The Haryana election result is a “big setback for the Congress”, senior leader and one-time chief ministerial hopeful Kumari Selja told NDTV Tuesday afternoon. “…very disappointing,” she said.
"I was very excited in the morning… we had expected to win up to 60 (of Haryana's 90 Assembly seats), so this result is a big setback for us. We will assess the reasons for our defeat… there can be many… and see how these can be overcome for future elections," the senior leader told NDTV.
Ms Selja offered a brief analysis of the Congress' poor showing despite a feeling of anti-incumbency against the Bharatiya Janata Party. "See… before the election there were two factors – BJP's negative (image) and the Congress as a credible option. We were wrong in (assuming) both these things."
"We will have to look at all these factors," Ms Selja told NDTV, also seeming to take a swipe at state rival Bhupinder Hooda, "Ticket distribution was also an issue (but) what can we say about this now?"
"It will not be business as usual in Haryana and I am sure the Congress high command would identify those who negated the efforts to bring the party to power after 10 years," she later told reporters.
READ | Infighting To Jat Focus: 5 Factors In Congress’ Haryana Setback
The Congress – bidding to stop the BJP from a third consecutive win in the Hindi heartland state – got off to a flying start, posting strong gains in early leads drawn from postal ballots.
These prompted celebrations at the party's HQ in Delhi and in the state, with enthusiastic supporters distributing jalebis and bursting firecrackers. But the ruling party mounted a thrilling comeback.
READ | BJP Heads For Big Win In Haryana Thriller, 3rd Term Preps On
By about 9 am the BJP had overhauled and overtaken its rival, and has not looked back since; Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party is now set to record its biggest ever election victory in the state.
The rapid and unsettling turnaround in the Congress' fortunes in Haryana – in which it battled the BJP to a draw, sharing the state's 10 Lok Sabha seats – has played out against a backdrop of internal bickering, led by dispute between Ms Selja and Bhupinder Hooda over the Chief Minister's post.
Ms Selja and Mr Hooda have both made no secret of their ambitions.
Kumari Selja vs Bhupinder Hooda
Hours earlier, just as the Congress' hold on the result was slipping away, Ms Selja spoke to NDTV. "Yes. I am among the contenders… but the final decision is with the party high command," she said.
READ | “CM Decision With High Command”: Congress’ Kumari Selja To NDTV
Meanwhile, the 77-year-old Mr Hooda is raring for a third term; he made it clear to news agency PTI he is "neither tired nor retired” but also said the party HQ, and its elected MLAs, will take the call.
There was significant buzz in Haryana political circles last month after Ms Selja seemed to be in a funk; a prominent state leader with influence over the Dalit vote, she delayed campaigning for the party.
There was speculation she was unhappy with the way candidates were chosen; these seemed to favour loyalists of Bhupinder Hooda. She was also unhappy, it was said, at being taken for granted.
READ | “Should Never Be Doubt…”: Congress’ Kumari Selja On BJP Rumours
One of the issues flagged was that Ms Selja had made it clear she wanted to contest the state poll, but that was overruled by the party HQ and she was fielded from (and won) the Sirsa Lok Sabha seat.
She later told NDTV, "I wanted to contest… party didn't allow. That is ok…", but then warned of "issues… serious issues" that need to be resolved within the Congress' state unit.
"It was never intended I shall remain absent (from the campaign) throughout. I will campaign…" she also said, "…because I am a party solider. I've always said I am a good soldier."
What Hooda Said
Last week Mr Hooda dismissed “hypothetical questions” and underlined his position on the chief ministerial race – that the final decision will be taken by the Congress’ central leadership.
But more telling was his response to a question on Kumari Selja becoming the Congress' next Haryana Chief Minister. "This is a democracy… everybody should aspire. But the MLAs will decide…" he said.
The reference to MLAs deciding is key because a majority of them are understood to be loyal to the former Chief Minister, Ms Selja has already said it is "not healthy" for state lawmakers to be involved in the selection of a Chief Minister; "I think the 'high command' should decide, otherwise people get tied down and that, I feel, also leads to further factionalism," she told NDTV this week.
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