India
J&K and Haryana election results: winners and losers of this election season | India News – Times of India
There are 90 parliamentary seats up for grabs in both Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, with a majority of 46. It was a prestige battle with a lot at stake for several heavyweights in these parliamentary elections. Here’s an overview of the major winners and losers of this election.
WINNERS
1. Democracy
This list cannot begin without mentioning that after a decade, elections have been held in Jammu and Kashmir. These parliamentary elections held a lot of significance as Jammu and Kashmir has undergone major changes in the last decade, the most significant of which is the abrogation of Article 370. These were also the first elections after the region lost state status. The stakes were also high after the delimitation process that had led to realignment of constituencies and changes to the reservation system for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, introducing significant changes in the electoral framework of the region.
Despite all this, the elections in Jammu and Kashmir were as normal as in any other state/UT in the country. The voting took place in three phases and ended peacefully in all regions, under tight security. Jammu and Kashmir recorded an overall voting percentage of 63.45, higher than the recently held Lok Sabha elections. This election was also historic as three communities – West Pakistani refugees, Valmikis and Gurkhas – voted for the first time.
2. National Conference
It was an outright struggle for the survival of the National Conference and the Abdullahs in Jammu and Kashmir. As the counting of votes began on Tuesday, NC Vice President Omar Abdullah went on to run a seven-kilometre marathon in Srinagar and posted selfies on and Kashmir. results.
The party was last in power in 2009-2014, with Omar Abdullah as chairman of the prime minister. NC fought not only with its arch-rival Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP but also with the BJP, for which it joined hands with the Congress in a pre-poll alliance.
In an election held after a decade, people gave a big thumbs up to Abdullah’s NC.
Omar Abdullah, who contested from Ganderbal and Budgam, is leading in both constituencies.
3.BJP
The BJP proved all the exit poll results wrong and pulled off a surprise by winning a majority in Haryana. In a climate where the party fought against the establishment, a strong perception battle amid protests by farmers and strugglers, the party emerged clear victor by securing power in the state for a historic third term.
Earlier, all the exit polls had written off the party and given a clear mandate to the Congress.
The party’s decision to replace Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar with Nayab Singh Saini just months before the Assembly elections also seems to be paying off.
4. The Modi magic
The election results showed that the Modi magic, which started in 2014, is still working for the BJP. The party has time and again relied on the Prime Minister for the election campaign. In the run-up to the elections, Prime Minister Modi slammed the Congress for its perceived divisive and negative politics. He also named Robert Vadra to accuse Congress of corruption in land deals. In the campaigns, he directly attacked the party for “corruption, casteism and nepotism”.
The BJP also pushed for a ‘double-engine sarkar’ with the BJP at the Center and the state, which would enable faster initiatives and development.
5. Vinesh Phogat
In Haryana, the Congress has lost, and its heavyweight Bhupinder Hooda has lost, but one candidate who has managed to pull off a big win just months after losing a major medal at the Olympics is Vinesh Phogat. The wrestler, who joined Congress just days before the election, won her poll debut from Julana’s seat. In a ‘nationalist’ battle, the BJP had fielded former Indian Army captain and commercial pilot Yogesh Bajrangi against it.
Her side may have lost the final in Haryana, but she emerged victorious.
LOSERS
1. Exit polls
The election results of the Assembly elections of Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir have taken many by surprise and the biggest losers of the day have to be the exit polls and pollsters. Despite all the exit polls, the BJP managed to secure a historic third term in Haryana. All pollsters had given a clear majority to Congress.
The exit polls in Jammu and Kashmir were somewhat close, but not accurate. The pollsters had declared a hung assembly in J&K ahead of the NC-Congress alliance. However, the actual results gave the alliance a clear mandate.
2. Congress and Rahul Gandhi
The biggest losers of these parliamentary elections have turned out to be the Congress and Rahul Gandhi, who failed to translate the momentum of the Lok Sabha election win. Just five months ago, the party was at a high after winning 99 of the total 543 seats. With this, Rahul Gandhi also became the face of the anti-BJP INDIA bloc and leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha.
Despite this, the Congress could not stop the BJP in Haryana, which was already fighting the incumbent. The Congress also failed to garner votes with the help of farmers and strugglers who are in direct conflict with the BJP government. Out of embarrassment, the party office, which was merry with dhols, sweets and celebrations early in the morning, had to stop the celebrations midway as the results started tilting in favor of the BJP.
In Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress will be able to be part of the government, but only by piggybacking on the National Conference. It was understood that the NC had entered into an alliance with the Congress before the elections to help consolidate victories in the Jammu region where the BJP holds power. During the election campaign, Omar Abdullah had even openly questioned Rahul Gandhi’s absence from the Jammu campaign. “I hope that after Rahul is done campaigning on one or two seats in Kashmir, he will focus on Jammu. Ultimately, what the Congress does in Kashmir is not important. What Congress is doing in Jammu is important,” Abdullah had said.
However, the party failed to inflict any significant damage on the BJP in the region.
3. Bhupinder Hooda
Early in the day, as trends turned in favor of the BJP, which pulled off a surprise by emerging as the largest party in Haryana, former CM Bhupinder Hooda put on a brave face and still claimed that the Congress would form the government in Haryana. The Congress failed to capitalize on the momentum of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and one person to be questioned would be Bhupinder Hooda. Hooda was strongly supported by the Congress high command and at least seventy Congress-fielded candidates were endorsed by his camp.
His rival Selja, who has the support of the Dalit community, has largely stayed away from campaigning. Hooda’s open rivalry with Shelja and his over-dependence on the Jat community seems to be hurting the Congress in the state.
4. PDP and Mehbooba Mufti
In Jammu and Kashmir, it was a no-show for Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP as the NC-Congress alliance put up a spectacular show. Mehbooba Mufti, who was the last CM of the state a decade ago, failed to make any impact in the Assembly elections. She and her archrival Omar Abdullah fought for relevance and existence. Her party was part of the INDIA bloc at the national level and did not join the Congress-NC alliance and went solo in the UT. However, it was a no-show for PDP in Jammu and Kashmir.
5. AAP and Arvind Kejriwal
The Aam Aadmi Party’s attempts to make inroads into Haryana, the native state of its leader Arvind Kejriwal, hit yet another roadblock as the results were a complete failure. The AAP had campaigned on the strength of its popular governments in neighboring Delhi and Punjab. The Haryana results come at a time when Arvind Kejriwal has quit his position as Delhi chief minister and stated that he will resume the post only if the AAP forms a government after next year’s assembly elections.
While the Haryana elections may not directly impact Delhi, the inability to win even a single seat after contesting almost all the seats could dampen the mood of the AAP workers.
