Arrogance, over-confidence: INDIA allies slam Congress over Haryana poll defeat

The BJP has secured a third historic term in Haryana after winning 48 out of the 90 Assembly seats. While Congress won 37 seats, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) secured two and Independent candidates three.

In Short

• Shiv Sena (UBT), Trinamool Congress criticise Congress for Haryana poll loss
• BJP secures third terms after winning 48 seats, Congress gets 37
• Congress allies blame defeat on entitlement, over-confidence, arrogance

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Trinamool Congress, both allies of the opposition INDIA bloc, have slammed the Congress over its embarrassing loss to the BJP in the Haryana Assembly polls. The two parties cited over-confidence, arrogance and entitlement as some of the key factors for Congress's defeat.

According to the results announced on Tuesday evening for the Haryana Assembly polls, the BJP secured its best-ever haul of 48 seats, one more than its 2014 tally, while Congress managed to secure 37 seats. The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) won two seats and Independent candidates got three.

An editorial in Saamana, the Uddhav Sena's mouthpiece, warned Congress leaders in poll-bound Maharashtra to learn from Congress's defeat in Haryana, which was due to the "overconfidence and arrogance of the state leadership".

"Even in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the same thing happened. Internal issues prevailed within the party, which led to the party losing both the states," it said.

The editorial went on to say that Congress tasted victory in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls because it allied with the National Conference (NC).

"Congress kept the Aam Aadmi Party and other allies away in Haryana and decided to contest the polls alone. It won in Jammu and Kashmir because it forged an alliance with the NC."

In Jammu and Kashmir, where elections to the 90-member Assembly were held for the first time in 10 years, the NC-Congress alliance won 48 seats, while the BJP secured 29 seats.

TRINAMOOL CONGRESS SAYS 'LEARN'

Reacting to Congress's morale-crushing loss in Haryana, Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale said "arrogance, entitlement, and looking down on regional parties is a recipe for disaster".

This attitude leads to electoral losses... If we feel we’re winning, we will not accommodate any regional party... But in states where we’re down, regional parties must accommodate us," he tweeted.

"Arrogance, entitlement, & looking down on regional parties is a recipe for disaster. Learn."

Trinamool Congress had fought the 2024 Lok Sabha alone, while the Congress had allied with the CPI(M) and other Left parties.

ARVIND KEJRIWAL: NEVER BE OVER-CONFIDENT

Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has also questioned the Congress poll strategy and said the "biggest lesson" from the outcome of the Assembly polls is that one should never be "overconfident".

The AAP had held pre-poll discussions with Congress to form an alliance in Haryana.

However, the talks failed over disagreements on seat sharing. The party, which is in power in Delhi and Punjab, contested 89 seats alone and managed to garner just 1.53 per cent of the total votes polled.

AAP and Congress fought the Lok Sabha polls together.