Despite facing the ignominy of losing its deposit, Congress put up a brave face dismissing suggestions that Team Anna played any role in the defeat.
The jury is still out on whether Anna Hazare tilted the scales in the Hisar by-election contest but neither the winner Kuldeep Bishnoi and its alliance partner BJP nor the loser Congress willing to give him credit.
Hazare himself, however, warned the Congress to take cue from the rout and pass the Jan Lokpal Bill in the Winter Session of Parliament.
74-year-old Hazare, campaignging vigorously for passage of the Jan Lokpal bill wrote in his blog that he will personally campaign against Congress in the next Assembly polls if it does not pass the Bill in the winter session of Parliament.
A number of Assembly polls are scheduled next year including that of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarkhand and Gujarat.
"Cong should take cue after its defeat in Hisar bypoll and pass Jan Lokpal Bill in Winter Session" said Hazare seeking to take credit over the verdict in Hisar where Team Anna campaigned vigorously against the ruling party. Hazare is on a vow of silence now.
Despite facing the ignominy of losing its deposit, Congress put up a brave face dismissing suggestions that Team Anna played any role in the defeat and the rout was end of the road for Haryana Chief Minister BS Hooda.
Party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury also brushed aside claims that the defeat in Hisar as also in two Assembly bypolls Khadakvasala in Maharashtra and Banswada in Andhra Pradesh would affect the coming Assembly polls in five states including Uttar Pradesh. "Now Team Anna should issue a certificate of 'no corruption' to Kuldeep Bishnoi," she said.
Bishnoi, a candidate of the HVC-BJP, and son of late Chief Minister Bhajan Lal, also first claimed that Hazare campaign had no impact on his victory but later conceded it benefited him a little.
BJP too was loathe to give credit to Hazare. When asked if some of the credit for Bishnoi'svictory goes to Team Anna as well, party spokesman Shahnawaz Hussain replied in the negative.
"I have read Anna's statements. He has appealed not for victory of any candidate but for the defeat of a party," he said.
Hussain hailed the victory of its candidates in various by-polls as people's verdict against a corrupt Congress government at the Centre.
"This is an auspicious day for democracy. Congress, which is neck-deep in corruption, has lost the Hisar seat. Our candidates have won in Daraunda and Kadakvasla. This is a victory of the people and of those who are raising their voice against corruption," BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said.
Team Anna said the ruling party should take a lesson from the defeat and ensure passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill as the election was a "referendum" on it.
"It is a referendum on Jan Lokpal Bill. Congress should take a lesson and now pass Jan Lokpal Bill," a Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal sa.
Haryana Janhit Congress chief Bishnoi, who was supported by BJP, won the Hisar bypolls defeating INLD's Ajay Chautala. Congress' Jai Prakash was in the third position.
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