BJP's Haryana Hat-Trick with Biggest Ever Win

09
October
2024

In spite of widespread anti-incumbency and all exit polls predicting an INC win in Haryana, BJP secured a historic third term, winning 48 of 90 seats. A shortfall of 0.8% in vote share left INC with 37 seats, independents won 3, and the Indian National Lok Dal won 2. The result wipes out the advantage INC gained in the summer general elections when they restricted BJP to only half the MP seats. The reasons for BJP’s win go back to March, when they replaced CM Manohar Lal Khattar with Nayab Singh Saini. Khattar is a Khatri (business class) by caste. Saini is ‘Other Backward Caste.’ The change was made during Farmers’ Protest 2.0, when Khattar came down heavily on Panjabi farmers gathered at the inter-state Haryana-Panjab border at Shambhu and Khanauri (SDW Vol 2 Issue 8, Stories 1-5). BJP signaled a willingness to let go of the Jat vote, even the Sikh farmer vote, which together is about 25% of the state’s population. In the last decade, the Jats of Haryana were BJP’s most ardent supporters, but relations soured over Farmers’ Protests 1.0 and 2.0. INC gave charge of the election to another Jat, former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who neglected other castes in seat distribution, especially prominent Dalit leader Kumari Shelja. The BJP brought in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to help the grassroots campaign. Through thousands of meetings and door-to-door contacts, the RSS softened the blow of policies like Agniveer (short term employment in Army) by promising jobs in police, promised Minimum Support Price on crops, and advocated rural employment generation. The BJP won by polarizing the state into farmers vs. all other professions. INC played into their hands. 

Photo by India Today

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