Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday criticised alliance partner Congress for its defeat in the Haryana assembly elections, saying the party believed it could win without the support of allies.In an editorial in the Sena (UBT) mouthpiece Saamana, Raut claimed Congress had “turned a winning match into a loss” and attributed the party’s defeat to “overconfidence” and the “arrogance” of local leaders.The editorial particularly criticised Haryana Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda for his domineering role in candidate selection, which sidelined key figures like Kumari Selja.This internal discord, it argued, weakened Congress’ organisational strength and led to a poor campaignIt also noted that while sentiment in Haryana was against the BJP, many expected a Congress landslide. However, the party’s internal strife was cited as one of the broader failures in capitalising on the anti-BJP atmosphere, the editorial claimed.Everyone should learn from Congress over how to turn a winning match into a loss, the editorial said.The editorial further issued a warning to Congress leaders in Maharashtra, urging them to learn from the party’s defeat in Haryana.Meanwhile, Raut also doubled down that the results would have been different had the Congress contested the elections as part of an alliance.”INDIA alliance could not win in Haryana because the Congress felt they would win on their own and they did not need any other partner in power. Congress leader Hooda Ji felt we would win. If they (Congress) had shared seats with the Samajwadi Party, AAP or other smaller parties, the results would have been different,” Raut told ANI.”The way the BJP fought the elections is very good. BJP won a lost battle. Everybody believed the Congress was winning, but it still lost and the BJP won because it has a systematic system, management; we need it to give to them for this,” the Sena (UBT) leader added.Raut also drew parallels with the results in Jammu and Kashmir, noting that Congress won there by contesting in alliance with the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC). “Both Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana had 90-90 constituencies; one 90 went to INDIA and the other went to the BJP… We won in JK because INDIA was contesting in the alliance with JKNC under Chief Farooq Abdullah,” he said.Similarly, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also called for introspection from the Congress.”The INDIA alliance fought very well in the J&K assembly elections and they are all set to form the government. In Haryana, Congress had to suffer defeat. Even after anti-incumbency, the BJP formed the government in Haryana. I congratulate them. Congress should introspect on the reasons for its defeat,” she said.BJP won 48 out of 90 seats in the Haryana assembly, while Congress managed to win 37 seats. Independents won 3 seats and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) secured 2 seats, according to ECI data issued on Tuesday.Notably, the Sena (UBT), along with the Congress and NCP (SP), are part of the opposition’s Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra, which goes to polls later this year. The position of the Uddhav Thackeray-led party becomes important amid talks over the seat-sharing formula in the MVA for the 288-seat Maharashtra Assembly polls.The Election Commission of India has yet to announce the poll dates.Earlier on Tuesday, UBT Sena chief Thackeray said that he will support the Chief Ministerial candidate announced by their alliance partners. Speaking at the Vajra Nirdhar Parishad, a program organised by Shiv Sena on state level, Uddhav highlighted the importance of securing victory in Maharashtra and showed support to the alliance partners.”I say that Congress or NCP should declare the face of the Chief Minister and I will support them right now Because Maharashtra is important for us,” Thackeray said.
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