Shiv Sena (UBT) extends support to Congress after Haryana poll debacle
New Delhi: The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena extended support to its ally Congress after the party's loss in the Haryana Assembly elections. While the Congress faced criticism for its defeat, the Shiv Sena mouthpiece expressed concern over alleged irregularities in the vote counting process and questioned the parole release of rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim just days before the elections.
The Sena editorial highlighted Congress’ complaint to the Election Commission (EC) regarding a delay in updating the election results, which they claimed allowed the BJP to overturn their initial lead. The EC has since denied the allegations, calling them baseless. The editorial, however, argued that the EC’s response did not adequately address the Congress’ concerns, particularly the sudden surge in the BJP’s vote tally after a delay in data updates.
Referring to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini’s pre-poll statement that “all arrangements” were made for the BJP’s victory, the editorial questioned how the party managed to secure a win when anti-incumbency factors and local protests, including those by farmers and wrestlers, were seemingly against them.
The Sena also took a dig at the BJP for the parole release of Gurmeet Ram Rahim. Released six days before the election for the 10th time in two years, the Dera Sacha Sauda chief reportedly asked his followers to vote for the BJP. The Congress had earlier flagged this as a violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
Despite their backing of the Congress, the Shiv Sena was not devoid of criticism. The editorial advised the Congress’ Maharashtra unit to take lessons from the Haryana defeat to avoid a similar fate in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, adding that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition remains confident of victory in the state.
In Haryana, the BJP secured 48 of the 90 seats, with the Congress trailing at 37. The results were seen as a major setback for the Congress, which was predicted to win according to exit polls but fell behind due to what it termed an "unexpected" shift in results during counting.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
