Defying anti-incumbency, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has pulled off a hat-trick of victories in Haryana, securing a third consecutive term in the state. The ruling party clinched its best-ever performance, winning 48 seats, 11 more than the Congress, in the assembly elections, the results of which were declared on Tuesday.
In contrast to exit polls that had predicted a comfortable Congress win, the BJP has emerged triumphant, solidifying its hold on power in the state. The Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were wiped out, with the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) managing just two seats.
The BJP contested 89 of the 90 seats, leaving the Sirsa seat for its ally, Gopal Kanda, who was a sitting MLA. However, Kanda lost the seat. Similarly, the Congress also contested 89 seats, leaving the Bhiwani constituency for its partner, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)].
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the BJP’s victory, attributing it to the party’s focus on good governance. “Our guarantee of ‘vikas’ prevailed over the pack of lies spread by the Congress, and people wrote new history by electing us for a third term,” Modi told party workers in Delhi. He further added, “Once the people throw out Congress, they do not let it come back. They put ‘no entry’ boards for Congress… It is a party that always thought power was its birthright.”
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge termed the results “unexpected” and mentioned that the party would assess the people’s mandate.
Prominent winners include Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini (Ladwa), Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda (Garhi Sampla-Kiloi), BJP’s Anil Vij (Ambala Cantt), Shruti Choudhry (Tosham), INLD’s Arjun Chautala (Rania), and Aditya Devi Lal (Dabwali). Congress’ Vinesh Phogat (Julana), Aditya Surjewala (Kaithal), and Geeta Bhukkal (Jhajjar) also secured wins, while BJP’s Arti Singh Rao (Ateli) and Independent candidate Savitri Jindal (Hisar) emerged victorious.
On the flip side, notable losses included INLD’s Abhay Singh Chautala (Ellenabad), JJP’s Dushyant Chautala and Digvijay Chautala (Dabwali), BJP’s Gian Chand Gupta, Congress’ Brijendra Singh, AAP’s Anurag Dhanda (Kalayat), BJP’s O P Dhankar (Badli), Capt Abhimanyu (Narnaund), Haryana Lokhit Party’s Gopal Kanda (Sirsa), and Independent Ranjit Chautala (Rania).
Haryana Congress President Udai Bhan and BJP’s Bhavya Bishnoi, grandson of former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal, also lost their respective seats.
Haryana witnessed polling on October 5, with the elections held in a single phase. In the previous assembly, the BJP had 41 MLAs, the Congress 28, the JJP 6, and the Haryana Lokhit Party and INLD each had one member. The assembly also had four independents, and nine seats were vacant prior to the elections.
A total of 1,031 candidates, including 464 independents and 101 women, contested the elections this time.
Speaking to reporters after the results, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini expressed his gratitude, stating that people have “put a stamp” on the government’s policies under the leadership of Modi. Saini, an OBC face, replaced Manohar Lal Khattar as Chief Minister in March, a move that appeared to have worked in the BJP’s favor.
During the campaign, the BJP capitalized on targeting the Congress for alleged ‘kharchi-parchi’ (bribery and favoritism) in government job allocations during Hooda’s 10-year tenure. The ruling party also focused on its welfare promises, including 2 lakh government jobs without ‘kharchi-parchi’ and providing MSP on 24 crops, a first in the country. Other promises included Rs 2,100 per month to women under the Lado Lakshmi Yojna and cooking gas cylinders at Rs 500 under the Har Ghar Grihni Yojna.
The BJP’s consistent attack on the Congress over Dalit issues also found resonance among voters, with Modi branding the Congress as the “biggest anti-Dalit party.” He referenced past incidents such as the Gohana 2005 and Mirchpur 2010 events, which had seen Dalit communities being attacked.
The counting of votes commenced at 8 am under tight security. While several exit polls predicted a Congress victory, the trends turned in favor of the BJP as the counting progressed. As the BJP’s third term in power became evident, party workers celebrated by distributing sweets and dancing to the beats of dhols. In contrast, the mood at the Congress camp quickly shifted from brief celebrations to disappointment as the day unfolded.
