The Congress party has decided to hold its working committee meeting on November 29 to discuss its disappointing performance in the latest Maharashtra and Haryana elections. The party would take stock of reasons for such poor shows and, accordingly, deliberate how it can salvage the situation in the present political scenario.
In Maharashtra, the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance suffered a major blow. The Shiv Sena (UBT), under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray, could win only 20 seats, while Congress got just 16 and the NCP faction of Sharad Pawar won 10 seats. On the other hand, BJP emerged out to be the simple winner as it secured 132 seats, its allies being Shiv Sena faction under Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and NCP faction with the present Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar winning 57 and 41 seats, respectively.
Under the seat-sharing arrangement under the MVA, Congress was supposed to be on the frontline, fighting 101 seats. The party’s performance became far from expected, winning only 16 seats.
In Haryana, the BJP won its third consecutive term, winning 48 of the 90 assembly seats. Congress did manage to win 37, which was not enough to challenge seriously.
TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee earlier today slammed Congress over its abysmal performance and expressed frustration that neither the party could meet the expectations in either of the states. Speaking to ANI, Banerjee said, “We had high hopes that Congress would do better, but they failed to deliver in both Maharashtra and Haryana. Being an alliance in the name of INDIA, we didn’t see the results we were hoping for. Congress has let us down.
Banerjee also emphasized the need for stronger leadership within the INDIA alliance if it is to challenge the BJP effectively. “If the INDIA alliance is serious about defeating the BJP, it needs to be stronger. That requires a single, unified leader. The question is, who will that leader be? Congress has tried several options, but so far none have worked,” he added.
The CWC meeting will likely focus on these concerns, as well as the broader strategy for the party in the lead-up to the 2024 elections. The party faces a significant challenge in restoring its standing within the opposition bloc and presenting a viable alternative to the BJP.
With inputs from ANI.