ABP Exclusive: Following the Congress party’s unexpected defeat in the Haryana Assembly elections, Rajasthan’s former chief minister and Congress observer for Haryana, Ashok Gehlot, expressed his concerns in an exclusive interview with ABP News on Friday (11 October). Gehlot remarked that the election results were unexpected and acknowledged that internal factionalism within the party could be one of the reasons behind the defeat.
Gehlot outlined the key issues that were discussed during the party’s review meeting. “We discussed all the possible reasons — whether it was factionalism, caste dynamics, the shift in Dalit votes, or the role of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) — or if there were any other factors,” he said.
In response to the review meeting chaired by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, Gehlot emphasised the need to delve deeper into the reasons behind the party’s loss. “Both leaders said we need to understand why we lost an election that seemed to be won. We need to get to the root of how we ended up losing,” Gehlot explained.
“Exit polls, people, media, and even BJP people used to say you (Congress) will win this one-sided election. The entire country is asking this,” he added.
#WATCH | हरियाणा चुनाव में हार पर बोले अशोक गहलोत-‘गुटबाजी भी हार की वजह संभव’@akhileshanandd | @AshishSinghLIVE | https://t.co/smwhXURgtc #AshokGehlot #Haryana #HaryanaElections2024 #Congress pic.twitter.com/AjOBGi4OQJ
— ABP News (@ABPNews) October 11, 2024
Reflecting on the situation, the Congress veteran concurred with Rahul Gandhi’s remarks during a party meeting, agreeing that some leaders prioritised personal interests over party objectives. “This complaint is bound to come up. I always say that party leaders should not comment in a manner that the party is damaged. If you are facing obstacles on a personal front, the high command will protect you…This shouldn’t happen, the party’s interests must prevail over personal gains. If the party’s interests are affected by your remarks and responses then that damage cannot be recovered by the high command. Rahul ji spoke in this context.”
On whether veteran leader Kumari Selja’s disgruntlement caused losses in the Haryana election, “We will hold discussions with candidates and leaders, and the truth will be unveiled as to which reasons contributed to the loss.”
Did Jat Versus Non-Jat Politics Hurt Congress In Haryana Election? Ashok Gehlot Hits Out At BJP
Addressing the issue of caste dynamics, he noted that “Haryana has witnessed Jat versus non-Jat politics before, and it appears that this may have happened again. The BJP created an atmosphere suggesting that a Jat-led government was imminent, and people became apprehensive. They were asking Shelja ji to join the party and claimed that she was insulted.”
He added that the party was not detached from reality, as the feedback they received suggested that Congress was on track to win the election. “It’s not that we were kept away from the truth. Everyone had the feedback that Congress was winning the election. Then why did we lose? This will be analysed,” Gehlot stated.
#WATCH | हरियाणा चुनाव में AAP से गठबंधन होता तो बेहतर होता-अशोक गहलोत@akhileshanandd | @AshishSinghLIVE | https://t.co/smwhXUROiK #AshokGehlot #Haryana #HaryanaElections2024 #Congress pic.twitter.com/MFkLFSS8hU
— ABP News (@ABPNews) October 11, 2024
Gehlot further highlighted that the Haryana election outcome impacted the morale of the Congress workers ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra elections and also came as a shock to the INDIA bloc allies, though he remained optimistic about the situation improving once the election campaign commences.
He also shared his view on the failed alliance talks with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), stating that such a partnership could have been beneficial. “Rahul Gandhi wanted the alliance to happen. I don’t why the alliance did not happen since I was not part of that committee. If the alliance had happened, it would have been good,” he commented.
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Congress To Set Up Platform For Candidates To Review Haryana Poll Setback
Separately, while speaking to ANI on the same issue, Gehlot remarked, “A postmortem is being done. A meeting was held yesterday where Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge decided that a platform will be set up for all our candidates — both winners and losers — along with state leaders to assess what actually transpired. The entire country was watching that Congress was winning, even the state itself saw it…But what happened suddenly? The results were surprising. We need to get to the bottom of it.”
#WATCH | Jaipur, Rajasthan: On Congress party’s review meeting over Haryana election results, senior party leader Ashok Gehlot says, “Postmortem is being done. A meeting was held yesterday, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge decided that a platform will be set up that all our… pic.twitter.com/ybyO8JkzoP
— ANI (@ANI) October 11, 2024
The Congress leadership convened a review meeting on Thursday to examine the party’s unexpected defeat in the Haryana Assembly elections. During the meeting, it was decided to establish a fact-finding team to investigate the reasons behind the debacle, which shocked many within the party.
Internal issues within the Congress, including factionalism, over-reliance on sitting MLAs, and trouble with rebel candidates, were cited as additional contributing factors to the party’s failure to reclaim power in Haryana after a decade. Despite facing anti-incumbency, the party had been confident about its chances of dislodging the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which had been in power for the past 10 years.
However, the BJP secured 48 seats in the 90-member assembly, halting Congress’ comeback attempt and disproving several exit polls that had predicted a comfortable victory for the grand old party. Congress managed to secure 37 seats, falling short of the majority needed to regain power.
