After enjoying sole power from 2014 to 2019 during the Modi wave, the BJP formed a coalition with the newly created JJP, with the party head Dushyant Chautala as Deputy CM, from 2019 to 2024. Now, it stands alone, facing strong anti-incumbency. A report by Aayush Goel
Seeking a third term in the forthcoming Haryana assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has a tough road ahead, especially following the recent setback in Lok Sabha elections. The party surely is not oblivious to the fact and is going to a great length to ensure that they manage to battle anti-incumbency and ensure maximum winnability. In the Lok Sabha elections that concluded in June, the BJP which was pompously laying claim to a minimum of 8 out of 10 seats in the state was confined to just five and witnessed a vote share drop by almost 15 percent.
The BJP led in 44 of the state’s 90 assembly segments, the Congress in 42, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in 4. The results were a morale booster for Congress and an eye opener for BJP whose last-minute CM-change formula failed to work. The Nayab Singh Saini-led government got in damage control and voter-wooing mood by making lucrative pre-poll announcements. Though the party is heavily banking on these, there are several issues plaguing its prospects.
According to the Leader of the Opposition, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the elections will mark an end to BJP’s rule in the state and the return of Congress. “The BJP has done nothing in the name of development in Haryana in these 10 years. The ruling party has just tried to fool people with slogans. People are waiting for 5 October. The results on 8 October will mark the ouster of the BJP government from Haryana,” said Hooda.
The BJP, however, is confident of a third term as party spokesperson Sanjay Sharma says, “We have worked hard during our tenure of 10 years and people have felt the difference in their day-to-day lives. Even for this election, that party is ready to fight for a third victory. We have multiple teams on the ground assessing the situation and working on making any modifications to campaign plans. We have researched candidates and will prioritize winnability. We are activating our panna pramukhs. The workers are mobilized on one principle that every vote counts.”
A recent post-Lok Sabha poll survey titled Lokniti by Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) indicates that Congress made substantial inroads into BJP’s traditional voter base in Haryana. According to the survey, while BJP retained most of its upper-caste votes, it saw a significant decline in OBC support, with nearly 29 percent shifting towards the Congress. The Congress also gained support among Dalit voters, with two-thirds of this bloc voting for it in the general elections. It further secured the crucial Jat vote, with two of every three Jats siding with them. Like Lok Sabha, Jats are expected to be the key deciding factor in Vidhan Sabha polls. The BJP’s fallout with Dushyant Chautala’s JJP (Janayak Janata Party) has dented its Jat voter base amidst other factors.
