On Tuesday, October 8, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh addressed the recent Haryana assembly election results and called for introspection within the party. In a pointed statement, Ramesh responded to comments from UBT spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi, who suggested that Congress appeared weak in states where it faced direct competition with the BJP. “I would like to remind that the Congress was the number 1 party in Maharashtra during the Lok Sabha elections,” he stated, emphasizing the importance of maintaining coalition discipline and communication directly between partners rather than through media outlets.
Ramesh acknowledged the need for analysis regarding the Haryana election outcomes but stressed that immediate attention should focus on addressing complaints received from various districts, which will be forwarded to the Election Commission. “Whatever analysis we have to do about Haryana, we will definitely do it… But first of all, we have to send the complaints that are coming from different districts to the Election Commission,” he said.
Further, Ramesh mentioned the Congress party’s practice of forming committees for internal reviews. “A committee will also be formed, this has been the practice in the Congress party and the analysis will be done after talking to everyone. But now is not the time for analysis,” he added during a press conference.
Chaturvedi had earlier congratulated the BJP on its performance in Haryana despite a perceived anti-incumbency wave, stating, “The Congress party needs to think about its strategy because wherever there is a direct fight with the BJP, the Congress party gets weakened.” She highlighted that the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections would revolve around different issues than those at play in Haryana, noting that the BJP had disrupted political parties and families to secure power. “The industries from Maharashtra are being taken from Maharashtra to other states,” she remarked.
As the political landscape shifts to Maharashtra, both Congress and its allies face challenges in formulating effective strategies to combat the BJP’s influence, particularly in light of the recent electoral outcomes in Haryana.
