BJP Secures Third Consecutive Win in Haryana, Omar Abdullah Set to Lead J&K Government

In a decisive political victory, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) clinched its third consecutive win in Haryana, securing 48 out of 90 Assembly seats. Meanwhile, in Jammu and Kashmir, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) emerged as the dominant party with 42 seats, with its alliance partner Congress adding six more. Omar Abdullah is set to be the next Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, as confirmed by NC president Farooq Abdullah.

Despite exit polls predicting a Congress win in Haryana, the BJP has once again proved its dominance, winning a majority of the seats. As of 7:10 p.m. (IST) on October 8, 2024, the BJP had secured 48 seats, while the Congress trailed with 36. One seat remained to be declared, but the results solidified the BJP’s hold on the state. This victory marks the third consecutive term for the party, reaffirming its popularity in Haryana.

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who succeeded Manohar Lal Khattar earlier this year, expressed confidence in the BJP’s performance, dismissing the exit poll predictions. “On October 8, we will form the government, and the Congress will once again blame the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs),” he stated boldly. On the other side, Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who served as Chief Minister twice before, remained optimistic despite the results, claiming that “A comfortable majority for Congress is in sight.”

The Haryana Assembly elections have largely been a direct contest between the BJP and Congress, though smaller regional parties like the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), and Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) also sought to make their presence felt. Leaders such as JJP’s Dushyant Chautala and INLD’s Abhay Chautala have positioned themselves as potential kingmakers if the election had resulted in a hung assembly. AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal, too, voiced that no government could be formed without his party’s support, though the AAP has not made a significant electoral dent in the state.

Several high-profile contests were witnessed across constituencies from Ambala to Adampur. Incumbent Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and JJP leader Dushyant Chautala were among the key candidates. The election also featured family rivalries, such as the contest between cousins Shruti Choudhry (BJP) and Anirudh Choudhary in Tosham, and Devi Lal’s grandson Aditya Devi Lal (INLD) taking on Digvijay Singh Chautala (JJP) in Dabwali.

The BJP’s campaign in Haryana focused heavily on good governance, creating merit-based jobs, and offering welfare schemes for farmers. The Congress, however, focused its campaign on attacking the BJP over issues like unemployment, inflation, and farmer distress. Despite Congress’ efforts, the election results reflect a strong endorsement of the BJP’s governance model under its new leadership, and it serves as a crucial test for the party’s future strategies.

In Jammu and Kashmir, the 2024 elections marked a historic moment as the state geared up to elect its first government since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. The election, conducted over three phases, saw a voter turnout of 63.45%, slightly lower than the 65.52% recorded in 2014.

The NC-Congress alliance triumphed, with the NC winning 42 seats and Congress securing six. Farooq Abdullah, the NC president, confirmed that his son, Omar Abdullah, would be the next Chief Minister. While the BJP managed to increase its seat tally from the previous 25 seats, it failed to challenge the NC’s dominance. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which won 28 seats in the 2014 elections, suffered a significant loss this time around. Farooq Abdullah indicated that, if necessary, the NC would consider joining forces with the PDP, though he ruled himself out of the Chief Ministerial race.