"Congress felt they could win on their own," UBT Sena takes dig at alliance partner after Haryana loss

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 9 : Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday took a jibe at alliance partner Congress for its poor showing in the Haryana assembly elections. The UBT Sena leader said that the Congress felt they could win on their own without the support of allies.
"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. 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," Raut said
Raut also spoke on the Jammu and Kashmir poll results and said, "Both Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana had 90-90 constituencies, one 90 went to INDIA and the other went to the BJP. Both JK and Haryana had their own value, but the Union territory was more important for BJP. Article 370 remained an issue for the 2024 elections but they still lost. We won in JK because INDIA was contesting in the alliance with JKNC under Chief Farooq Abdullah."
Another Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi 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..."
BJP won 48 out of 90 seats in Haryana assembly while Congress managed to win 37 seats. Independents won 3 seats and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) secured 2 seats, according to Election Commission data issued on Tuesday.
The position of the UBT Sena becomes important with the seat sharing arrangement of the Maha Vikas Aghadi for the Maharashtra Assembly polls to be completed soon.
Earlier on Tuesday, UBT Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said that he will support the Chief Ministerial candidate announced by their alliance partners, Congress and Sharad Pawar-led National Congress Party, ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly Election.
Uddhav Thackeray, speaking at the Vajra Nirdhar Parishad, a program organised by Shiv Sena on state level, 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.
The 288 seats Maharashtra Assembly will go to polls later this year. The Election Commission of India has yet to announce the poll dates.