The Congress party is adopting different strategies for different states of Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Haryana which are headed to elections in the next few months.
The party will soon start the process of inviting applications from candidates for the assembly elections in Haryana. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, Congress is preparing to announce its seat allocations after consultations with allies, coinciding with the election announcement.
A scrutiny committee is expected to be set up soon to oversee these processes in both states, reflecting Congress’s tailored approach to each region. In Haryana, former chief minister Bhupendra Hooda is slated to play a pivotal role, reportedly he has been given the autonomy to strategise from candidate selection to election tactics. Working closely with Hooda will be Rahul Gandhi’s team, indicating a concerted effort by Congress to strengthen its position in the state.
Congress is cautious about not repeating errors, especially the seat-sharing disputes in Madhya Pradesh that resulted in substantial losses for the party. Similar internal factionalism exists within the party ranks in Haryana as well. Nonetheless, senior leader Rahul Gandhi’s amplified influence is anticipated to streamline decision-making processes and alleviate internal tensions.
The party is shaping its strategy in Haryana and Jharkhand with the aim to strengthen its presence and optimise alliance dynamics. This proactive approach comes amid challenges, including managing internal factions like Kumari Selja and Randeep Singh Surjewala, who may find their influence curtailed. Experts suggest that empowering Bhupendra Hooda could pave the way for Congress’s resurgence in Haryana, provided the party avoids the pitfalls seen in past elections.
In Haryana, the electoral landscape is competitive with several parties vying for influence. The INLD and BSP alliance, targeting Dalit and Jat constituencies, underscores this complexity. Analysts draw parallels to Uttar Pradesh, where strategic voting among Jats and Dalits bolstered opposition alliances against the BJP. Similarly, in Haryana, these voter segments are crucial, potentially swaying towards parties seen as capable challengers to the BJP.
Strategically allocating tickets will be critical for Congress to mount a robust challenge against the BJP. With the electoral dynamics evolving, Congress’s decisions in seat distribution could determine the intensity of the electoral contest in Haryana.
The BJP is working on a different strategy this time. Its focus is on social engineering.
On the other hand, in Maharashtra Congress will contest the election in alliance with NCP Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT). Sseat sharing remains a big challenge for the alliance. After several rounds of meetings, nothing has been decided yet. Congress has staked claim for maximum number of seats.
Sources said Uddhav Thackeray is talking about equal seats among the three. The Thackeray group is apprehensive that if Congress and NCP Pawar contest on 190 seats and get the majority figure, then it will be difficult to get the CM post. Therefore, the Thackeray group is putting pressure on everything from seat sharing to declaring the face.
Congress and NCP are not in the mood to upset Thackeray. Therefore, it will be a joint strategy to a large extent so that BJP cannot take any advantage of the anger.
In Jharkhand, Congress will contest the elections in alliance with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and RJD. The face will be CM Hemant Soren. Congress is likely focus more on Haryana and Maharashtra.