It is unlikely that the Congress will dent the Bharatiya Janata Party’s reign in north India, with the BJP establishing a handsome lead, retaining traditional strongholds.
At 3.19 pm, the following were the leads, according to the EC’s website.
The recent Lok Sabha election has exposed a vulnerability within the BJP after a decade of almost complete dominance. In the first election since the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP has fared well in its own fortress.
2024 Lok Sabha polls seat share
| Party | Seats |
| BJP | 5 |
| Congress | 5 |
| Total | 10 |
2024 Lok Sabha polls vote share
| Party | Vote share |
| BJP | 46.11% |
| Congress | 43.67% |
| BSP | 1.28% |
| INLD | 1.74% |
| JJP | 0.87% |
| AAP | 3.94% |
Issues like the farmers’ protest and wrestlers’ protest and the constitution-saving campaign helped Congress create sentiments conducive to it in frenzied campaigns among farmers, particularly the politically dominant Jat community as well as the equally important Dalit vote bank.
In the recent Lok Sabha polls, it won five out of 10 parliamentary seats. Congress’s comeback in state assembly after a decade mainly hinges on support of these communities, which account for almost half of total votes.
BJP’s upswing in Haryana since 2014 has mainly rested on the support of non-Jat communities, such as Other Backward Communities (OBCs), Dalits, Khatri, Baniyas, Brahmins and Rajputs. The 2024 Lok Sabha polls saw a dent in this non-Jat consolidation.
BJP has counted on regional players like Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), Jannayak Janata Dal (JJP) as well as Aam Aadmi Party to do well electorally to prevent Congress’s rise. As results start appearing after 8 am, their performance is another election hotspot.
Meanwhile, there are multiple claimants for the top CM post in both BJP and Congress. For instance, prominent Jat leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda has once again been eyeing the CM post. The party’s Dalit face Kumari Selja also made it clear in the run up to the polls that she is an equally strong contender for the top post. The power sharing formula among different factions will be major focus once the results are out.
With inputs from Vivek Gupta.
