NDTV publishes an opinion piece contending that Congress’s actions and messaging are damaging its electoral prospects rather than benefiting from anti-incumbency. The article argues that Congress leaders treat anti-incumbency as a kind of political advantage that will automatically move in their favour, but it does not, according to the author. The piece links this claim to the party’s performance across multiple states, referring to electoral contexts from Punjab to Karnataka. It characterizes the pattern as repeated “self-goals,” suggesting that internal decisions, political strategy, or communication by Congress contribute to the party’s difficulties. The opinion does not present new verifiable reporting in the provided text; instead, it is framed as analysis and critique of Congress’s political approach. Overall, the article’s thrust is that Congress’s challenges stem from self-inflicted factors, and that relying on anti-incumbency without addressing underlying issues is presented as a flawed strategy. The views are attributed to the opinion author and are not stated as confirmed facts about election outcomes.