The recent political turmoil in Haryana has sparked a major rift within the INDIA Alliance, as Congress finds itself at odds with its allies. Frustration among coalition partners has become palpable, with some accusing the Congress of arrogance and entitlement while questioning its electoral strength ahead of pivotal state elections in Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Delhi. Amidst this backlash, Congress has attempted to deflect blame toward the Election Commission, citing it as a factor in its Haryana setback.
In an exclusive conversation with NewsX’s Executive Editor Megha Sharma, panelists Amrit Gill (Congress Spokesperson), Mukesh Tyagi (BJP Spokesperson), Manasvi Thapar (Political Analyst), and Rishi Bagree (Political Analyst) delve into unfolding Congress’ blame game, dissecting the potential implications for Congress and the INDIA Alliance.
Amrit Gill: “We are going to introspect ourselves, but BJP….”
Amrit Gill, Congress Spokesperson, on the question of introspection of what went wrong for Congress in Haryana, she questioned the victory of BJP in Haryana and said, “Surely we are going to introspect ourselves also, what was there from our side and what the other opponent, the main party who came to power after all the factors were against them, how did the party manage to get the majority, that also we will introspect because that is very, very important. Nothing was working in their favour.”
On Congress being called overconfident, arrogant, and entitled by India Alliance members, she added “Look, every party has certain internal issues the party sorts out. There were even bigger rebellions in BJP also.”
“I don’t believe that the backfired Congress… yes, we are accepting that there is a loss… but that’s what I’m saying, how come the air was not in favor?” They argue that dissatisfaction with the BJP was significant, noting that “the farmers… were annoyed with the BJP,” which they believe contributed to a shift in voter sentiment.
Mukesh Tyagi: “Congress Loses, Blames on ECI”
Mukesh Tyagi, the BJP spokesperson, criticizes the Congress party for what he sees as hypocrisy regarding their stance on the Election Commission and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). He notes, “every single time there is an election that is lost by the Congress, they blame it on the election commission… and every single time they win the election, they are completely silent on how the election commission performs.”
“If Congress is so apprehensive that EVM machines are malfunctioning or rigged in advantage of BJP, why don’t they declare they will not contest elections till they lead to clinching evidence that the EVM machines are completely manipulated?” He further emphasizes that their complaints arise only after losses, saying, “when they lose the election, they come back and start blaming BJP.”
Regarding Maharashtra elections specifically, Tyagi asserts, “In Maharashtra, we have a very strong position,” implying that the BJP’s prospects in the state are solid despite Congress’s allegations.
Tyagi highlights internal divisions within Congress, suggesting, “it’s already a divided group,” which undermines their authority within the INDIA alliance.
Manasvi Thapar: “ If Congress Go Weak”
Manasvi Thapar, emphasises the importance of a strong Congress for the effectiveness of regional allies, stating, “it is very important for the Allies to have a very strong Congress, Congress is a national political party… it is the only political party which can be head Zone to BJP”
“if Congress goes weak, the local political parties in different states also… go weak in fighting BJP,” he added.
“BJP is a very strong systematic political party… they are the largest political party of the world, they are the richest political party of the world and have the largest number of karyakartas (workers) also with them.”
He further elaborates, “the difference between Congress and BJP is only 18,000 votes while Aam Aadmi Party garnered around 250,000 votes… somewhere down the line in the alliance, Congress could not manage Aam Aadmi Party well. Congress could not manage the dynamics of Haryana well… if they would have done that, the scenario could have been different.”
Rishi Bagree: “Results would have be same”
On the questions of whether Congress’s overconfidence contributed to their electoral losses, suggesting that “had there been an alliance between the Aam Aadmi Party and Congress, the tide could have turned in favor of the party.”
Rishi Bagree, Political Analyst, disagrees, stating, “I don’t think so… only in two seats the Aam Aadmi Party has affected Congress’s chances… the result would have been the same.” He then highlights a broader trend, noting, “if you see Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, now Haryana also, Arunachal Pradesh”, all went to the NDA and BJP.” He points out that only “Telangana and Jammu and Kashmir… have gone to the India Alliance,” which suggests that Congress’s reach may be limited.
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