The Congress rode the anti-Chautala wave to power in Haryana after a hiatus of nine years, hammering the INLD tally to a single digit. Be it the Jat belt or Chautala’s karambhoomi of Narwana, the INLD took a severe drubbing, managing only nine seats in the Assembly. The only consolation — Chautala managed a win in Rori, his ancestral seat. All INLD ministers, including finance minister Sampat Singh buckled under the anti-incumbency wave which claimed 38 seats from the party’s last tally. A brooding Chautala tendered his resignation to Governor A.R. Kidwai in the evening. The Congress bagged 67 Assembly seats, its highest so far after 52 seats in 1972. Independents put up the second best show with a cache of 10 seats. The BJP could garner only two seats, the number it had earlier got, though it contested on its own. The INLD, which has always boasted a Jat vote base, took a severe beating in the Jat heartland of Sonepat, Panipat, Jhajjar, Rohtak, Jind, Hisar and Bhiwani, where the Congress emerged winner. Observers attribute it to the farmers’ agitation at Kandela which the Chautala Government tried to snuff out by ordering police firing. This time, the Bhartiya Kisan Union led by Ghasi Ram Nain, had thrown its weight behind the Congress. Congress president Bhajan Lal remained on top and recorded his eighth victory with the biggest margin of 71,081 votes. The other big winners included his confidant Mahendra Partap (63,108) from Mewla Maharajpur and son Chander Mohan (61,476) from Kalka. Other chief ministerial candidates, Birender Singh and Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing Assembly Captain Ajay Singh, also registered impressive wins. Though Congress working president Randeep Singh Surjewala barely scraped through with a margin of 1,861 votes, his victory over Chautala is significant considering the heavy-duty effort he had put into nurturing Narwana. It was a smooth sailing for the two sons of former CM Bansi Lal, Ranbir Mahendra, president of the BCCI and Surender Singh, as well. The Congress made a clean sweep of all seats in Bhiwani, with Nripendra Singh Sangwan, former ADC to Arjun Singh, defeating Independent Sat Pal Sangan, who enjoyed the tacit support of a section of Congress. Other prominent Congress winners included former Shamsher Singh Surjewala from Kaithal, former Union Minister Venod Sharma from Ambala Cantt and steel magnate O. P. Jindal from Hisar. TOTAL SEATS 90/DECLARED 90
