Haryana assembly election: High stakes BJP vs Cong contest, AAP, JJP too in fray

Haryana will witness a high stakes multicornered election battle as 2.03 crore voters will vote in a single phase assembly poll on Saturday. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking a third straight term in power while the Congress is eyeing a comeback. 

Regional parties like Dushyant Chautala's Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), which shared power with the BJP from 2019 to early 2024, and Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), will hope to play the kingmaker's role. Also in fray is Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), led by four-time chief minister Om Prakash Chautala.

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What's at stake for BJP?

The BJP is eyeing a hat-trick of victories in Haryana, which elects 90 members to its assembly. In 2014, the saffron party riding on the Modi wave had formed government in Haryana for the first time by winning 47 seats. The party picked Manohar Lal Khattar, a Punjabi Hindu as the chief minister to govern the state dominated by Jats. 

In 2019, the Haryana assembly elections resulted in a hung assembly. The BJP with 40 seats formed a coalition with JJP led by Dushyant Chautala, who was appointed as deputy CM. 

On March 12, Khattar resigned as chief minister in a surprise move by the BJP. The change in guard also marked the end of BJP-JJP alliance. Nayab Singh Saini replaced Khattar, who was fielded as the BJP candidate from Karnal in the Lok Sabha elections. After Narendra Modi won a third term in office, Khattar was appointed as Union minister of power, housing and urban affairs.

In the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress gave a tough fight to the BJP in Haryana, with both the parties winning five seats each in the state. 

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The BJP faces a daunting task of overcoming ten years of anti-incumbency.

“In the last 10 years, we have taken several steps for the development of the state. In the last 10 years, Haryana has become a developed state. We have taken a resolution that we will take Haryana to the path of progress more rapidly and we will provide facilities to the people based on their suggestions,” chief minister Nayab Singh Saini told ANI earlier in the day. 

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Congress eyes comeback after 10 years in opposition

The Congress is hoping to reap the dividends of its Lok Sabha election performance in Haryana. The grand old party in its manifesto announced seven guarantees, including the promises of a legal guarantee for MSP, a caste survey, and ₹2,000 per month to women, if voted to power.

Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has spearheaded the Congress campaign, targeting the BJP on several issues including Agniveer scheme. 

Gandhi alleged the military recruitment programme was a way to "steal" a soldier's pension, canteen facilities and martyr status he gets (when he lays down life for his motherland).

AAP and JJP factor

In the 2019 assembly elections, Dushyant Chautala had emerged the kingmaker with 10 seats in a hung assembly of 90. He chose to join hands with the BJP and shared power for nearly five years before the alliance ended. This time, he has formed an alliance with ASP leader Chandra Shekhar Azad.

“Our alliance will win enough number of seats and emerge as a strong player in the scenario,” Chautala had told PTI. 

The Aam Aadmi Party is also fighting the election alone after its talks with Congress for a pre-poll alliance failed. The party is banking on Arvind Kejriwal, who was recently released from jail after being granted bail in a corruption case in the alleged liquor scam. 

“Everywhere, I am getting so much love from people. They released me 10 days ago. We are getting so many seats that no government can be formed in Haryana even without us. Whatever government is formed in Haryana, it will be formed with the support of the Aam Aadmi Party," PTI quoted Kejriwal as saying during his campaign.

How many voters are eligible to vote?

According to Haryana's chief electoral officer Pankaj Agarwal said 2,03,54,350 voters, including 8,821 centurions, are eligible to exercise their franchise and the voting will be held from 7 am to 6 pm. A total of 1,031 candidates are contesting in all 90 assembly constituencies, including 101 women. Among these candidates, 464 are contesting as independent. A total of 20,632 polling booths have been set up for voting, Agarwal said on Friday.

(With PTI, ANI inputs)