Assembly Elections 2024: After Haryana Shocker, Is Congress Now Banking On Allies In Maharashtra, Jharkhand?

In both Maharashtra and Jharkhand, Congress Party will rely on its alliance partners for the upcoming assembly elections. Particularly after its defeat in Haryana, Congress' electoral strategy has weakened further.

In Jharkhand polls, Congress will contest the elections under the leadership of JMM, while in Maharashtra, despite being the largest party in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar's NCP (SCP) appear to be dominating the Congress.

Photo Credit: PTI

Congress is struggling in direct contests against BJP. The reason for Congress' weakened position stems from last year's Karnataka Assembly elections. Ever since, it has not been able to stand firm in direct battles with the BJP anywhere.

After being heavily defeated in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, BJP also dealt a severe blow to Congress in Haryana.

In Jammu and Kashmir, too, the party's standing has significantly declined. The most notable concern is that Rahul Gandhi's popularity, which surged after the Lok Sabha elections, has deflated in Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir.

Haryana assembly elections changed the Lok Sabha dynamics. In the Lok Sabha elections, the MVA or INDIA bloc won 30 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra, while the NDA or Mahayuti was reduced to just 17 seats.

In Jharkhand, the Congress-JMM alliance restricted the BJP-AJSU alliance to nine seats, winning five themselves. However, the arithmetic of Lok Sabha elections is different from the chemistry of assembly elections, as evidenced by the Haryana outcome.

After Haryana, the Opposition sees the BJP as a bigger challenge. Leaders from the INDIA bloc are acknowledging their own challenges.

A senior opposition leader said, "We are confident of winning Maharashtra and Jharkhand, but the contest might be tough. Voters have already expressed their anger against the Modi government and BJP in Maharashtra during the Lok Sabha elections, and to some extent in Jharkhand as well. However, in the Haryana assembly elections, we saw BJP voters regrouping. Therefore, the opposition needs to immediately make adjustments in Maharashtra and Jharkhand."

Dissatisfaction is also emerging internally over Congress's EVM narrative. When the party loses elections, it starts blaming EVMs.

However, according to sources, even some Congress leaders, including those in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, are warning against this tendency.

They fear that if the habit of blaming EVMs continues, some supporters might stop turning up at polling stations, thinking, "What difference will my vote make? It's all about the EVM."

Haryana results have changed Congress' stance in Maharashtra

Sources suggest that talks between the MVA parties regarding around 210 seats have been nearly concluded.

Some seats were stuck because Congress was demanding more, anticipating a win in Haryana. However, it is now expected that no major issues will arise.

In Jharkhand, Hemant Soren's JMM is already in the driver's seat. Congress' hopes are pinned on JMM's tribal card and welfare schemes since the party lacks a prominent face in the state.

From Mumbai to Ranchi, Congress leaders are pondering how Rahul Gandhi's election management team, which handled the Haryana elections, will manage the campaigns in these two states.