TNI Bureau: There is a panic and anger in Congress after the shocking defeat in Haryana. They snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, as it can be analysed. BJP candidates were having a tough time in Haryana. The party was on a clear back foot. Nothing worked right for them in the last few months. But, the results stunned everyone. From 40 in 2019, BJP’s tally shot up to 48 – nothing sort of miracle.
BJP worked hard to undo the damage the party suffered in the last 10 years. To counter the anti-incumbency, they dropped 17 MLAs. The new CM tried to reach out to the people and convince them. Development was high on his agenda. Managing rebels, was a big task for BJP and they did better there while Congress failed to manage its rebels. Ambala Cantt was an example where Anil Vij managed to win because of Congress conflict.
Releasing jailed leader Ram Rahim on parole, helped BJP as he aggressively supported the party along with his fans and followers. Congress was confident and complacent and ignored many factors while focusing more on Jat and Farmers. They are shell-shocked and rattled following the defeat that proved all exit polls and pollsters wrong.
While central leadership blames the EVM and System, the State leaders bay for each other’s blood. Selja vs Hooda battle may intensify further in Haryana. The results did not reflect the initial ground mood and Congress workers wont’ forgive their leaders for this lost opportunity.
In the end, BJP won and scored a hat-trick while Congress is forced to wait or another 5 years. This is the only truth and no analysis or post-mortem can change this reality. But, losing Haryana was a big setback for Congress and the party will find it difficult to recover from this jolt ahead of the assembly polls in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.