Haryana Assembly Election: BJP vs Congress in Tough Battle

Haryana Assembly Election 2024: A Tough Battle Between BJP and Congress

Haryana is witnessing a fierce contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress as over 2 crore voters cast their votes today. This election will decide the political fate of 90 assembly constituencies, with prominent candidates like Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Congress candidate Vinesh Phogat, and JJP leader Dushyant Chautala in the fray, along with 1,027 others.

Haryana Election 2024: Key Developments
The BJP is aiming for a third consecutive term in Haryana, while Congress seeks to return to power after a decade. Regional parties like Dushyant Chautala’s Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), which allied with the BJP from 2019 until early 2024, and Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) could play a kingmaker role. A total of 1,031 candidates are contesting, including 101 women and 464 independents. Key figures include CM Saini (Ladwa), Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda (Garhi Sampla-Kiloi), INLD’s Abhay Chautala (Ellenabad), and Congress’s Vinesh Phogat (Julana).

The BJP, having governed Haryana for the past decade, faces the challenge of overcoming 10 years of anti-incumbency. In 2014, propelled by the Modi wave, BJP secured 47 seats and formed its first-ever government in Haryana under Manohar Lal Khattar. CM Nayab Singh Saini remains confident, citing the development work under BJP leadership, claiming Haryana has become a “developed state.”

Meanwhile, Congress hopes to capitalize on its strong performance in recent Lok Sabha elections. The party’s manifesto promises seven key guarantees, including legal assurance for MSPs, a caste survey, and a ₹2,000 monthly allowance for women. Rahul Gandhi has spearheaded Congress’s campaign, criticizing the BJP on issues like the Agniveer scheme, farmers’ protests, and the wrestlers’ agitation.

Voting Process and Voter Demographics
Voting across 90 constituencies began at 7 am and will continue until 6 pm. Over 2 crore voters, including 8,821 centenarians, will cast their votes at 20,632 polling booths. Among the total voters, 1,07,75,957 are male, 95,77,926 are female, and 467 are transgender.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged voters to set a new record, tweeting, “Today is voting for the Haryana Assembly elections. I appeal to all voters to participate in this holy festival of democracy and set a new record of voting.”

In the 2019 assembly elections, BJP won 40 seats, Congress secured 31, and JJP gained 10. Voter turnout was around 68%. The BJP formed the government with JJP’s support, though the alliance ended in March 2024 when the BJP replaced CM Manohar Lal Khattar with Saini.

Exit polls for both Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir elections are expected on Saturday evening after voting concludes. Vote counting will take place on October 8.