Haryana victory: BJP makes inroads in Dalit, Jat strongholds

PTI Chandigarh: The BJP, which pulled off a hattrick of wins in Haryana by bucking anti-incumbency, managed to make significant inroads into the Dalit seats and Jat strongholds. The Congress was heavily banking on the Dalit and Jat votes to make a comeback after a decade of being out of power. Not only this, the BJP also managed to retain seats in the Ahirwal region and the GT Road belt to shatter the Congress’ comeback plans in Haryana, which went to polls on Saturday and results for which were declared on Tuesday.

While the BJP ended up with its best-ever haul of 48 seats, 11 more than those won by Congress in the present elections, parties like the JJP and AAP were decimated and the INLD managed to win just two seats. Proving wrong exit polls which predicted a comfortable Congress win, the BJP will be forming government in Haryana for the third consecutive term. Out of 17 Scheduled Caste (SC) seats in Haryana, the BJP won eight assembly constituencies -- ?Nilokheri, Pataudi, Kharkhauda, Hodal, Bawal, Narwana, Israna and Bawani Khera. From Hodal, Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan lost to BJP’s Harinder Singh. The Congress could secure victory in the remaining nine SC seats -- Sadhaura, Shahbad, Ratia, Uklana, Kalanaur, Kalanwali, Jhajjar, Guhla and Mulana -- according to the Election Commission data.

In the 2019 assembly polls, the BJP won five SC assembly constituencies, thus improving its performance in the 2024 assembly elections. Among several steps to woo the Dalit community, the Nayab Singh Saini government accepted the report of the Haryana Scheduled Caste Commission after the Supreme Court had held that states were constitutionally empowered to make sub-classifications within the SCs. The sub-classification of SCs into the ‘deprived SCs’ category comprising Dhanaks, Bazigars, Kabirpanthi, Balmikis, Mazahbis and Mazhabi Sikhs, and other SCs comprising Chamars, Rahgars, Raigars, Ravidassis, Ramdassis and Mochis for the purpose of reservation in government jobs also seemed to have worked in favour of the party.

In poll speeches, the BJP leaders targeted the Congress calling it anti- Dalit outfit and accused the previous Congress regime of depriving jobs to people in the reservation category. Not only Dalit seats, the BJP also won a significant number of seats in constituencies which were considered Jat strongholds, such as in Sonipat, Rohtak and Jind districts. In the Jat stronghold, the BJP won five seats -- ?Gohana, Jind, Safidon, Sonipat and Uchana Kalan. The Congress registered victories in Baroda, Beri, Garhi Sampla-Kiloi, Julana, Meham and Rohtak. Two Independents on Bahadurgarh and Ganaur constituencies.