Arrogance costs Congress Hisar

The Hisar Lok Sabha by-election verdict has a clear message — it is against the Congress, the UPA and prime minister Manmohan Singh reeling under corruption scandals. It is not a vote for Jan Lokpal.

Team Anna is on the winning side fortuitously. Similarly, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which entered into an alliance with the HJC, cannot claim victory for itself though it can assert that this is an anti-Congress vote.

This has been something more than the battle of clans. Bhajan Lal’s son Kuldeep Bishnoi of Haryana Janhit Congress has won by a narrow margin of 6,323 votes over Devi Lal’s grandson Ajay Chauthala of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD). Congress candidate Jai Parkash is a distant third and he has lost his deposit despite polling a decent 1.5 lakh because it does not come up to the minimum of one-sixth of votes cast. The people of Hisar were aware that the country was keenly watching their decision. They did not disappoint.

Congress played it wrong. Despite its weak prospects, it pitched loud which in itself is no sin. What was wrong was to belittle Team Anna and dismissing the issue of corruption, and lose battle and face in the bargain. The defeat can now be read as a rebuff to its arrogant attitude towards corruption. The BJP got it right by making the right alliance. It has to continue to make these right moves.

Congress has to get ready to lose power.

The Hisar political barometer hints at a whiff of change in the political atmosphere. That is good news for the country.