In Haryana, the ruling BJP seeks a third consecutive term, but the Congress is also eager to return to office after a decade away. This election battle has the potential to influence the political conversation leading up to the assembly elections in Delhi, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand. It is the first major showdown between the two national parties since the Lok Sabha elections.
Voter turnout for the 90-seat Haryana assembly stood at 67.90 per cent. Exit polls have predicted a Congress victory, but the BJP remains confident of defying these projections. Chief minister Nayab Singh Saini has dismissed the exit poll results, insisting that his party will return to power with a full majority. “On October 8, we will form the government, and the Congress will once again blame the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs),” Saini said. Meanwhile, Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda, a two-time former chief minister and the party’s likely candidate for the top job, has expressed similar optimism, saying, “A comfortable majority for Congress is in sight.”
Haryana assembly elections turned out largely a bipolar contest between the BJP and Congress, though parties like the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), and Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) have also thrown their hats in the ring. Leaders of these regional parties, such as JJP’s Dushyant Chautala and INLD’s Abhay Chautala, have each claimed their alliances are poised to play kingmaker if the election yields a hung assembly. Meanwhile, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal has claimed that no government can be formed without AAP’s support.
The BJP has campaigned on a platform of good governance, merit-based jobs, and welfare schemes for farmers, while the opposition Congress has attacked the incumbent government on issues like unemployment, farmer distress, and inflation. The results will serve as a crucial litmus test of the BJP’s governance model, particularly following its change in leadership earlier this year, when Saini replaced Manohar Lal Khattar as chief minister.
As counting proceeds in both Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir, political leaders, parties, and citizens alike are glued to the results that will shape the future of these states. Will the BJP secure a third term in Haryana, or will Congress manage a comeback? And in Jammu and Kashmir, will the Congress-NC alliance take the reins, or will the BJP spring a surprise?
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Source: HT
