BJP keeps Haryana, National Conference-led alliance bags J&K

BJP scores 2 seats over majority mark in Haryana in its third consecutive victory; Congress falls short with 37 seats in Haryana, secures J&K as part of the INDIA bloc; BJP defeated the ‘divisive policies’ of Congress in Haryana, says Modi; J&K results a verdict against the BJP’s ‘anti-people policies’, says Kharge

The BJP won a clear mandate in Haryana as did the National Conference-led alliance in Jammu & Kashmir, according to the Assembly election results announced on Tuesday (October 8, 2024). 

As per the results posted on the Election Commission website till 8:30 p.m., the BJP won 48 seats in Haryana, two above than the majority mark in the 90-member Assembly. The Congress won 36 seats and was leading in one more. In J&K, the National Conference-led alliance won 49 seats, of which the NC alone got 41 seats. The Congress failed to keep its side of the bargain, winning only six of the 32 seats it contested; of the six, only one was in Jammu. In contrast, while the BJP failed to open its account in the Kashmir valley, it swept through Jammu, winning 29 seats.

This is the first round of polls after the general election. The results come as a huge relief for the BJP and will help it arrest the narrative about the party’s decline, which began after it failed to cross the majority mark in the Lok Sabha. The results also set the mood for the upcoming polls in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. 

The Congress, which had gone into the elections exuding confidence that it would Haryana and register a significant presence in J&K, was disappointed on both counts.

Historic J&K poll

This election marked the first time in a decade that J&K voters elected a new Assembly; it is also the first Assembly election since the 2019 legislations that struck down Article 370 and bifurcated the erstwhile State into two Union Territories. Addressing BJP workers on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the peaceful conduct of the J&K election was a victory of the Indian Constitution and democracy. 

For the National Conference, the victory was particularly sweet, considering it came on the back of its leader Omar Abdullah’s shock defeat in the Lok Sabha election. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge congratulated both Mr. Abdullah and his father Farooq Abdullah, calling the results a verdict against the “anti-people policies of the BJP”.

The Aam Aadmi Party opened its account for the first time in J&K. 

Haryana hat trick

This was the first time in Haryana that a party has returned to power for the third consecutive time, a fact that the Prime Minister underlined to emphasise the significance of the BJP’s victory, pointing out that the incumbent government has lost power in 10 of the 13 elections held in the State. The BJP increased both its vote share and seat tally. Mr. Modi emphasised that the BJP got votes from across caste lines and defeated the “divisive policies” of the Congress. 

There was only a minor difference in vote share between the two parties, with the Congress getting 39.09% of votes polled, while the BJP won 39.94%. The Congress has refused to accept the results in Haryana, with Mr. Kharge called the results unexpected. Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who was the party’s face in the State, said that the Congress has received several complaints about electronic voting machines or EVMs. Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh said that the results were a “victory of manipulation” and a defeat of transparent democratic processes. The Congress asserted that it would continue to follow up on complaints lodged with the Election Commission. Wrestler-turned-politician Vinesh Phogat, who joined the Congress on the eve of the election, won her seat.

The poll results in Haryana are also a major setback for the State’s regional parties. Dushyant Chautala’s Jannayak Janata Party, which had made a stunning debut in the 2019 election by winning nearly 15% of the vote share and 10 Assembly seats, was wiped out. Mr. Chautala himself could not secure his seat. The Indian National Lok Dal was also pushed to the margins, winning only two seats. The AAP, which had failed to strike an alliance with the Congress despite a few rounds of negotiations, drew a blank. 

Published - October 08, 2024 10:23 pm IST