BJP on its way to a historic hat-trick in Haryana.
As the votes were tallied for the assembly elections conducted last month, the results presented a varied outcome for both the Congress and the BJP. The saffron party faced a setback in Jammu and Kashmir; however, it overcame initial trends in the early hours to surpass the Congress in the closely contested race in Haryana.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) surpassed the Congress party in Haryana, while the alliance between the National Conference and Congress appeared to be on track for a majority in Jammu and Kashmir, as indicated by trends on the Election Commission’s website on Tuesday.
As the counting of votes for the assembly elections conducted last month progressed, the results presented a mixed outcome for both the Congress and the BJP. The BJP seemed poised for a setback in Jammu and Kashmir but overcame initial trends to take the lead over the Congress in the closely contested Haryana election. Should these trends persist, the Congress may face a defeat in the crucial state while potentially securing a secondary victory in the union territory.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), aiming for a third consecutive term in Haryana, was leading in 47 out of the 90 seats, surpassing the halfway threshold by two seats. The Indian National Congress, which had initially shown strong performance in the morning, was leading in 36 seats.
As the counting of votes progressed, the results fluctuated between the ruling party and the opposition, with the vote share remaining closely contested at 11 am, three hours into the counting process. The BJP recorded a vote share of 38.7 percent, while the Congress slightly edged ahead with 40.5 percent.
Veteran Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda expressed confidence to reporters in Rohtak, stating, “The Congress will secure a majority and form the government in Haryana.” He attributed the party’s success to the efforts of Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi, and other leaders, while emphasizing that the true credit belongs to the people of Haryana. Kumari Selja, a fellow party member and a contender for the chief ministerial position should the Congress prevail, also expressed her certainty regarding the party’s victory.
Exercise patience. Congress is poised to establish a government with a significant majority, she stated.
The BJP expressed similar confidence.
“We are quite assured that we will secure a substantial victory in Haryana and form the government for a third consecutive term,” remarked party leader Harish Khurana in an interview with NDTV.
In Jammu and Kashmir, where assembly elections are being conducted for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 and the subsequent division of the state into union territories, a clear outcome appears imminent.
The NC-Congress coalition was leading in 47 out of the 90 seats—39 for the NC and eight for the Congress. The BJP was ahead in 28 seats, Independents in eight, and the PDP in four.
“If the people’s mandate is unfavorable to the BJP, then the party should refrain from any ‘jugaad’ (manipulations) or similar tactics,” stated NC leader Omar Abdullah during a press conference in Srinagar.
The Raj Bhavan and the central government should acknowledge the people’s decision as we did during the Parliamentary elections. We remain optimistic about our prospects, but ultimately, the outcome lies in divine hands. We will learn around noon what choice the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir have made, he remarked.
“Initial trends are encouraging and are expected to improve… the electorate aimed to convey a message to the BJP,” stated Congress leader Suhail Bukhari.
Ravinder Raina, the BJP chief in Jammu and Kashmir, is currently trailing in the Nowshera assembly constituency.
To ensure a smooth process at all counting centers, a comprehensive three-tier security arrangement has been established in the volatile border union territory, which has historically been a focal point for terrorism, insurgency, and cross-border infiltration.
