A bitter defeat

THE Congress is showing all signs of a sore loser following its decisive defeat in the Haryana Assembly elections. The party has let its narrative slip, failing to build on the momentum from the earlier parliamentary successes. But, rather than accepting the people’s mandate and honouring India’s post-Independence tradition of smooth transitions, the Congress has chosen to indulge in an unproductive blame game. Accusing the incumbent BJP-led government of manipulating electronic voting machines (EVMs), it filed an official complaint with the Election Commission. Such an unprecedented move reeks of little more than arrogance and desperation.

Fortunately, a glimmer of pragmatism has prevailed. The Congress has since toned down its EVM accusations, opting to pause the line of attack until it gathers “enough evidence." However, other developments following the results point to deeper challenges for the grand old party. Rather than addressing the infighting that likely contributed to its downfall, the Congress seems poised to let its divisions deepen. Key figures in the Haryana unit, such as Bhupinder Hooda and Kumari Selja, were conspicuously absent from the high-command meeting convened to discuss the devastating loss. The long-standing feud between these two leaders exemplifies the toxic factionalism that plagued the Congress’ election campaign, undermining the party’s strength on the ground.

To make matters worse, Rahul Gandhi has distanced himself from responsibility. He has, instead, attributed the loss to the self-interest of local leaders, accusing them of placing personal ambitions above party goals. While these allegations may hold some water, deflecting blame without introspection will only perpetuate the fractures within the party. Only by realigning itself around common objectives can the Congress hope to reclaim its relevance as a strong opposition voice, both in Haryana and the country.