What Does A Hat-Trick For The BJP In Haryana Means?

Return of the BJP to power in Haryana, after a below par performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, is great news for the Modi government. Firstly, it sets the tone for the next round of assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. It also strengthens the Modi government and its coalition agenda. The Haryana results certainly came as a shock to the Congress which was hoping to ride on the 10-year anti-incumbency of the BJP government. But then both PM Narendra Modi and HM Amit Shah are people who never underestimate their rivals. They had recalled CM Manohar Khattar to Delhi and put a new CM Nayab Singh Saini on the eve of the polls. More than the OBC CM face, what seemed to have worked for the party was the ground work on caste groups. While the Congress relied on mainly mobilising Jat votes via its former CM Bhupinder Hooda, non-Jats rallied behind the BJP fearing a Jat backlash if Hoodas were to return to power.  Sidelining of senior Congress leader Kumari Selja by the Hoodas also gave a handle to the BJP to mobilise Dalit votes. Congress had to readmit Ashok Tanwar at eleventh hour to retrieve Dalit seats as Selja sulked.Two campaign pitches seem to have played a role in the state.  One is a speech by UP CM Yogi Adityanath who made a strong pitch for Hindu unity, referring to the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh he reminded, “Batenge to Katenge, Ek Rahenge to Nek Rahenge.” This was endorsed by PM Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. As for the Congress loss, party sources say Rahul Gandhi’s reference to Sikhs and their religious freedom in India while he was in the U.S.had put off Sikh voters.