NEW DELHI: Congress Lok Sabha MP Tariq Anwar on Wednesday said that the party will conduct a detailed analysis at the ground level to understand the reasons behind its defeat in the Haryana Assembly elections.
Defying all Exit Poll results, the ruling BJP on Tuesday crossed the majority mark in the Haryana Assembly by winning 48 seats, a rise from 40 seats in 2019 in the 90-member Assembly.
However, the Congress won 37. The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) won two seats, while Independents got three.
"The Congress party will study where it went wrong. There were some shortcomings; otherwise, we would have won comfortably. Whether it was due to a lack of coordination, overconfidence, or some other issue, it's difficult to say until we reach a conclusion, " Anwar told IANS.
He emphasised the need for discussions with local leaders and party members to identify the gaps.
"We will engage with local leaders and call all party members to discuss the shortcomings. We will also talk to the observers who were involved in the process, " he added.
The Congress Lok Sabha MP further stressed the importance of setting up a system for quick assessments to avoid similar situations in upcoming elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, aiming for victory in both states.
When asked about Shiv Sena (UBT)'s claim that Congress fails when it fights alone against the BJP, Anwar rejected the notion, citing examples of Karnataka and Telangana.
"This is not the case. We secured victories in Karnataka and Telangana against the BJP without any allies. As for alliances, we will form them where needed. We have an alliance in Maharashtra and will win there, " he said.
Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's repeated charge that Congress party is against Dalits, Anwar dismissed the claims and retorted that it is which BJP which is trying to woo the community for electoral benefits.
"A Dalit President was not invited to the Ram Temple inauguration; she was sidelined. The Prime Minister did the inauguration himself. This shows that their respect for Dalits is only symbolic, " he said, taking a dig at PM Modi.