The script for the BJP’s stunning Haryana win was penned by none other than PM Modi when he replaced CM Khattar with Nayab Saini, an OBC leader. Saini pacified sarpanches and ensured that public grievances were redressed at special camps held by DCs. A report by Pawan Kumar Bansal
Prime Minister Narender Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s strategy worked and lotus bloomed in Haryana for the third consecutive term by overcoming strong anti-incumbency sentiments. The Congress, which was hopeful of forming the government, by riding the anti-incumbency wave paid the price for remaining a divided-house.
Meanwhile, the Congress has alleged “glaring discrepancies“ related to some EVMs in the polls. The party spokesman, Jairam Ramesh, has described Haryana results as “murder of democracy” and Rahul Gandhi has commented that he had got complaints of electoral malpractices from so many of their candidates. He however added that they would continue the fight for social and economic justice and truth and keep raising their voice. A top delegation of Congress party comprising former CMs Bhupinder Singh Höoda and Ashok Gehlot, Haryana Congress Chief Uday Bhan and other senior leaders, including KC Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Ajay Maken and Pawan Khera met Election Commission’s officials and handed a memorandum alleging “glaring discrepancies“ related to some EVMs in the polls while demanding probe.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi while congratulating the people of Haryana has commented that people of Haryana have reposed faith in the double engine Haryana government. Although a few days ago, a confident Haryana CM Nayab Saini and party’s face in the election had proclaimed victory adding that system was with them. The election results have proved that it was a bi-polar contest between BJP and Congress.
Sensing strong anti-incumbency sentiment prevailing in the state, Narender Modi, who knows the nitty-gritty of Haryana politics, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had taken over the command. The script for victory was penned by Modi when he replaced CM Manohar Lal with Nayab Saini, a leader from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) with a significant population in the state. Soft-spoken and easily accessible to people and party-workers, contrary to his predecessor Manohar Lal’s style, Nayab Saini succeeded in winning confidence and support of party workers. He pacified sarpanches and ensured that grievances of the people, particularly relating to mistakes in property IDs and Parivar Pahchan Patras are rectified at special camps at district level under the chairmanship of deputy commissioners.
Not only this, as part of the strategy, Manohar Lal was kept away during the campaign and even his posters were not considered good for use during the election campaign. Modi and Shah projected Nayab Saini as party’s CM face while BJP selected party candidates strictly on winnability critirea. The Congress, on the other hand, gave free hand to the former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who managed a major chunk of tickets for his supporters by bypassing even Deepak Bavaria, the party’s incharge of Haryana who admitted that he failed to get tickets even for loyal Congressmen. He was heckled by the party workers and was admitted to hospital.
Hooda succeeded in denial of ticket to Dr Ajay Chaudhary, a close aide of senior leader Kumari Selja from Narnaund constituency which annoyed her no end. The alleged casteist remarks by the supporters of Höoda against Selja added fuel to fire and she suddenly stopped campaigning for the party. Although both were present in the rally addressed by Rahul Gandhi and they held hands together with Rahul Gandhi but much damage had already been done. Shikhir Gupta, data-scientist, has described the total surrender of the party high-command before Bhupinder Singh Höoda in distribution of tickets as the main reason for Congress’ defeat, adding that it gave an impression that Congress is dominated by only one leader and one caste.
The Aam Adami Party, which contested all the ninety seats lost security deposits of its candidates in large number of constituencies. Election results are significant as about a dozen ministers of Nayab Saini have bitten the dust.
Meanwhile, for the first time, the family members of former CM, Bhajan Lal (Bhavya Bishnoi) lost from Adampur constituency which has always been family’s stronghold. Bijender Singh, former MP and son of former Union Minister Birender Singh, who had joined politics after quitting his job as an IAS officer of Haryana suffered a heartbreaking loss as he lost by a razor-thin margin of 34 votes from Uchana assembly constituency. Dushyant Chautala, former Deputy CM, also lost from Uchana. Savitri Jindal of Jindal steels Limited won from Hisar as an independent candidate and has now given support to BJP. Her son, Navin Jindal is BJP MP.
