Former Congress MLA Shamsher Singh Gogi accuses party incharge Deepak Babaria of favouring BJP

Nearly a month after the Congress’s loss in the Haryana Assembly elections, former MLA from Assandh and senior Congress leader Shamsher Singh Gogi has criticised party’s state incharge Deepak Babaria, accusing him of working in favour of the BJP.

“The role of a party incharge is to unite the party, but Babaria did not do that; instead, he worked exactly as the BJP wanted,” Gogi said in an interview with The Tribune, expressing confidence that the Congress would eventually recover from its recent electoral setback.

Leaders should take responsibility

None of the party leaders has taken responsibility for the party’s defeat. The leaders who led the campaign should have acknowledged their role in the outcome. — Shamsher Singh Gogi, former Assandh MLA

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Gogi also questioned the formation of an eight-member committee to review Congress’s defeat, criticising party leaders for not taking responsibility for the loss. “None of the party leaders has taken responsibility for the party's defeat. The leaders who led the campaign should have acknowledged their role in the outcome,” Gogi remarked.

The newly formed committee is set to engage with Congress candidates from across the state to gather insights on the election performance. However, Gogi voiced concern that experienced leaders such as Capt Ajay Singh Yadav or Birendra Singh were not included to offer critical insights. He also stated that he plans to give a camera-recorded statement when consulted, emphasising that his feedback is for internal party consideration.

Gogi also criticised the BJP's job recruitment claims, particularly the promise of jobs without "parchi and kharchi" (recommendations and bribes). "Let them contest an election without money or influence — they will see the results. I fought without it and received 52,455 votes,” he added.

On the selection of a new Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader for the Haryana Assembly, Gogi stressed that the chosen leader should possess integrity and focus on strengthening the party.