How BJP Turned The Tide to Defeat Congress in Haryana

New Delhi: In the world of politics, much like in cricket, the match isn't over until the last ball is bowled. The Haryana election results on Tuesday served as a vivid reminder of this reality. The BJP , which appeared to be trailing in early trends, deftly turned the tables and snatched victory from the clutches of Congress , showcasing their prowess as the results rolled in. While Congress celebrated early with party worker Jagdish Sharma distributing jalebis and laddoos outside their headquarters, the BJP proved that their strategic plan could turn the tide their way, leaving the opposition totally stunned.  

Proving the exit poll predictions wrong, the Election Commission's tally indicated that the BJP had either won or was leading in 49 out of the 90 assembly seats (at the time of filing the article). If these results hold, it will mark the BJP 's best-ever performance in the state. While Congress increased its vote share by 11%, its overall share of over 39% still lagged slightly behind the BJP's 39.89%, reflecting the BJP's gains compared to the 2019 polls. However, these figures may still change as the Election Commission releases the final data.

These abovementioned figures are historic as no party has ever achieved a hat-trick in Haryana since it was carved out of Punjab in 1966. The Haryana Assembly election was largely expected to favour Congress , with many predicting it would be their election from beginning to end, a sentiment echoed by the exit polls. However, the BJP defied all expectations, accomplishing what many deemed impossible. 

How BJP Snatched Victory From The Jaws of Congress ? 

As the Congress and its leaders struggle to find an explanation, let’s take a closer look at the key factors that contributed to the BJP ’s hat-trick in Haryana .    

Saini Factor: After the split with JJP, the BJP 's decision to replace Manohar Lal Khattar with the low-profile OBC leader Nayab Singh Saini as chief minister has proven to be a masterstroke. Saini's leadership came at a crucial time when the BJP was facing big challenges in Haryana , grappling with rising anti-incumbency and Jat resentment. Despite the setbacks in the Lok Sabha polls, where the BJP lost half its seats, Saini managed to turn the tide.

Under intense opposition criticism over issues like farmer distress, unemployment, the Agnipath scheme, and inflation, Saini’s strategic populist measures helped restore faith in the party. His approval of the Agniveer policy, which guarantees jobs to Agniveers after their service, and his decision to increase the number of crops bought at MSP by 10, showcased his commitment to addressing public concerns, winning back voter confidence in the process.   

Congress infighting: A key factor that worked in BJP ’s favour was the internal strife within Congress , with its top leaders locked in a power struggle. Even before the election, Congress leaders were so confident of victory that they had already begun competing for the Chief Minister's position. The public power tussle between Congress veteran Bhupinder Singh Hooda and senior leader Kumari Selja only added to the party's woes, requiring behind-the-scenes damage control. This internal discord weakened their campaign and played right into the BJP 's hands. 

As the grand old party failed in its bid to make a come back in Haryana , a blame game began in the Congress with Shelja taking a veiled attack on Hooda. "The Haryana poll results are disappointing and I am pained at the disappointment of the Congress workers in the state who have worked very hard and were looking forward to forming their government after 10 years. It will not be business as usual in Haryana and I am sure the Congress high command would identify those who negated the efforts to bring the party to power after 10 years," she told reporters.

The Sirsa Lok Sabha MP and former union minister said she was sure that the Congress high command would go into all aspects that led to such results and would identify the reasons and those responsible for bringing such results. "I'm sure the party will look into all aspects that led to such results in Haryana ," Selja said.  She referred to factors affecting the organisation like taking everyone along and ensuring coordination among all the leaders in the state.   

Loyalty of Urban Voters:  The BJP 's stronghold in the Ahirwal belt of southern Haryana , which helped the party secure its victories in 2014 and 2019, once again proved crucial in 2024.  The Ahirwal region in southern Haryana has 11 assembly segments spread over three Lok Sabha seats – Bhiwani-Mahendergarh, Gurgaon and Rohtak (one segment only) – having a sizeable presence of Ahir voters.  

As Tuesday's results came in, the BJP dominated the Ahirwal region, sweeping all 11 Assembly seats. This continued support had already been seen in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, where 10 out of 11 Assembly segments backed the BJP . Gurugram, the cyber hub of Haryana , also voted overwhelmingly in favour of the saffron party. 

Rao Inderjit Singh, the prominent Ahirwal leader and BJP MP from Gurgaon, who secured his sixth term earlier in 2024, led the party’s campaign in the region, delivering yet another resounding victory for the BJP .

‘Victory of Politics of Development, Good Governance’   

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the BJP 's win in the Haryana Assembly polls as a victory of its politics of development and good governance, assuring people that the party will leave no stone unturned to fulfil people's aspirations. In a series of posts on X, Modi also complimented the National Conference for its "commendable" performance in the Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

Expressing heartfelt thanks to the people of Haryana , he conveyed his gratefulness to them for giving the BJP a majority for a third straight term. Describing the win as a grand victory, he hailed the party's "hardworking" members for serving the people and taking the organisation's development agenda to them. "The BJP has achieved this historic win due to this," PM Modi asserted.

With the party also notching up its best-ever tally in Jammu and Kashmir as in Haryana , he said he was proud of the BJP 's performance in the Union Territory. 
"I thank all those who have voted for our party and placed their trust in us. I assure the people that we will keep working for the welfare of Jammu and Kashmir," he said, praising party workers for their hard work.