Haryana: What Does The Chhattis Biradari Want?

"This time it is not just about making me win, I know you will make me win with a huge margin, but I want the 'Chhattis Biradari' to make Congress win all ten seats in Haryana this time. Because 15 MPs (10 Lok Sabha, 5 Rajya Sabha) go to the Parliament from the whole of Haryana, out of which I am the only MP who speaks for the farmers and the poor of the state and the country." Just before the Lok Sabha elections, Deepender Hooda had said this while giving a speech in Mandhoti village of Jhajjar in Rohtak.

As soon as the results of the Lok Sabha elections came on June 4, it became clear that Haryana was among the states in which the BJP had lost a huge number of votes and seats. Of the total ten Lok Sabha seats in Haryana, all of which were occupied by the BJP since 2019, 5 seats have now gone to the Congress. In the last Lok Sabha elections, BJP had more than 58 per cent votes which has come down to 46 per cent. On the other hand, the Congress-led INDIA Bloc has more than 47 per cent vote share.

Geographic and Socio-Political Dynamics

A closer examination of the electoral map reveals a distinct pattern: Congress's resurgence was particularly pronounced in rural and agricultural constituencies, illustrating a bolstered support base in these regions. Conversely, BJP's inability to maintain its stronghold, especially in the face of Jat consolidation, underscored a failure to resonate with key demographics amidst the backdrop of the farmers' and wrestlers' movements. These grassroots mobilisations exerted a palpable influence on Haryana's political landscape, amplifying the voices advocating for agrarian and socio-economic reforms.

Issues for the Elections

Currently, the biggest issue in Haryana that, Haryana is primarily an agricultural state, covering a total area of 44 lakh hectares, out of which more than 37 lakh hectares (approximately 84 per cent) are cultivable. The major crops grown here include wheat, gram, sugarcane, and oilseeds. Over the past few years, the Union government has introduced several platforms such as eRAKAM and eNAM, allowing farmers to sell their produce online. However, farmers are facing significant confusion regarding the operation of these platforms. They point out that there is a limited timeframe provided for selling crops through these portals. Due to this short duration, farmers find it challenging to harvest, pack, and complete the registration process on the portals. The state government has maintained silence on this entire issue, due to which the farmers are unhappy with both the BJP led state and central governments.

The second big issue is that people believe that the state government has failed to provide a good infrastructure for the wrestlers of the state. Haryana is a state where youth from many states come to learn wrestling but due to lack of infrastructure they have to return.

Similarly, a lot of resentment was seen among the people due to the Agniveer scheme. There are many youths who prepare to join the army but their aspirations were dashed when they discovered the commencement of the Agniveer Scheme. As a result, numerous young individuals redirected their efforts towards preparing for roles in the Haryana Police, Delhi Police and similar government services.

Coalition Dynamics and Strategic Shifts

Just before the Lok Sabha elections, JJP leader Dushyant Chaudhary, who had contested the elections independently after leaving the BJP-led NDA, while talking to Outlook had said that the main reason for coming out of the alliance was that the BJP was not ready to give the estimated number of seats to JJP in the seat sharing.

The biggest factor on which the results of the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections depend is OBC consolidation, which the BJP had tried before the Lok Sabha elections but its effect was not clearly visible.

After Dushyant and JJP's separation from NDA, now NDA's Haryana government is in minority and Dushyant wants the Legislative Assembly to be dissolved. Haryana Assembly elections are expected to be held in October and it would be interesting to see whether the Opposition in Haryana Assembly insists on pre-polls or not.