Anti-incumbency, Modi wave helped BJP

The Haryana BJP’s strategy not to dwell much on same old allegations and instead rely on its tried-tested “Modi wave” as a winning formula paid off, which was clear by the election results announced on Sunday.

The BJP’s first ever victory to power in Haryana is being viewed as a vote for stability and development in the name of Modi. The election results also seem to indicate the beginning of the end to regional party-centric politics in Jatland, with the INLD increasingly losing relevance.

While the BJP banked heavily on Modi for its triumph, a combination of factors worked to its advantage. The ruling Congress had been on thin ice ever since the last elections when it managed a second term with the help of HJC legislators. So, it was facing the anti-incumbency wave of a decade. Traditionally in Haryana, it has always been a contest between the Congress and the INLD with the BJP struggling with a meagre vote base. All this changed post 2014 Lok Sabha elections when the BJP did exceedingly well.

The momentum continued. With a stable NDA government at the Centre, the Haryana electorate saw the BJP as an alternative and a formidable option, beyond the Congress and the INLD.

Meanwhile, with its top leaders Om Prakash Chautala and son Ajay Chautala in jail after being convicted in the infamous recruitment scam, the INLD was hopeful of turning this adversary into strength. But that flopped and the strategy based on sympathy didn’t cut ice with the electorate. Even O P Chautala’s campaign during bail term failed to ensure a win for his grandson Dushyant Chautala, an MP. The BJP benefited from the polarisation of the urban votes. The voters had been sensing a BJP win in Haryana after the general elections that showed up a never-before rising trend for the BJP.

The trend continued with the BJP securing over 33 per cent vote share in the state on Sunday, up from just 9 per cent since last elections.

The plummeting graph of the Congress was written on the wall. The party was blemished with graft charges and had to pay the price for its shady land deals, including the controversial land deal between Robert Vadra and DLF and the allegations of quid-pro-quo deals.

Lopsided development in Haryana, regional bias (Hooda was dubbed “Rohtak CM”) in project allocation, largescale defections and acute internal wrangling led to the Congress collapse. Hooda’s style of governance was also an issue. The last minute support of widely popular sect, Dera Sacha Sauda, to the BJP also boosted the saffron party’s might.