babaria has offered to resign, taking moral responsibility for the party’s significant defeat. This development comes as the party engages in internal discussions to analyze the reasons behind its lackluster showing, which dashed hopes of a comeback after a decade in opposition and allowed the BJP to secure a third consecutive term.
BJP Achieves Hat-Trick, Congress Scrambles for Answers
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) defied anti-incumbency sentiment to achieve its best-ever electoral performance in Haryana, winning 48 seats—11 more than Congress. The results left little room for the opposition to regroup, as smaller parties like the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) suffered heavy losses, and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) managed to secure only two seats.
Congress had relied heavily on Dalit and Jat voters, who make up nearly 20% and 25% of Haryana’s population, respectively. However, the BJP made substantial gains among these groups, further complicating Congress’s efforts to maintain its traditional support base. The BJP successfully flipped eight of the 17 Scheduled Caste (SC) seats, including notable wins in Nilokheri, Pataudi, and Hodal, where Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan lost to the BJP’s Harinder Singh.
Despite holding on to nine SC seats, Congress failed to make any significant gains, contrasting sharply with the BJP’s improved performance from the 2019 elections when it won only five SC seats.
Rahul Gandhi Expresses Disappointment
Following the electoral defeat, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed his disappointment, calling the results “unexpected.” He announced that the party would conduct an internal analysis to understand the factors contributing to the loss. Gandhi thanked the people of Haryana for their support and reaffirmed the party’s commitment to fighting for “rights, social and economic justice, and the truth.”
