Congress workers during counting of votes of Haryana Assembly elections. (Express Photo by Kamleshwar Singh)
Haryana Election Results 2024: The BJP and Congress increased their tally across 17 Assembly constituencies reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) in Haryana, with the Jannayak Janta Party led by Dushyant Chautala failing to open its account.
The BJP won eight of 17 reserved constituencies, up from five in 2019, while Congress increased its tally to nine from 2019’s seven. The JJP that won four of the reserved seats in 2019 and played the role of kingmaker ended with zero this time.
Of the eight reserved seats it won, the BJP saw a decline in its margin in four seats — Narwana, Bawal, Israna, Hodal. It also saw an increase in an equal number of constituencies — Kharkhauda, Pataudi, Bawani Khera and Nilokheri.
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The Congress saw its victory margins falling in three (Shahbad, Sadhaura, Jhajjar) of the nine seats it won. It increased its margin in the remaining six seats — Kalanaur, Kalawali, Uklana, Mulana, Guhla and Ratia.
Of the four reserved seats that were won by the JJP in 2019, Congress snatched three (Guhla, Shahbad and Uklana), while the BJP managed to win Narwana.
In 2019, one of the 17 reserved constituencies (Nilokheri) was won by an Independent. This time, BJP won the seat.
Among prominent candidates, BJP candidate and former MP Sunita Duggal lost to Congress’s Jarnail Singh in Ratia. Singh defeated Duggal by 21,442 votes. Former minister and Congress leader Geeta Bhukkal retained her constituency, Jhajjar, by defeating BJP’s Kaptan Birdhana. Pradeep Narwal of the Congress, who contested from Bawani Khera, was defeated by BJP’s Kapoor Singh by 21,779 votes.
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SCs account for about one-fifth of the population in Haryana and are largely concentrated in rural areas. Traditionally, these seats used to be strongholds of the Congress.
Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister’s Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More