Haryana election results 2024: As BJP looks set for win, 5 things the party got right

Haryana Assembly election results 2024: Despite forecasts of a sweeping win for Congress, the BJP seems on way to improving its 2019 performance. Here is what worked for the party

Haryana election results 2024: Nayab saini

Saini’s candidacy as CM was confirmed early, ensuring the party garnered OBC support. (Photo: X/@NayabSainiBJP)

ECI Haryana Results 2024: ECI Election Results Haryana 2024: As Haryana election results roll in, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seems to have defied exit poll predictions. It is leading in over 46 seats, on course to form the government in the state for an unprecedented third consecutive term. Despite forecasts of a sweeping victory for the Indian National Congress, the BJP seems on way to improving its 2019 performance, when it secured 40 seats and had to ally with the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP).

Here are five factors that contributed to the BJP’s apparent success.

1. Consolidation of non-Jat votes

The BJP’s strategy for Haryana has been clear since 2014, when it jumped from four to 47 seats. Contrary to conventional expectations, it appointed Manohar Lal Khattar, a Punjabi Khatri, as Chief Minister. The party focused on securing the OBC vote, which makes up about 40 per cent of the population, by elevating Nayab Singh Saini, an OBC, as state party chief and later as Khattar’s replacement in March this year.

Saini’s candidacy as CM was confirmed early, ensuring the party garnered OBC support in a state where the Chief Minister has often been from the upper-caste Jat community, which forms 25 per cent of the population. The BJP cemented its win by wooing the 75 per cent non-Jat voters.

The BJP also targeted Scheduled Caste (SC) voters, particularly through women’s self-help groups in villages. The ‘Lakhpati Drone Didis’, often from Dalit families, became symbols of this outreach. Prime Minister Narendra Modi even personally invited many of them. This sentiment resonated among the youth as well, as reflected in the words of an ITI student in Ambala who remarked, “Modi ji will elevate SCs to the general category.”

2. Candidate selection of Congress, BJP in Haryana

While Congress leaders like Bhupinder Hooda pushed for their own candidates, the BJP adopted a different approach, choosing 60 fresh faces to combat anti-incumbency. The party also replaced former CM Khattar, who was perceived as arrogant, with the more approachable Nayab Singh Saini. In contrast, Congress re-nominated 17 candidates who had lost earlier, including its state president, Udai Bhan.

The BJP also attacked the Congress by claiming that it would again anoint Hooda as Chief Minister, a move that may have alienated non-Jat voters by reinforcing the perception that jobs and opportunities would concentrate in Hooda’s stronghold of Rohtak.

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3. Development, DBTs, and discipline

The BJP started its campaign much before the Congress could get its act together. It ramped up its campaign as early as January with its “Modi ki Guarantee” vans touring villages. These vans highlighted government schemes and allowed villagers to rectify issues in their Parivar Pehchan Patras. The party also emphasised its success with Direct Benefit Transfers (DBTs), claiming to be number one in the country in ensuring that benefits went directly into beneficiaries’ accounts.

Then followed a slew of welfare announcements that stopped only when the poll code was enforced.

Development in the GT Road constituencies, which stretch from Ambala to Delhi, was another focal point, with six districts and 25 seats experiencing significant progress. Voters appear to have rewarded this work at the ballot box. The BJP also stressed its efforts to reduce crime, contrasting its discipline with the chaos it warned a Congress-led government would bring.

4. Fragmented Opposition

Unlike in the Lok Sabha elections, Congress and AAP fought separately in this contest. The battlefield was further crowded by the Indian National Lok Dal, which allied with the Bahujan Samaj Party, and the JJP, which teamed up with the Azad Samaj Party. Numerous independent candidates also entered the fray. This split the anti-BJP vote, contributing to Congress’s defeat in several constituencies.

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5. Poll pitch and machinery

The BJP pulled out all the stops, holding over 150 rallies, many addressed by PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, compared with the around 70 by Congress. The BJP’s poll messaging contrasted sharply with that of Congress. While Rahul Gandhi focused on farmers and pitched them against industrialists like Ambani and Adani, his socialist rhetoric may not have resonated with the business community and upwardly mobile voters.

Manraj Grewal Sharma

Manraj Grewal Sharma is a senior journalist and the Resident Editor of The Indian Express in Chandigarh, where she leads the newspaper’s coverage of north India’s most politically and institutionally significant regions. From Punjab and Haryana to Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, she oversees reporting at the intersection of governance, law, politics and society. She also reports on the diaspora, especially in Canada and the US. With a career spanning journalism across several countries, academia and international development, Manraj brings a rare depth of perspective to regional reporting. She is widely regarded as a leading chronicler of Punjab’s contemporary history and socio-political evolution, particularly its long shadow of militancy, federal tensions and identity politics. Her book, Dreams after Darkness, remains a definitive account of the militancy years and their enduring aftermath. Professional Background & Expertise A gold medalist in mass communication and a post-graduate in English literature, Manraj has a multifaceted career spanning journalism, academia, and international development. She was also awarded a fellowship by National Foundation of India and did several in-depth pieces on Manipur. Internationally, she has reported from Israel, US, UK, Myanmar, and Mauritius Her key focus areas include: Regional Politics, History, Agriculture, Diaspora, and Security. Of late, she has started focusing on Legal & Judicial Affairs: Much of her recent work involves reporting on high-stakes cases in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, ranging from environmental policy to civil rights. International Consulting: She previously served as a consulting editor for the Asia Pacific Adaptation Network and a publishing consultant for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila. Academia: For five years, she was the managing editor of Gender, Technology and Development, a peer-reviewed international journal at the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reportage focuses heavily on judicial interventions and regional governance: 1. Environment & Governance "‘NGT can’t test legality of policy’: HC hears challenge to Punjab’s ‘Green Habitat’ plan" (Dec 22, 2025): Covering a critical legal battle over whether the National Green Tribunal has the authority to strike down a state policy regularizing farmhouses on delisted forest land. "High court pulls up Punjab poll panel over audio clip probe" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on judicial concerns regarding the transparency and fairness of local body elections. 2. Legal Rights & Social Welfare "HC issues notice to Punjab, Haryana over delay in building old age homes" (Dec 22, 2025): Reporting on a contempt petition against top officials for failing to establish government-run homes for the elderly as promised in 2019. "Victims can appeal acquittals in sessions court without seeking special leave" (Dec 19, 2025): Highlighting a significant procedural shift in criminal law following a Supreme Court ruling. "HC upholds benefits for Punjab FCI officer acquitted in 20-year-old bribery case" (Dec 19, 2025): A report on the concept of "honourable acquittal" and its impact on employee benefits. 3. Human Rights & Identity "As Punjab denies parole to MP Amritpal Singh, HC asks it to submit ‘foundational material’" (Dec 1, 2025): Covering the legal proceedings regarding the radical preacher and sitting MP's request to attend Parliament. "Protecting life paramount: HC backs Muslim woman in live-in after verbal divorce" (Nov 6, 2025): Analyzing judicial protections for personal liberty in the context of traditional practices. Signature Beats Manraj is recognized for her ability to decode complex judicial rulings and relate them to the everyday lives of citizens. Whether it is a 30-year-old land battle in Fazilka or the political implications of Kangana Ranaut’s candidacy in Mandi, her writing provides deep historical and regional context. Contact @grewal_sharma on X manrajgrewalsharma on Instagram ... Read More