The BJP’s surprising win in Haryana has boosted the Party’s rank and file to wrest Maharashtra and Jharkhand in later polls. Noted psephologist Yogendra Yadav who has also led the Bharat Jodo Yatra along with Rahul Gandhi while speaking at a function in Delhi on October 6, had stated categorically that Haryana would go the Congress-INDIA way. But the voters had other things in mind. The lesson from Haryana is never to take the voters for granted and to ensure that those entrusted with leading the electioneering in a poll-bound state have the confidence of the people. Much was said about the dissatisfaction of the people of Haryana vis a vis the Agniveer scheme which the youth of Haryana felt was taking away their share of jobs. But above all the farmer’s agitation that was still fresh on people’s minds was thought to be the singular reason why people would not vote for the BJP. But it shows how wrong the calculations were. The BJP literally snatched victory from the Congress by positioning Nayab Singh Saini an OBC candidate at the forefront. The OBCs make up 40% of the population of Haryana. So that was a strategy that worked. The BJP is known to have grassroots workers who engaged with women’s self help groups in villages and wooed them with the Modi Ki Guarantee campaign beginning from January this year.
The Congress tried to play the caste card by demanding a caste census but it would appear that not too many in Haryana at least are invested in this issue. To feel the pulse of the people there is need for dedicated volunteers along with RSS workers on the ground which the Congress has never had and does not have even today. This is the basic difference between the BJP and Congress. Besides the Congress relied heavily on Bhupinder Sign Hooda – a Jat whereas Haryana’s non-Jats, OBCs and Dalits in particular had consolidated their strength over the years and shifted loyalties. The only consolation for the Congress is that it is forming the government in Jammu and Kashmir in alliance with the National Conference. The National Conference won 42 seats, while its ally Congress bagged 6 seats so although a junior partner at least the Congress has a footing in Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP won 29 seats in the 90 members assembly while the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) of Mehbooba Mufti was reduced to 3 seats and that’s because of her alliance with the BJP earlier, following which the central government revoked Article 370 which lead to the break-up of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) managed to get just one seat which speaks poorly of AAP’s rejection of the non-BJP alliance, despite the BJP being its main opponent in Delhi. Perhaps the 7 Independents would ultimately join the NC-Congress government.
