'Hooda ji thought he could win alone': Congress, Bhupinder Singh Hooda comes under sharp attack from INDIA allies as party loses Haryana to BJP

The Congress Party faced sharp criticism from its allies in the INDIA bloc following a significant defeat to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Haryana Assembly elections. The loss, which saw the BJP secure 48 out of 90 seats, was a stark contrast to Congress’s 37, leaving many questioning the party’s decision to contest the elections alone. Allies like Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) blamed Congress’s “arrogance” and refusal to collaborate with smaller parties for the defeat.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut didn’t hold back in his assessment, stating that Congress ignored the potential for alliances, confident it could secure victory without external support. He praised the BJP's strategic approach, saying, “The BJP fought a lost battle, and won. Everybody believed Congress was winning, but they still lost. The BJP’s systematic management deserves credit.”

Raut also pointed out that the situation would have been different had Congress shared seats with regional partners like the Samajwadi Party (SP) or Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). “Hooda Ji (Bhupinder Singh Hooda) thought they could win alone, but collaboration could have changed the outcome,” he said, referencing Congress’s former Chief Ministerial candidate for Haryana.

He further compared the loss in Haryana to the success of the INDIA alliance in Jammu and Kashmir, attributing the victory there to the leadership of Farooq Abdullah, who helped unite the bloc. “We won in J&K because INDIA was in alliance with JKNC under Abdullah’s leadership,” Raut said, hinting at the potential for similar success in Haryana if Congress had shown more willingness to cooperate.

The backlash from other allies was equally strong. Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale pointed to Congress’s attitude towards regional parties, which he described as detrimental to their electoral prospects. “Arrogance, entitlement, and looking down on regional parties is a recipe for disaster,” Gokhale remarked. He stressed that failing to acknowledge the value of alliances with smaller parties ultimately hurt Congress in the elections.

In a related development, AAP leader Priyanka Kakkar confirmed that her party would contest the upcoming Delhi elections independently. She expressed dissatisfaction with both national parties, stating, “On one side, it’s the overconfident Congress, and on the other, the arrogant BJP.”

The internal divisions within the INDIA bloc over seat-sharing arrangements in different states have emerged as a major point of contention, particularly as Congress enters talks with Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) for seat-sharing agreements in Maharashtra. Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray has already urged Congress and NCP-SP to declare their chief ministerial candidate ahead of the Maharashtra elections to avoid confusion.

Meanwhile, National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah called for Congress to introspect deeply on its loss in Haryana, echoing the need for the party to reassess its strategy and learn from its mistakes.

The electoral map in Haryana remains heavily tilted in favor of the BJP, with Congress’s lone decision to go it alone in the state proving costly. The BJP’s ability to maintain dominance, bolstered by a well-organized grassroots campaign, has left its rivals in disarray, and Congress’s allies questioning the party's leadership moving forward.