Chandigarh: In the recently concluded Haryana Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged victorious with 48 seats, securing a clear path to form the government. The Congress, which was projected to perform better based on exit polls and pundit analysis, fell short with only 37 seats in the 90-seat state assembly. Meanwhile, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) secured two seats, and three independent candidates also claimed victory.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi played a significant role in BJP’s success, addressing four high-profile rallies in the state. These rallies, held in Kurukshetra, Sonipat, Hisar, and Palwal, contributed to a 75 percent strike rate for the BJP, with the party securing three of the four constituencies where Modi campaigned.
In Kurukshetra, Modi began his campaign, and BJP candidate Nayab Singh Saini, who is also the Chief Ministerial candidate, secured a decisive win in the Ladwa constituency, defeating his rival by a margin of 16,000 votes. Hisar, however, proved to be a tougher battleground for the BJP, as Kamal Gupta failed to secure a win, finishing third. Independent candidate Savitri Jindal, mother of BJP MP Naveen Jindal, triumphed with a margin of over 19,000 votes, defeating Congress’s Ram Niwas Rara.
In Palwal, Gaurav Gautam from the BJP delivered a solid victory, defeating Congress’s Karan Singh Dalal by an impressive margin of 33,000 votes. Modi’s campaigning in this area was deemed a key factor in the result. Similarly, in Sonipat, the BJP secured a victory, with Nikhil Madan defeating Congress’s Surender Panwar by over 30,000 votes, despite Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also campaigning in the constituency.
Rahul Gandhi, who conducted eight rallies in Haryana, had a strike rate of 38 percent, with the Congress managing to win three of the constituencies where he campaigned. His influence was felt in Nuh, where Congress’s Aftab Ahmed claimed a significant win over INLD’s Tahir Hussain by a margin of 47,000 votes. Similarly, Congress tasted success in Thanesar, where Ashok Arora defeated BJP’s Subhash Sudha by 3,000 votes, and in Narayangarh, where Shelly Chaudhary won by 15,000 votes over BJP’s Pawan Saini.
However, in other key constituencies where Gandhi campaigned, the Congress struggled. In Mahendragarh, BJP’s Kunwar Singh narrowly defeated Congress’s Rao Dan Singh by 2,600 votes. In Sonipat, despite Rahul Gandhi’s efforts, BJP’s Nikhil Madan claimed victory. The same was true in Gohana, where BJP’s Arvind Sharma defeated Congress’s Jagbir Singh Malik by over 10,000 votes.
Congress’s campaign faltered in Barwala, where BJP’s Ranbir Gangwa secured a commanding win over Congress’s Ram Niwas Ghorela by a margin of 27,000 votes, with INLD trailing in third place. In Assandh, despite Gandhi starting his election campaign there, the Congress failed to secure the seat, with BJP’s Yoginder Singh Rana emerging victorious.
As the results show, Prime Minister Modi’s focused campaign strategy has proved instrumental in securing the BJP’s continued dominance in Haryana, while Congress, despite Rahul Gandhi’s efforts, struggled to convert rally appearances into electoral wins.
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