In a significant setback, the Congress party faced a decisive loss in the Haryana Assembly elections, largely due to counter-polarisation against the Jat community. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has secured its third consecutive term in the state, capitalising on the divisions among various castes.
Jat versus the rest: A key factor
The electoral battle was characterised by a strong counter-polarisation against the Jat community, which united various other groups against Congress. This dynamic played a crucial role in enabling the BJP to maintain power, while internal issues within the Congress hindered its chances.
Disarray within Congress deterred voter support
While the Congress performed reasonably well in the previous Lok Sabha elections, winning five out of ten seats, its Assembly election campaign revealed a fragmented party struggling to connect with voters. Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's dominance in ticket distribution led to discontent among prominent leaders, such as Kumari Selja and Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala. Surjewala focused his efforts solely on his son’s campaign in Kaithal, while Selja was absent from the initial weeks of campaigning.
Lack of state organisation in Haryana since 2009
The Congress party has struggled with internal organisation in Haryana since 2008-09. Although a state committee was formed in 2014, factionalism prevented the establishment of effective booth and district committees. This lack of grassroots organisation left the Congress without the necessary structure to mobilise voters effectively.
Missed alliance with AAP
Despite Rahul Gandhi's intentions to ally with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the partnership never materialised. As a result, Congress lost approximately twelve seats due to the presence of rebel candidates, who detracted from the party's electoral strength. Constituencies like Ballabgarh, Bahadurgarh, Pundri, Ambala Cantt, Tigaon, Gohana, Assandh, Uchana Kalan, Safidon, Mahendragarh, Rai, and Rania saw candidates running against their own party, leading to substantial defeats.
Notably, AAP candidates received more votes than the margins by which Congress candidates lost in around seven constituencies. This highlights the fragmentation of voter support for Congress and the rise of AAP as a formidable competitor in the state.
The last-minute entry of Ashok Tanwar fails to help
The return of Ashok Tanwar to Congress just one day before the elections did not yield any benefits for the party. Having previously left Congress to join the BJP, his last-minute entry failed to reclaim Jat votes, further alienating this key demographic.
In summary, the combination of internal discord, ineffective campaign strategies, and a lack of organisation has left Congress struggling in the aftermath of the Haryana Assembly elections. The party now faces an urgent need for strategic reassessment to regain its footing in the state's political landscape.
