National Conference leader Omar Abdullah has urged the Congress to conduct “deep deliberations” on its unexpected defeat in Haryana and its lackluster performance in Jammu and Kashmir. Despite the INDIA bloc’s victory in the J&K Assembly elections, Abdullah pointed out that the National Conference had carried much of the alliance’s weight.
Omar Abdullah stated, “The BJP formed the government in Haryana for the third time. Congress will need to reflect on this, but that’s not my job.” His remarks appear as a subtle nudge towards Congress, urging them to adopt a more cooperative stance within the alliance.
In Haryana, Congress struggled to prevent the BJP from securing a third consecutive term, even with visible anti-incumbency.
Meanwhile, in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference won 42 out of the 51 seats it contested, while Congress secured only 6 out of the 32 seats it contested. Particularly in Jammu, where Congress was expected to make a significant impact, it managed to win just one seat.
This is the Congress’s weakest showing in the Jammu region, which has increasingly turned into a BJP stronghold. The BJP secured 29 seats despite facing anti-incumbency factors.
A leadership vacuum, lack of aggressive campaigning by key Congress leaders, and failure to consolidate Dalit votes in Jammu are being cited as reasons for the party’s disappointing performance.
In fact, during the campaign, Omar Abdullah had publicly criticized Congress for not focusing on Jammu, where it was expected to take the lead against the BJP. This was the primary reason Congress was given the lion’s share of seats in the Hindu-majority region.
“It doesn’t matter what Congress does in Kashmir; what matters is how Congress performs in Jammu,” Abdullah had remarked bitterly last month.
The Congress’s setbacks in Haryana and its below-par performance in J&K will influence the upcoming elections in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Delhi. The loss in Haryana leaves Congress with limited leverage in seat-sharing negotiations with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies for the upcoming elections.
