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The recent Haryana Assembly elections saw a surprising defeat for the Congress party, a result that has sparked intense debate and finger-pointing within the party. One of the most vocal critics of the Congress's performance is Gurnam Singh Charuni, President of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), a powerful farmer's organization that had actively campaigned for the Congress in the lead-up to the elections. Charuni, who himself contested and lost the elections, directly blamed former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for the Congress's failure, accusing him of a lack of compromise and an overly assertive stance that alienated voters.
Charuni went on to criticize Hooda's leadership, stating that he was "quite foolish" and had failed to capitalize on the favorable "mahaul" (atmosphere) created by the farmers' movement. He argued that Hooda's refusal to make any compromises and his decision to go solo without forging alliances with other parties ultimately proved to be detrimental to the Congress's chances. Charuni even urged the Congress high command to not appoint Hooda as the Leader of the Opposition, citing his ineffective performance in the previous 10 years and warning that his continued presence could hinder the party's future prospects.
The criticism levelled by Charuni echoes a sentiment shared by other Congress leaders and analysts. Many believe that Hooda's overconfidence in his own popularity and his dismissive attitude towards potential alliances ultimately cost the Congress dearly. His decision to prioritize a solo campaign, despite the presence of other political forces like the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP), resulted in a fractured opposition and a consolidated victory for the BJP. The saffron party, capitalizing on the Congress's internal divisions, swept the Ahirwal belt, winning a significant majority of seats.
The Haryana election defeat serves as a stark reminder of the complexities of political campaigning. While the BKU's support for the Congress was substantial, it ultimately proved insufficient to overcome the internal divisions and strategic missteps that plagued the party. The blame for this failure, as per Charuni and others, rests squarely on the shoulders of Bhupinder Singh Hooda, whose leadership and decision-making appear to have alienated voters and contributed to the Congress's defeat.