Haryana Loss: Congress Leaders Discuss Setback Reasons

In a recent development following the Congress party's unexpected defeat in the Haryana Assembly elections, Congress President Mallikarjunarge led a review meeting to scrutinize the reasons behind the poor performance. This meeting, held on October 10, 2024, saw the participation of significant figures such as Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, and K.C.ugopal, the Congress general secretary (organisation). They were joined by senior observers Ajay Maken and Ashok Gehlot, and the Congress in-charge of the State, Deepak Babaria, who attended virtually.

Ajay Maken highlighted the discrepancy between the exit polls and the actual results, expressing surprise at the outcome. "We held a review meeting on Haryana election results. As you all know, as the exit polls and opinion polls had showed, the results were unexpected. There was a lot of difference between exit polls and actual results. We discussed that, what could be the reasons for that. We will take appropriate steps going forward on this," he stated. The reasons for the setback were discussed at length, encompassing various factors, including issues with the Election Commission and internal conflicts within the party. Maken emphasized the complexity of the situation, noting that such a significant upset could not be fully addressed in a short meeting.

Following the meeting, the Congress President's office released a statement to clarify the discussions' focus amidst rumors of internal sabotage and the questionable actions of some party functionaries. "Following Congress party's meeting today to discuss the results of Haryana elections, there have been numerous baseless source-based news circulating in media....We request you to stick to our formal briefing and desist from any conjectures, that deviate from the official brief," the statement from party secretary Pranav Jha read. Additionally, the party plans to assign a technical team to investigate complaints and discrepancies highlighted by their candidates. A comprehensive response will be formulated based on the findings of this fact-finding team.

The backdrop to this review meeting was a visit by a Congress delegation to the Election Commission (EC), seeking an in-depth investigation into the "discrepancies" observed in some electronic voting machines (EVMs) during the vote count of the Haryana Assembly polls. This action underscores the party's concern over the electoral process's integrity and its determination to identify and address the causes of its electoral defeat.

Looking ahead, the Congress party intends to hold a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on October 17 to further analyze the election results. This upcoming meeting aims to delve deeper into the factors contributing to the party's "unexpected" performance in Haryana, signifying the party's proactive approach to understanding and rectifying its shortcomings.

The sequence of events, from the review meeting led by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge to the forthcoming CWC meeting, illustrates the party's efforts to come to terms with its electoral defeat in Haryana. By examining the discrepancies between exit polls and actual results, addressing internal issues, and seeking clarity on alleged EVM irregularities, the Congress party demonstrates its commitment to strengthening its electoral strategy and internal cohesion in anticipation of future challenges.