11 october 2024 : On Thursday, Congress began a formal review of its election defeat in Haryana earlier this week, focusing on internal divisions over issues like EVM irregularities, the performance of campaign leaders, and the possibility of sabotage by some party members in specific constituencies. Party President Mallikarjun Kharge led the meeting, which included senior leaders like former chief Rahul Gandhi, General Secretary KC Venugopal, and two Haryana observers—Ajay Maken and Ashok Gehlot. Haryana AICC in-charge Deepak Babaria participated virtually, but several key state leaders, including Haryana Congress President Udai Bhan and former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, were absent.
The Congress had been expected to perform well in the Haryana elections but ended up securing only 37 seats in the 90-member assembly, while the BJP won 48, marking a historic third consecutive victory. Following the results, multiple reasons for the defeat were discussed, including potential EVM issues and infighting among top leaders like Hooda and Kumari Selja.
During the review meeting, discontent among state leaders became evident. Ajay Singh Yadav, Chairman of the AICC OBC Congress, criticized the party for neglecting the OBC regions in Haryana. He also expressed frustration over the lack of representation from southern Haryana in the party’s decision-making bodies. The leaders agreed that corrective measures would need to be implemented in light of the defeat.
Maken later stated that the party had thoroughly analyzed the results, noting that the outcome was unexpected, especially considering the positive predictions from exit polls. He acknowledged multiple factors contributing to the defeat, including internal discord and alleged EVM discrepancies.
The Congress president’s office issued a formal statement, announcing that a technical team would be set up to investigate the complaints and discrepancies raised by candidates. A detailed report would follow. Some senior leaders, however, criticized the focus on EVMs and suggested that the party needed to address deeper issues, including the dominance of one family in Haryana politics for the past decade, with Bhupinder Hooda and his son Deepender Hooda controlling key decisions related to ticket distribution and campaign strategy.
